Drums Along the Mohawk

Dumb among the rednecks. It's surprising just how bad this movie is. The director? John Ford. The stars? Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert? That's some pretty heavy duty bloodlines there. So why is this flick so foolish? It barely qualifies as a story; just a pastiche of scenes from colonial New York, culminating in a Revolutionary War victory for the proto-Americans and a few laughable visuals of women and Natives saluting the flag in their joy over a win for the white trash. As an echo of the country that once was, this is a weird piece of historical curiosity--but without the usual dose of fond nostalgia these sorts of movies usually bring. As a movie, it's makes little sense, is not particularly entertaining, and doesn't show its cast and crew in a good light. Quite an unusual--and disappointing--experience.