Redford Retrospective: A Look Back at ‘Jeremiah Johnson’

Jeremiah Johnson (1972)

Redford as Jeremiah Johnson

Sydney Pollacks’ brilliant film about a man who decides that life amongst people is no longer for him and decides to head west to Utah—to the mountains—to try his hand at being a mountain man.

Based upon two stories (Raymond Thorp/Robert Bunker’s “Crow Killer” and Vardis Fisher’s Mountain Man), the film is loosely based on the real-life adventures of John Johnston, nicknamed ‘Crow Killer.’ Johnston apparently had a penchant for cutting out the liver of each Crow indian he killed in vengeance he’d sworn against them for killing his own family. Whatever amount of backstroy is true, it makes for an excellent film detailing the events of a man who finds nothing but trial and hurt (the very things he vaguely references as to why he left society) in his attempts (and successes) in becoming a mountain man.

Here are two talents at the height of their game. Pollack’s direction is nothing short of brilliant. Wide, sweeping shots of country so beautiful even the big screen can’t communicate it fully. So many moments of Johnson’s sheer desperation captured with poignancy, vitality and humor. Like a good novel, Pollack unfolds Johnson’s tale with precision and a deft hand.

Robert Redford stepped into the role of Johnson with seemingly no misgivings about what he’d have to endure, or how the film could affect his own notoriety. Here was arguably one of the best looking men in the film industry who grew out a monstrous beard completely covering his face, endured beating after beating, heartaches and just plain hell on earth. His frugal speech, expressive facial gestures and body language solidify Johnson as the archetypal male—strong, quiet, fierce but also genuine and caring. There can be no question that this is Redford at his apex. He single-handedly carries the film into all of its twists and turns, laughs and confrontations. If one wonders why Redford is one of the most respected actors still living today, they need only see this film.

The supporting cast is no disappointment, either. Will Geer’s Chris ‘Bear Claw’ Lapp is immensely entertaining. Wise, witty and gruff, Lapp takes in Johnson, mentors him and sends him back out into the wilderness, never letting Johnson forget that one can’t cheat the mountain. The mountain has her ways, and Johnson would do good to remember to follow her ways, lest he end up frozen, just another nameless pilgrim who left society to find something the mountain was unwilling (or unable) to give him. The chemistry between Redford and Geer is fantastic, the two seeming more like old companions than a couple of actors on screen. Some of the most memorable lines are uttered by these two men:

Jeremiah Johnson: Y’ever get lonesome?
Bear Claw Chris Lapp: Fer what?
Jeremiah Johnson: Woman?
Bear Claw Chris Lapp: Full time night woman? I never could find no tracks on a woman’s heart. I packed me a squaw for ten year, Pilgrim. Cheyenne, she were, and the meanest bitch that ever balled for beads. I lodge-poled her at Deadwood Creek, and traded her for a Hawken gun. But don’t get me wrong; I loves the womens, I surely do. But I swear, a woman’s breast is the hardest rock that the Almighty ever made on this earth, and I can find no sign on it.

Stefan Gierasch as the wanderer, Del Gue, is nearly as much fun as Bear Claw, what with his rough and tumble approach to life, and his lack of compunction. When we first meet Del Gue, he’s buried up to his head in the desert sand:

Jeremiah Johnson: [Jeremiah and Caleb find Del Gue buried to his neck in sand] Are you all right?
Del Gue: Sure, sure, I got a fine horse under me!
[sneezes]
Del Gue: Got one of them feathers in my nose.
Jeremiah Johnson: You keep sneezing, it’ll come out all right. Haven’t seen anyone pass by recent, have you?
Del Gue: Nobody’s gone in front of me. Can’t say what’s happened behind me, though.
Jeremiah Johnson: The Injuns put you here?
Del Gue: T’weren’t Mormons. A Chief, name of Mad Wolf. Nice fella, don’t talk a hell of a lot. Say, you wouldn’t have an extra hat on you, would you? Shade’s getting’ scarce in these parts.
Jeremiah Johnson: What’d you shave your head for?
Del Gue: Mad Wolf figures like every other Injun I know. Says this scalp isn’t fit for no decent man’s lodgepole. Ain’t the first time I’ve protected my head in such a way. Name’s Del Gue, with an “e”.

