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 The transfer of this movie from it's original "Cinerama" format, leaves two crease lines on the screen, so it appears you are looking at a fold out poster. The characters are exagerated in how they move from the front of the screen to the rear, and back. And as a charater moves across the screen, the distance is so distorted, it is difficult to watch. This is a prime example of a motion picture that was designed for the big screen and should always be viewed that way. (One cannot view the Grand Canyon from pictures of it.) My recommendation is to steer clear of the DVD, and purchase this in a 1.33:1 VHS format for a standard TV. The widescreen transfer is such a poor quality, it should not be sold.
A stampeding buffalo herd that tramples a pioneer settlement under its hooves and a hairy and sensational shootout on a rapidly moving train are the action highlights, but they don't come until the final 25 minutes of the movie. There are other rousing scenes such as the Prescott's wild ride down the river rapids and a little while later an Indian attack but they come off as fairly routine, having that sense of 'dýjý vu' to it. Reynolds adds some great punch to the film in several musical numbers that she performs periodically throughout, working as a showgirl to support herself in different venues. Ironically, the Western genre's larger-than-life icon, John Wayne, receives barely five minutes of screen time - and he doesn't even appear as a Westerner. He plays General Sherman to Henry Morgan's General Grant in "The Civil War" sequence of the film. The entire scene is inconsequential to the rest of the movie, showing the two generals lamenting over their battlefield decisions, which have caused an incredible loss of life at Shiloh. It serves only to allow Union soldier Peppard to act as a hero, preventing a would-be assassin from taking either of the two's lives. A major drawback to 'How The West Was Won' is its ethnocentric view of history. The Native Americans played a huge part in the successful settlement of the Western US but they receive only the standard Hollywood treatment. Not until the final "The Railroad" sequence do they get any substantial screen time, but even so this is for the purpose of establishing Peppard's character as a friend of the Indians, the Arapahos in this case. One other slight disadvantage is the lack of dramatic continuity, which is due to the film's efforts to provide its big name cast with screen time. 'How The West Was Won' was filmed in a technique that employed three cameras to capture each shot and was presented in theaters that same way. Unfortunately it doesn't transfer to DVD too well and it is clear to see the seams or separate frames often throughout the film. To truly appreciate this movie it should be seen on the big screen when possible, it is as visually impressive as many of the Hollywood action oriented mega blockbusters of today.
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OK, OK, the frame ratio is not 2.35:1 and should be somewhere around 2.66:1, but who cares, considering the wonderful landscapes (some gone nowadays - documentary value!!!), a cast of thousands, who actually work for their money and a principal cast of characters and directors, worth as much gold as all the Oscars ever distributed.
This film WAS the first dramatic film (or actually the second, since "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" was shot second but released first) to be shot and released in three-panel Cinerama. Keeping in mind the medium and the relative sizes of the people on-screen in the theaters, there are no closeups. The acting (from a wonderful cast) and writing is therefore broad and simplistic. On a whole, this is a film that technically and craft-wise just doesn't hold up very well today. And, who the hell put a full screen Turner logo in the middle of a letterboxed presentation anyway. Does Turner and MGM employ college interns for this work? Most unprofessional presentation.
Not the sweeping chronicle of historical events as the title might suggest to you, but rather the story of one family's move to the West and the effects and changes that shape each member through three generations. The movie is heavily peppered with an All-Star cast, but that isn't necessary as the story is good on it's own terms. With the exception of George Peppard and Debbie Reynolds everyone else appears in what could be best classified as a 'glorified cameo'. Peppard makes the strongest impression as Zeb Rawlings, veteran of the Civil War who later serves as the military liaison officer for the railroad, which is moving ever westward. Reynolds is Lily Prescott who continually overcomes the odds against her and survives into old age. Other cast members that stand out include Karl Malden as the Prescott family patriarch who begins the family's move west; Carroll Baker as Malden's daughter and Reynolds's sister Dora; and especially Henry Fonda as the practical and durable plainsman Jethro Stuart featured in "The Railroad" sequence of the film.
