Jeremiah Johnson

Jeremiah Johnson (1972) is a film about the mountain men who hunted for furs, primarily beaver, during the first part of the 19th century. It was directed by Sydney Pollack, and starred Robert Redford as Jeremiah Johnson and Will Geer as Bear Claw. This movie is said to have been based in-part on the life of the legendary mountain man Liver-Eating Johnson.

Plot

Johnson tries to take up the life of a mountain man, supporting himself in the western mountains as a trapper, but only becomes successful after teaming up with Bear Claw, who shows him how to live in the mountains. Just when his life seems to be turning around, Johnson precipitates a bloody feud between himself and an Indian tribe. The film is a bit anachronistic because Johnson is portrayed as a refugee from the Mexican-American war. The great days of the mountain men were pretty much over by that time, and, as indicated in the film, the old hunting grounds were being occupied by settlers. The original plan was to have Johnson die at the end, but his fate is left hanging in this film.

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Tagline: His Mountain. His Peace. His Great Hunts. His Young Bride. With All That, It Should Have Been Different.

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