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Rough Riders by John Milius
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DVD Cover InformationActor: Brad Johnson, Gary Busey, Illeana Douglas, Sam Elliott, Tom Berenger Director: John Milius Brand: BERENGER,TOM Writer: John Milius Producer: Allan A. Apone Producer: Frank Q. Dobbs Producer: Kristine Harlan Producer: Larry Levinson Producer: Moctesuma Esparza Writer: Hugh Wilson DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled) Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled Picture Format: 1.33:1 Running Time: 240 minutes DVD Release Date: 2006-05-30 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Studio: Turner Home Ent
Movie Reviews of Rough RidersMovie Review: A splendid little miniseries about that splendid little war Summary: 5 StarsAnyone who's ever seen Wind and Lion or Conan the Barbarian knows that John Milius is one of the best action directors currently at work in Hollywood, and in this DVd he shows that he's just as good at it when he's making a movie for the small screen. It's chiefly the story of G Troop of the First US Volunteers (the official designation of the Rough Riders), the men who served in it and commanded it, and how the war affected them--everyone from Teddy Roosevelt (Tom Berenger) (then fresh off his stint as New York City's Police Commissioner--see my reviews of Lawrence Alexander's Teddy mysteries, beginning with The Big Stick (A Theodore Roosevelt Mystery)), to New York society boy Hamilton Fish (Holt McCallany) and his friend, polo champion Craig Wadsworth (Chris Noth), to Mexican landowner's son Rafael Castillo (Francesco Quinn) and Indian Bob (Bob Primeaux), a young Sioux who wears otterskin braid-wraps and a hawk's feather and paints his face before going into action, to ex-stagecoach robber Henry Nash (Brad Johnson), who, after fleeing once, discovers unexpectedly just how much courage and unit spirit he really has. Also present are ex-lawman Bucky O'Neill (Sam Elliott in one of his best roles), Teddy's direct superior Col. Leonard Wood (Dale Dye), a young "Black Jack" Pershing (Marshall R. Teague) commanding a unit of black soldiers, and the still-flamboyant former Confederate general "Fighting Joe" Wheeler (Gary Busey almost unrecognizable in gray hair and handlebar mustachios), plus such media types as artist Frederic Remington (Nick Chinlund) (watch for him calmly painting in the midst of a bombardment), alcoholic and drug abuser Stephen Crane (Adam Storke) (who's already known as the author of The Red Badge of Courage), and newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst (George Hamilton). Indeed, it's the excellent cast as much as anything that makes the movie succeed: Berenger particularly has Teddy down to a T--which stands for Teeth--and Elliott as O'Neill is as calm and casual as anyone reading the Wikipedia account of his death would expect. There's also, of course, plenty of action, especially as the Riders begin their charge up San Juan Hill (and if you don't feel like cheering when they do it, no matter whether you agreed with the war or not, your patriotism, or at least your respect for human courage and resolution, needs a boost). Elmer Bernstein's splendid theme, and a score by his son Peter, add to the aura of the film, which is dedicated to Brian Keith, making his next-to-last appearance in a full-length film, as Pres. William McKinley (who, ironically, was to furnish veteran Teddy with a stepping stone to the Presidency upon his assassination several years later); interestingly, Keith played a Presidential Teddy in Milius's "The Wind and the Lion" 22 years earlier. UPI's Vernon Scott called this "Perhaps the best war movie ever made." I haven't watched enough of the genre to be sure about that, but it's certainly worthy of a look on its own merits, and should serve as a good conversation-starter with your kids regarding themes like heroism, duty, courage, and the role of the media in political decisions.
Summary of Rough RidersIn 1898 the US government, led by Theodore Roosevelt (Tom Berenger) back when he was still a young, ambitious Naval Secretary, intervenes on the side of the Cuban rebels in their struggle against Spanish rule. Always ready for action, Roosevelt leaves the confines of the sidelines and forms a volunteer cavalry regiment which later became infamously known as the "Rough Riders." Roosevelt's regiment brings together volunteers from all corners of the nation to fight against a far superior adversary in one of the most rousing victories in American history.
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