Shenandoah (film)

"When this movie was released in 1965, the U. S. war in Vietnam had just begun, and antiwar sentiments had not yet began to swell in America. Libertarians, of course, had opposed the war from the start, but at this time, the public sentiment in these united states was generally in favour of deployment. Thus, the average moviegoer did not draw any connection between this film and the war when it was released. A few years later, however, antiwar activists looked back on this libertarian western fondly. The antiwar and propertarian message in this film, however, should be looked upon in a broader context. The message, after all, is timeless. All wars really do resemble the description given by Mr. Anderson. Whether it be the War Between the States, the Vietnam War, or our present wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, governments wage them for the perceived benefit of the political class, and they get us to fight for them. Let us, therefore, dream of a brighter future, a future where property rights are respected and where governments, insofar as they continue to exist, are so weak and powerless that they cannot compel even one man to fight on their behalf."

"Eugene Jackson Jnr. as Gabriel"

"Paul Fix as Dr. Tom Witherspoon"

"Denver Pyle as Pastor Bjoerling"

"George Kennedy as Col. Fairchild"

"James Best as Carter, Rebel Soldier"

"Tom Simcox as Lt. Johnson"

"Berkeley Harris as Capt. Richards"

"Harry Carey, Jr. as Jenkins (rebel soldier)"

"Kevin Hagen as Mule (deserter)"

"Dabbs Greer as Abernathy"

"Strother Martin as Train Engineer"

"Kelly Thordsen as Federal Purchasing Agent Carroll"

"Set in a Virginia farm during the Civil War, this popular family film offers all-American star Jimmy Stewart a classic role, a widower with six sons who initially refuses to takes sides or get involved in the conflict—only to learn otherwise."

"Stewart uses his vast experience and established screen image as the all-American hero to an advantage in a role, which was made to order as he reached the later phases of his glorious career. Beginning with his protag's name, Charlie is a classic American hero, played by Cooper, Stewart, and even Bogart, a man initially cherishing isolation and lack of involvement only to be forced into a divisive conflict through circumstances, both personal and political."

"A successful film not just because of the marriage of the right actor in the appropriate genre, but also the timely infusion of challenging questions about a nation at war."

"Katharine Ross as Ann Anderson"

"Charles Robinson as Nathan Anderson"

"Jim McMullan as John Anderson"

"Tim McIntire as Henry Anderson"

"Lord, We cleared this land; We plowed it, sowed it, and harvested it. We cooked the harvest. It wouldn't be here—we wouldn't be eating it—if we hadn't done it all ourselves. We worked dog-bone hard for every crumb and morsel But we thank you just the same anyway, Lord, for this food we're about to eat. Amen."

"What d'you do with dead soldiers?"

"[after Boy Anderson is abducted by Union soldiers] Now it concerns us."

"You run a sad kind of train, mister. It takes people away when they don't want to go, and won't bring them back when they're ready."

"I'm not going to kill you. I want you to live. I want you to live to be an old man, and I want you to have many, many, many children, and I want you to feel about your children then the way I feel about mine now. And someday, when a man comes along and kills one of em, I want you to remember! Okay? I want you to remember."

"There's nothing much I can tell you about this war. It's like all wars, I suppose. The undertakers are winning it. Oh, the politicians will talk a lot about the "glory" of it, and the old men'll talk about the "need" of it—the soldiers, they just want to go home."

"SHAKES THE SCREEN LIKE CANNON THUNDER!"

"Two Mighty Armies Trampled Its Valley…A Fighting Family Challenged Them Both!"

"James Stewart as Charlie Anderson"

"Doug McClure as Sam"

"Glenn Corbett as Jacob Anderson"

"Patrick Wayne as James Anderson"

"Rosemary Forsyth as Jennie Anderson"

"Phillip Alford as Boy Anderson"

"My corn I take serious because it's my corn, and my potatoes and my tomatoes and fences I take note of because they're mine. But this war is not mine and I take no note of it!"