Cheyenne Autumn was John Ford's last Western. That is its primary source of infamy in film circles, alongside the fact that it featured his most dignified portrayal of Native Americans, an ethnic group Ford had used as one-dimensional villains for the majority of his career. As a film historian, the film is fascinating. But as a moviegoer, it's woefully underwhelming. It's overlong, overstuffed, overly ambitious, and the best parts involve a ruckus at Dodge City involving James Stewart that's completely superfluous to the story (it was originally cut completely from the original theatrical release). More interesting than it is good, Cheyenne Autumn is a film only diehard fans and historians should trouble themselves with.
6/10
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