I sent for a video of a film I fondly remember from more than 30 years ago, but was surprised that Widmark's role as the drunken, exploitative Red was relatively small. Forrest was never better than in his first starring role; presumably, despite his name, he is a Native American, and his riding skills cannot be wholly have been usurped by stunt riders. Anyway, he is excellent, as is the gloriously non-PC Widmark. But there are gaps in the story which I hope to fill by at long last reading the novel. I'm not sure that 'no animals were hurt in the making of this picture' - I was distressed when 'brother bear' was driven into the wilderness, and despite Tom's alleged love of horses his reputation as 'killer seems well deserved - but hey, the women hardly fare better. A film of its time, then, but well worth preserving.
