Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

The fact that this film is from 1924 should have told me it's a silent movie but I wasn't thinking. I'm not a fan of silent movies but my husband got a collection of FORD AT FOX for Christmas and he wanted to start at the beginning.I can't believe how much I love the movie.This was the beginning of John Ford's career, so much so that he is not credited on screen. Even though he isn't credited, it is so clearly a John Ford film. The action, drama and humor intertwine so clearly in his style. Fans of westerns will enjoy this film and I am looking forward to watching the progression of talent over time.

An amazing film for its scope, visuals and acting.We get to see many of John Ford's classic trophes in this film: the interplay and comic relief of European characters, great bar scenes and wonderfully photographed Indian action. The white man masquerading as an Indian becomes a common cliché, though, in many future westerns. It turns out that the classic long shot of seeing riders crossing the crest of a mountain was already old, having been used in how many of the westerns, and countless more to come, including 'The Vanishing American' (1925) which was filmed in Ford's beloved Monument Valley.The film's biggest problem is that Ford's passion for history gives us too many intertitles that interfere with and slow down the action-- especially at the end.But this film is so worth seeing for its vision, scope and execution. I give it an 8.

Very early John Ford western, don't bother looking for John Wayne here! "The Iron Horse" tells the story of the building of the railroad across America from the East to West coasts. Of course this is a movie so we also get a romance plot, a vengeance plot, hostile Indians, corrupt officials, jovial Irishmen, nasty Indians and so forth.Although the tone of the film is mostly pretty patriotic and upbeat, there are several darker moments that hint at the corruption and greed in business as landowners attempt to influence the route of the railroad with bribes of women and money. Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West" amongst many other later Westerns takes this theme further. Much of the work is done by Chinese immigrants, but they all seem pretty cheerful here!In many areas the film is inevitably dated, particularly it's comic scenes and the aforementioned treatment of racial stereotypes. There are a few landscape shots and action scenes, but none as stunning or exciting as in Ford's slightly later "Stagecoach". The 2 hour plus running time is also a little too much. However, the film does succeed in creating an overwhelming sense of achievement in the creation of the railroad, although the sense that 'Civilisation' may actually be a threat, developed in later Westerns, is already apparent with the saloon that doubles as a court of law, and a drunken judge.

Since I live in Cheyenne, WY this type of movie really appeals to me. As all historians know, various towns along the route of this railroad (which coincides quite closely to interstate 80 in Wyoming) were made during its construction. Cheyenne and Rock Springs (because of its coal mining) were especially notable.I had seen this movie several years ago and was delighted to see it being broadcast on the Turner Classic Movies channel. Perhaps they will re-broadcast it again in the future.This movie, while not completely accurate historically, certainly gives an idea of the magnitude of the endeavor being undertaken. And it does feature a real locomotive which operated on the railroad during the period portrayed. Historical buffs definitely should not be swayed from enjoying this title simply because it may not strictly conform to history.I won't go into the story except to say that the various sub-plots keep the viewer very entertained. This was a very well-done movie in my opinion. Acting was very good. And the cinematography was very impressive.Fans of either westerns or silent-era films certainly should not miss this one.