Breck Coleman (John Wayne) is the scout responsible for a wagon train commanded by Red Flack (Tyrone Power Sr.) whose chum Lopez (Charles Stevens) also joins. An ex-gambler thrown off a Mississippi steamboat (Ian Keith) is another member of the party. On the way, Keith and Wayne compete for the love of Ruth Cameron (Marguerite Churchill) who handles one of the wagons. They meet friendly and hostile Indians, but the biggest enemy is nature, and on top of that Wayne incurs the enmity of not only Keith, but Power and Stevens. Pros: The quasi-documentary style of this film. Just think of it: when it was made many people were still about who remembered the old west. In 'The Big Trail' the Indians look like they do on 19th-century photographs - not like dressed up Mexican extras. I also did not notice any racism; rather they are portrayed in an even-handed way. The cinematography is excellent. Cons: The dialogue sounds stiff and unnatural, not only because of the elocution of many of the actors, who were clearly unused to talking on film, but also because it is poorly written. Power growls and barks through the whole picture; his character is about as multidimensional as a mathematically defined point; and the others are not much better. The plot is less than compelling. It moves along at a pace that is at times quite sluggish, and while there are no plot holes, it fails to build up much suspense or a proper climax. I would say that after the arrival of sound it took about seven or eight years before films had regained the level of sophistication typical of good silent pictures of the 1920s. 'The Big Trail' stands close to the beginning of this development - and I am making allowances for technical issues with recording sound. It is an ok film, but the only thing for which it is memorable is the fact that it was John Wayne's first leading role.
Review of The Big Trail
