A 23-year-old John Wayne in his first 'starring' role leading a cast of colorful supporting characters from Kansas City, Missouri out west to Oregon, California, etc. Pretty epic, if I say so myself, and the on-location photography was legitimately impressive. John Wayne really only comes into his own in the last 30 or so minutes, culminating in a short inspirational speech delivered in the midst of a snowstorm. That same speech also distills what I think this film may have meant to the audience of the day: We have weathered hard times before and come out on the other side, and we will do the same with this Depression. Escapism is all well and good, and sometimes necessary, but films like this, that exemplify the can-do American spirit, can inspire. I did feel like the villains and romantic subplot were a bit superfluous, but overall, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Review of The Big Trail