“T’weren’t Mormons.” Does it get any better than that response? Del Gue and Johnson meet more than once, each time Del Gue certainly keeps Johnson’s life from becoming boring.

But Pollack’s film isn’t all wit and humor. There is plenty of genuine heartache to be had. Johnson happens upon a woman (simply billed at Crazy Woman in the credits) who has lost all of her family to death save her son, Caleb. Johnson helps the distraught woman bury her family and then, with reluctance, takes her son, Caleb, with him on his journey.

Not long after, he is put in a position (by the ever-troublesome Del Gue) in which he must accept the daughter of an indian chief. A simply beauty named Swan, once again Johnson finds himself with more companionship than he ever wanted up here in the cold mountains.

Pollack’s brilliance once again shines as slowly, ever so slowly, the relationship between Johnson, Caleb and Swan grows into something more than reluctant good heartedness into genuine love. The epitome of this relationship is signified when the three build their own homestead. In a wonderful segment, the three build a most excellent home. Upon looking at the final product, Johnson muses, ‘Well, it will have to do.’

Once we have ourselves fallen in love with this family, Pollack wrenches our insides out.

Called on by a group of soldiers looking to rescue a group of freezing settlers, once again Johnson must reluctantly save yet more people. In order to do so, he must take the rescuers through a Crow burial ground, inciting the wrath of the Crow. He returns to find his wife and adopted son killed.

And so begins the journey of Johnson, no longer the quiet man content to keep to himself, now he seeks vengeance. He begins his quest by attacking a group of Crow (presumably the same ones that killed his family) and slaughters the lot of them. Redford plays the scenes like a man possessed. One has little difficulty believing this pretty boy can indeed kick some ass.

From there on, Johnson spends his days and nights fighting Crow, trying not only to survive the harsh elements but the surprise, one-by-one attacks. Once again running into Del Gue, Johnson is attacked while in the wild man’s company. Del Gue asks him, “Is it always like this? One at a time?” . Johnson affirms and Del Gue tells him to be thankful they weren’t Apache, or they’d have sent fifty at a time. One has to wonder if Johnson might not have been better with that anyway.

Del Gue informs Johnson that some Crow tribes determine their own worth by how strong their enemies are. Judging by what we see on screen, here is a tribe that must be convinced of their own high worth. For Johnson indeed is a powerful enemy.

There is another wonderful meeting between Johnson and Bear Claw. The essence of the student coming into his own, Bear Claw tells Johnson he has come far, and is fortunate to have so much hair, what with so many people after it. This reunion gives us yet more understated revelation into Johnson’s character:

Bear Claw Chris Lapp: You’ve come far pilgrim.
Jeremiah Johnson: Feels like far.
Bear Claw Chris Lapp: Were it worth the trouble?
Jeremiah Johnson: What trouble?

Thankfully, Pollack doesn’t subject us to endless torture. The Crow finally relent, apparently having lost enough strong men to Johnson’s bitter determination. In film’s final scene (and arguably one of the most moving) Johnson happens on the Crow leader, Paints-His-Shirt-Red. The Crow warrior is holding up his hand in peace.

Johnson ponders peace for a moment, then holds up his own hand, thrusting it forward while gritting his teeth. Here is a tired man who has had enough.

There are so many things to be discussed about this film. We’ll let you do that amongst yourself, however, for we’d be writing until next month if we touched on every thing. Suffice it to say, Jeremiah Johnson is an actual, true classic, not a modern film given the bastardized title as such. The cinematography, story, dialogue, direction and brilliant acting set this movie high atop the landscape of Hollywood’s few (but certainly welcome) triumphs.

Have you seen it? See it again. Haven’t seen it? Good god, man, what’s the hold up?

...

The way that you wander is the way that you choose,
The day that you tarry is the day that you lose.
Sunshine or thunder, a man will always wonder.
Where the fair wind blows.
An Indian says you search in vain for what you cannot find.
He says you’ll find a thousand ways for runnin’ down your time.
An Indian didn’t scream it, he said it in a song,
And he’s never been known to be wrong.
He’s never been known to be wrong.

(Sources: Wikipedia, WikiAnswers, IMDB, various internet sites, my own impressive grey matter expanse [ha and ha])