Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Bob S

  
  Admittedly not Ford's best, not even his best in 1939 but Drums Along the Mohawk is still one of the better movies about the American Revolution and it contains some of Ford's most beautiful compositions.

• Veronique K

  
  full of stereotypes, especially the description of indians as ape-like barbarians or christianity-converted dim-witts. i watched it just because i was curious how claudette colbert looks in color movies, and her costumes are sorta plain without the genius touch of paramout's… More
  full of stereotypes, especially the description of indians as ape-like barbarians or christianity-converted dim-witts. i watched it just because i was curious how claudette colbert looks in color movies, and her costumes are sorta plain without the genius touch of paramout's travis banton, not doing colbert justice. henry fonda feels lacklusterly awkward with his un-becoming pig-tail. the reason i could be able to abscent-mindedly finish viewing it is its striking photography of inland wilderness, and how soothingly wide the blue sky is rendered along with limitlessly grand pastures, cliffy hills and the massive forests of tall pines(who knows what kind of tree is that..)..it manifests the aloof charm of primitive inland america despite the people in it weren't (portrayed) half as charming as its breath-taking landscapes. i would certainly watch it again to doze off while gazing at those striking views of celluloid nature.

• E.J. B

  
  It would have been emotionally uplifting at the time it was released, but it doesn't hold up today.

• xGary X

  
  John Ford was responsible for many of the best westerns ever made, but this tedious frontier soap opera is certainly not one of them. Henry Fonda plays a frontier farmer caught up in the war of Independence with new wife Claudette Colbert, a pairing that is of course always watchable,… More
  John Ford was responsible for many of the best westerns ever made, but this tedious frontier soap opera is certainly not one of them. Henry Fonda plays a frontier farmer caught up in the war of Independence with new wife Claudette Colbert, a pairing that is of course always watchable, but the story relies far too much on melodrama and frankly bores. Highlights include Fonda's hollow-eyed and shellshocked account of his first battle (which happens off-screen) and Edna May Oliver's cantankerous old broad, and it does pick up a little at the end during the seige of a fort, but it's far too little too late. Add to this the fact that the patriotic climax in which the newly created stars and stripes is raised to signify victory over the English is accompanied by the strains of "God save the King" and I couldn't help thinking that Ford must've been asleep at the wheel for this one...

• moon r

  
  loved it

• Henrik S

  
  I love John Ford and the The Quiet Man might very well be my favourite movie but this flick is plain and simple a horrible, dull and very racists piece of crap. Claudette Colbert makes for a cute lead with Bambi eyes but her role is very one-dimensional and limited to the faithful… More
  I love John Ford and the The Quiet Man might very well be my favourite movie but this flick is plain and simple a horrible, dull and very racists piece of crap. Claudette Colbert makes for a cute lead with Bambi eyes but her role is very one-dimensional and limited to the faithful wife of the American Soldier. Henry Fonda is colourless and bland. What upsets me the most is the ridiculous portrayl of the First Nations and black people, they are either ravaging monsters and blabbering idiots. To make things worse, at the very end of the movie, to the sound of the national anthem everybody pledges allegiance to the flag, including the idiot Indian and servant black woman ! Of course, this being John Ford's first colour film, there are some lovely scenes of great cinematic beauty to be seen in this movie (inspired by Gone with the Wind it seems) but that does not excuse the lack of story and the blatant racism. Utter Rubbish. HX

• MJS M

  
  I?ve always had a love hate relationship with John Ford, love the filmmaking hate the politics. One of the most notable periods of Fords career was the period from 1939 to 1940 when he released four movies, three of them classics. The classics were Stagecoach, Young Mr. Lincoln, and… More
  I?ve always had a love hate relationship with John Ford, love the filmmaking hate the politics. One of the most notable periods of Fords career was the period from 1939 to 1940 when he released four movies, three of them classics. The classics were Stagecoach, Young Mr. Lincoln, and The Grapes of Wrath, then there was Drums Along the Mohawk which is said to be quite good, but not up to the level of the other three in the winning streak. I felt compelled to check it out, and I?m probably going to concur with popular opinion. This was Ford?s first color film, and it has that really beautiful look of other late-thirties color flicks. I also liked that the film was a look at the American Revolution?s western front fighting against Native Americans allied with the British, not a section of history that?s examined very often. Aside from those two interesting aspects, the film is mostly lacking. The characters were boring, and the film?s view of Native Americans seemed unsavory even by Western standards.

• cody f

  
  Fun film about a Newlywed couple who move to the frontier of upstate New York during the American Revolution. While they are there they have problems with the weather, Indians, and the damn British! This is Ford's 1st color film and it looks great. It was all shot on location in… More
  Fun film about a Newlywed couple who move to the frontier of upstate New York during the American Revolution. While they are there they have problems with the weather, Indians, and the damn British! This is Ford's 1st color film and it looks great. It was all shot on location in Utah and it is one of the best looking films of its time. There is a chase scene where 3 Indians are chasing Fonda through the plains and wilderness that is intense and gorgeous.

Read all 8 featured audience ratings