The Far Horizons (1955)

Fresh and Exciting

Captivating movie !

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Copyright 1955 by Paramount Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Criterion: 20 May 1955. U.S. release: June 1955. U.K. release: June 1955. Australian release: 8 February 1957. 9,826 feet. 109 minutes. Censored by 2 minutes in the U.K. in order to qualify for a "U" certificate.SYNOPSIS: In 1803 President Jefferson sends Lewis and Clark on a jaunt to map and explore the Louisiana Purchase.COMMENT: An impossible script, straight out of dime romance novels, almost defeats this commendable attempt to re-trace the exploratory achievements of Lewis and Clark. Fortunately, there are snatches of action to relieve the triangular tedium, and the scenery — in the hands of Daniel L. Fapp's Technicolor-VistaVision camera — is absolutely breathtaking. Heston tries manfully to overcome the script's deficiencies of dialogue and inadequate characterization, but is ultimately defeated by an especially unbelievable conclusion. Fred MacMurray had presumably read the script in advance. He doesn't even try. Demarest tries vainly to assert himself. Miss Hale is likewise wasted. Oddly enough, it is Donna Reed who is halfway convincing as the never-take-no Indian girl, despite her obviously too smooth make-up and a puerile fade-out that makes nonsense of her one- tracked devotion.A colorful Jefferson has the best lines, allowing Herbert Heyes to easily walk away with Far Horizon's acting honors, such as they are.Maté's direction homes in on the scenery, costumes and sets but makes little sense of the "story".

'The Far Horizons' is a film in which an expeditionary force, commanded by Captain Meriwether Lewis (Fred MacMurray) and Lt William Clark (Charlton Heston), sets out to explore newly acquired US territory. The film begins with an atmospheric party at which the news of the American expansion is broken, and arrangements are made to investigate. Subsequent scenes are ominous and foretelling, and handle this effect quite well. Sadly, it tends to go downhill from there. Although MacMurray, Heston and Donna Reed (who plays a helpful young Native woman and romantic interest of Lt Clark) play their parts well, the uncertainty of the surveyors' mission renders the film's direction ambiguous at times. The cinematography is in parts very good, and the tedious, repetitive shots that I usually associate with maritime films are satisfyingly rare in 'The Far Horizons'. However, some of the choreography isn't very good, and one or two fight scenes appear pretty poorly designed. Also, many of the Natives are depicted as being quite flat in character and lacking in opinion, and so not many of the supporting cast and extras perform dynamically. The final scenes of the film attempt to be reflective, with a letter being read in a narrative form, but the mediocre and vague drama in the prior scenes lead to this delivery feeling unsubstantiated.

If I would have seen the trailer (preview) of this film in the fifties I would probably not have missed it. It had everything to please , the colorful scenes on the river, the great scenery and potentially a great story about Lewis and Clark that wanted to get to the Pacific and faced all kinds of dangers. It had a lot in common with 'The Big Sky' with the advantage of being in color. But 'The Big Sky' was quite a film and 'The Far Horizons' failed. By casting Donna Reed as an Indian woman and making her character so important they went wrong. Reed is a good actress, but this part was not for her. Just comparing her with the Indian girl in 'The Big Sky' we realize why. It is not really her fault, but her character was too much of a cliché. SPOILER AHEAD. I thought the great moment of the film would be when they start seeing the Pacific Ocean. I kept thinking of 'Lawrence of Arabia', that spectacular moment when Peter O'Toole is walking in what seems like an endless desert and suddenly sees the Suez Canal. But in this film, who knows why, probably because they went over budget, this is not shown. The film cuts abruptly to when they are already in the Pacific, celebrating their achievement. Quite a letdown.

Sorry for my bad English...A 'River Expedition ' with a touch of humanism. As action-film , it is weak. We arrive at the sea without realizing it...Indian and Women are presented more sympathetically that in the 'classic' westerns, but it remains limited. (A good women is a good housewife...) On the other hand, the only French of the film is a dirty and fat bad guy. It is a shame. I am hurt as a louse (French expression). Because of that I shall give 4 instead of 5. It's my revenge.