Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
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A rugged mountain man navigates the harsh realities of the frontier while dealing with the consequences of his actions and the loss of his family.
The story
Around 1848, Mexican War veteran Jeremiah Johnson lives as a mountain man and trapper in the Rocky Mountains. During his first winter, he encounters the elderly and eccentric Chris Lapp, who mentors him on the skills required to survive in the high country. After a series of brushes with local tribes and a forced responsibility to care for a young boy named Caleb, Johnson sets off on his own. He eventually finds a sense of community and forms a family in the wilderness, only to have his secluded life interrupted by the demands of the expanding American frontier.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1848, Mexican War veteran Jeremiah Johnson lives as a mountain man in the Rocky Mountains. After being mentored by the eccentric Chris Lapp, he survives his first winter and eventually takes in a young boy named Caleb. He later marries Swan, the daughter of a local chief, and establishes a home in the wilderness. His peace is shattered when he is forced to guide a U.S. Army cavalry rescue party. During the journey, the commander ignores Johnson's warnings and enters a sacred Crow burial ground. Upon returning home, Johnson finds that Swan and Caleb have been killed by warriors. He embarks on a quest for revenge, defeating the Crow warriors who attacked his family. His actions lead to a legendary status among the tribe. The film concludes with a final meeting between Johnson and his mentor, Lapp, and a wordless encounter with the chief Paints-His-Shirt-Red, signaling an end to their long conflict.
- First release year
- 1972
- Runtime (minutes)
- 116
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English; Crow; Salish
- Directors
- Sydney Pollack
- Writers
- John Milius · screenplay; Edward Anhalt · screenplay; Raymond W. Thorp · story; Robert Bunker · story
- Cast and characters
- Robert Redford · Jeremiah Johnson; Will Geer · Bear Claw" Chris Lapp; Allyn Ann McLerie; Stefan Gierasch; Charles Tyner; Delle Bolton · Swan
- Genres
- Western; Drama; Survival
- Themes
- Survival; Isolation; Revenge; The cost of violence
- Tone and mood
- Somber; Atmospheric; Gritty
- Setting
- The Rocky Mountains and high country of the American West in the 1840s.
- Premise and plot tags
- Western; Survival; Historical; Retribution
- Source material / true-story basis
- Crow Killer: The Saga of Liver-Eating Johnson by Raymond W. Thorp and Robert Bunker; Mountain Man by Vardis Fisher.
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and was a box-office success, becoming the 5th highest-grossing film of 1972.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 92% · scale: percentage · review count: 24; Metacritic · score: 75% · scale: percentage · review count: 7
- Production trivia
- It was the first Western film ever to be accepted in the Cannes Film Festival.; A scene of Robert Redford nodding has become a widely used internet meme.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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