SHENANDOAH Movie Review
1965 Andrew V. McLaglen
In many important ways, this is one of Hollywood's more accurate attempts to show what the Civil War was like, both on the battlefield and at home. But director Andrew McLaglen and writer James Lee Barrett never let strict adherence to accuracy get in the way of their historical soap opera, and that's why the film has been such an enduringly popular hit. It is also the basis for a hit Broadway musical.
In the fictional community of Shenandoah Gap, widowed patriarch Charlie Anderson (James Stewart) rules his clan of six sons and one daughter and is determined not to pay any attention to what is happening beyond the boundaries of their 500-acre farm. “This war is not mine and I take no note of it,” he states without hesitation or doubt. Anderson does not believe in slavery and has no thoughts on the preservation of the Union. He's more concerned with the raising of his children and the running of his farm. It takes almost an hour to limn in the details of that world—the conflicts with neighbors and authorities, and the romance between daughter Jennie (Rosemary Forsyth) and Sam (Doug McClure), a young Confederate officer.
About half way through, Anderson is forced to take action, and the pace quickens. Well-timed coincidences keep things moving briskly, but the whole tone of the film takes on a sad quality as the family comes to understand how badly the war is going for Virginia. By far the best scene is an encounter between Anderson and Col. Fairchild (George Kennedy), a Union officer whose war-weariness seems absolutely authentic. In that moment, the film has the tough-mindedness associated with the James Stewart–Anthony Mann westerns of the 1950s. But McLaglen quickly reverts to the sentimental melodramatics and action scenes that were always his strong suit. If the battles lack the sweeping scope of some Civil War epics, they are true to the individual combatants and the tactics of smaller engagements. As such, they're believable, though in appearance and sensibility, the film is almost a western. (At the time Shenandoah was made, the TV series Bonanza was at the peak of its popularity, and any similarity between the two is intentional.)
For the most part, McLaglen wisely keeps the camera on his star, and Stewart carries the film. While several of his younger supporting cast adopt unfortunate Southern accents, he sticks to the voice that everyone knows. That's a very good thing, because he's called upon to deliver many long, weighty, and wise monologues. Actually, this may be the most pontificatory role in his long career. The speeches work because they're grounded in a believable sense of reality. The Oregon locations are similar to the Shenandoah Valley. Slavery was not as prevalent there as it was in other parts of the South; smaller farms were prevalent. (They grow a lot of turkeys there now.) Finally, the film's refusal to take sides in the war also serves it well. This is a sentimental, tear-jerking Hollywood melodrama that means to entertain while remaining fairly faithful to history. It does that.
ast: James Stewart (Charlie Anderson), Doug McClure (Sam), Glenn Corbett (Jacob Anderson), Patrick Wayne (James Anderson), Rosemary Forsyth (Jennie Anderson), Katharine Ross (Ann Anderson), George Kennedy (Col. Fairchild), Phillip Alford (Boy Anderson), James Best (Carter), Charles Robinson (Nathan Anderson), James McMullan (John Anderson), Tim McIntire (Henry Anderson), Eugene Jackson (Gabriel), Paul Fix (Dr. Tom Witherspoon), Denver Pyle (Pastor Bjoerling), Harry Carey Jr. (Jenkins), Dabbs Greer (Abernathy), Strother Martin (Engineer), Warren Oates (Billy Packer); Written by: James Lee Barrett; Cinematography by: William Clothier; Music by: Frank Skinner; Technical Advisor: D.R.O. Hatswell. Producer: Robert Arthur, Universal. Awards: Nominations: Academy Awards '65: Best Sound. Running Time: 105 minutes. Format: VHS, Beta, LV.