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List Price: $19.98 | | Label: Turner Home Ent
Salesrank: 52109
Released: June 4, 2002 |
| Our Price: $10.50 |
| Used Price: $2.86 |
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MPAA Rating: Unrated
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
The second installment of John Ford's famous cavalry trilogy (which also includes Fort Apache and Rio Grande), this meditative Western continues the director's fascination with history's obliteration of the past. It features one of John Wayne's more sensitive performances as Capt. Nathan Brittles, a stern yet sentimental war horse who has difficulty preparing for his impending military retirement. All things considered, he refuses to leave before fulfilling his obligation to the local Indian tribe. It's a film about honor and duty as well as loneliness and mortality. And Oscar-winner Winton C. Hoch beautifully photographs it in Remington-like Technicolor tones (you've never seen such stunning cloud-covered skies). The combination of melancholy and farce (Victor McLaglen makes a perfect court jester) evokes comparisons to Shakespeare. Best of all, the scene in which Wayne fights back tears when receiving a gold watch from his troops is unforgettably bittersweet. If you view the whole trilogy, it actually makes sense to save this for last. --Bill Desowitz
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon Reviews:
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 
2009-10-07 - I have always enjoyed John Wayne Movies and this one is one of my favorites.
I am glad that Amazon has given me a chance to own this movie.
Boring, Slow. You Call This a Western? 
2009-08-12 - What is a western movie? You need actions and fast pace. You do not get any from this movie. There is not much plot. The pace is very slow. The old man is near retiring and it is very boring. The girl theme (Olivia Dandridge) is not entertaining. There is not much to say, just not a fan of it at all. Really boring.
It is no comparison to High Noon, Hombre, Man of the West. For Indian Western, Broken Arrow is much better. Even the Searchers is better than this.
John Wayne is really old in this movie.
Best John Wayne Western EVER, hands down.
2009-07-29 - In interviews, Patrick Wayne has stated that "The Duke" thought of this as his best Western, if not his best film. His catchphrase in this one has been further immortalized on TV by "Jethro Gibbs" (Mark Harmon) on NCIS. "Don't apologize, it's a sign of weakness." It's a guy flick, but some ladies may like it as there is a bit of romance. My lovely wife would rather do needlepoint than watch Westerns, so we won't share her thoughts here. All in all, the Wide-screen transfer was fantastically done, the panoramas shot in Monument Valley are some of John Ford's best stuff cinematically. Would have really suffered if it had been done in black and white. The color is exceptional. Another early John Wayne & John Ford collaboration in color I HIGHLY recommend is "The Quiet Man" (I'm Irish and watch it each March 17th with some Old Bushmill's on hand.) Buy it and ENJOY!
John Wayne & John Ford at their Very Best
2009-06-23 -
John Ford's Cavalry Trilogy is a series of three movies, "Fort Apache" BW (1948), "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" Color (1949) and "Rio Grande" BW (1950) in which we get an insight into the life and manners of the United States Cavalry during the Indian Wars. Each is an independent movie and may be viewed in any order.
"She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" is a nostalgic view of the ending of a career for Capt Nathan Brittles (John Wayne), a career in which he has spent the last 40 years of his life. "I was a lad in blue jeans and barefoot when I left my daddy's farm to join the army", he comments and the pain of leaving the career he has loved all his life is painfully evident. Nathan's whole life has been the cavalry and on that painful night before retirement he comments, "Now tomorrow I'll be glad if the blacksmith asks me to shoe a horse." As evident by the cemetery scene, Nathan Brittles views retirement as the beginning of the end; his life will no longer have meaning or purpose as he awaits to join his wife and family in death.
But there is still one last patrol, one last mission, one last time to ride as Captain of the Troop before surrendering his command to two younger officers, Lt(s). Cohill and Pennell (John Agar and Harry Cary Jr.), who he has trained but who he feels are still not ready to assume command; two officers who spend more time fighting over a young girl, Olivia Dandridge (Joanne Dru), then attending to duties.
For the Indians, they are uprising in the wake of the Custer disaster of 1876, as tribes join together old quarrels forgotten. Along with the return of the buffalo, they see it as a sure sign of the return of Indian dominance to the Great Plains. But for Nathan Brittles this last patrol is his attempt to prevent another Indian war.
This is John Wayne as his very best, a classic movie in every sense of the word featuring the beautiful Monument Valley so typical of John Ford westerns only this time filmed in glorious color. Even Mother Nature lends a hand here, no special CGI effects, for the troops rides on with a pending thunderstorm approaching in the background an event which won this film an Oscar. The movie also has most all of John Ford's stock Irish actors present, John Agar, Ben Johnson, Harry Cary Jr., Victor McLaglen, Mildred Natwick, George O'Brien, and Francis Ford. Many of them also appearing in the other movies of this series as well.
As an extra historical note you will want to watch out for the old Indian leader, Chief Pony that Walks (Chief John Big Tree). You have seen him many times before and not just in the movies. Chief John Big Tree, 100% Seneca, who in 1912, posed as the Indian on the famous Indian-Head/ Buffalo nickel which is still in circulation today.
This Oscar winning film is truly John Wayne and John Ford at their best.
Readers of this review are invited to comment below or by email as listed in my profile.
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon
2009-05-08 - We love this movie, we are big John Wayne fans. Thank you.
Martha Van Eaton
