It's 1759 Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It's the French and Indian War. Langdon Towne (Robert Young), a rope maker's son, returns home after getting expelled from Harvard for speaking his mind. He faces imprisonment after speaking against the King's men. He is helped by woodsman friend Hunk Marriner (Walter Brennan) in an escape west. The two encounter Major Robert Rogers (Spencer Tracy), the leader of Rogers' Rangers. He's on a mission to attack the Indians and dreams to find a northwest passage to the Orient.
It's a fine action adventure for its time. It's got good action for its time. As for its inherent racism, I put it down to the times. The enemy cannot be anything more than targets. The Indian allies are no more than background characters and any racism towards them is fitting for the Rangers. The Rangers' racist attitudes are probably very truthful. It's telling that the Mohawks don't speak english and the audience don't get to understand them. There is no excusing the native guide as a drunken comedic sidekick but again, it is a different time. He's still an important character. The start is a bit slow. There is no need for the romance or some of the extraneous parts of the first act. While I question Young as the lead, it doesn't get better than Spencer Tracy. As an interesting aside, there is a small character called Lt. Dunbar. I don't know if it has anything to do with Dances with Wolves' Lt. Dunbar but that scene involves a female white prisoner taken by the Indians when she was a child. Despite being a product of its time about another time with its racist nature, this is still a very well executed historical action adventure.
It's a fine action adventure for its time. It's got good action for its time. As for its inherent racism, I put it down to the times. The enemy cannot be anything more than targets. The Indian allies are no more than background characters and any racism towards them is fitting for the Rangers. The Rangers' racist attitudes are probably very truthful. It's telling that the Mohawks don't speak english and the audience don't get to understand them. There is no excusing the native guide as a drunken comedic sidekick but again, it is a different time. He's still an important character. The start is a bit slow. There is no need for the romance or some of the extraneous parts of the first act. While I question Young as the lead, it doesn't get better than Spencer Tracy. As an interesting aside, there is a small character called Lt. Dunbar. I don't know if it has anything to do with Dances with Wolves' Lt. Dunbar but that scene involves a female white prisoner taken by the Indians when she was a child. Despite being a product of its time about another time with its racist nature, this is still a very well executed historical action adventure.