I gave this 10 stars.
Both parts of this 2 part mini series deserve 10 stars. It was an extremely well done film.
I got the impression at the end of the film that this was based on real people and their experiences, which I had no idea was the case when I began watching it.
Robert Duval as Print Ritter carries the film, although all of the performers did good jobs.
The storyline was fresh, original and interesting, something I see so seldom these days, it really made it stand out. Another thing that made this stand out from the usual garbage that passes for entertainment in film these days - was the heroes really were heroes. These men were brave and did the right thing. They had values and ethics.
The story revolves around Print Ritter (Robert Duval) and his nephew Will, I think was his name, (and sorry but I didn't know who any of the actors were except for Duval)driving a herd of horses north to sell.
They end up with people they didn't count on being along for the trip--4 or 5 young Chinese girls, who do not speak a word of English, a fiddle player, and a couple of other people who join the group later in the story.
The Chinese girls are very young, the oldest might be 18. They have been sold by their parents and sent to America where they will be forced into prostitution.
None of the 4 men who eventually travel with the girls and protect them, try to take advantage of them, and the two romances in the story, are kept low-key.
The bad guys in the film are just that - they're wicked through and through. No explanation or psycho-analysis given or needed. This picture is getting back to the basics of the American western, good vs. evil.
There's gunfire when needed, confrontations when needed, and great characterizations, as our group journeys along and encounters various people and adventures.
And yes, there's even a plot! Another element I've discovering missing all too often in films of late.
