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BuckTracker: On the Big Screen
To prove that BuckTracker is not above shameless theft, I’m going to rip a page from the Petzal notebook. Last week, Dave asked his Gun Nut readers to nominate their choices for Best Western (as in movies, not motels). With that in mind, I’d like to hear your votes for the best cinematic depictions of the blood sports. Naturally, I’d like to focus this discussion on deer hunting, but given Hollywood’s reluctance to tackle hunting topics, I think it best we widen the field to include small game, other big game (including, but not limited to, Africa) and even fishing.
I’ll start the voting with one of my favorites: Jeremiah Johnson. Sure there’s gorgeous scenery, good-to-great acting, and a compelling story line. But perhaps the thing I’ve loved most is that the movie (mostly) refused to romanticize the necessity of killing stuff to survive. And, it did so in a largely-spot-on manner. Fish got caught, elk and deer were shot, beaver were trapped. Mountain men lived a harsh life; fighting elements, Indians and their own stupidity, at every step, and Redford’s movie never let us forget that.
So which movies give the most positive play to hunting? Which are the most accurate? And—wide open country here—which are so pathetic that you don’t know where to begin? Petzal limited his contestants to one entry, but if you want to share more, have at it. Some that come to mind (but from which I’ll withhold judgement on, at least temporarily) are The Deer Hunter, Out of Africa, Escanaba in da Moonlight….your thoughts?
Scott, I would have to agree with you, Jeremiah Johnson would be hard to beat!!! The only way they could have made that movie more accurate, would be to have named it "Liver Eating Johnson"- Which is what he really did with his enemies! But that probably would not have went over well on the big screen!
Did you know there was a scene in the movie where they accidently showed a power line in the background? True story! But an awesome movie--TW
Posted by: tim walmsley | July 08, 2008 at 10:20 AM
Well, it just isn't fair that you took the greatest one right off. Jeremiah Johnson just can't be beat.
Posted by: Tom Sorenson | July 08, 2008 at 11:14 AM
Sorry guys, couldn't resist.
What was that flick with Micheal Douglas and (I think) Val Kilmer based on that book about the lions that halted a railway project?
Posted by: Scott Bestul | July 08, 2008 at 02:50 PM
The Movie you are thinking of is called "The Ghost and the Darkness" that is based on true events. Great Movie.
Posted by: Jake | July 08, 2008 at 04:57 PM
Perhaps a little sappy...but "Where the Red Fern Grows" is a great movie about a boy, his dog, and there love for coon hunting.
Posted by: Ken C. | July 08, 2008 at 05:43 PM
Gotta nominate "Home from the Hill", a good movie in it's own right, with Mitchum, Peppard and great acting...but the boar charge and killing shot is a good "realer".... way back before computer fakes...
Posted by: jes | July 08, 2008 at 07:32 PM
dances with wolves
Posted by: | July 08, 2008 at 11:22 PM
A river goes thru it
The Forester, the Forest man, whatever, you know, about a child in Australia who got his parents killed in an accident and must learn to survive with the help of an old man
And Red Down, not!!
Posted by: Ricardo Rodríguez | July 09, 2008 at 03:38 AM
Upps! That would be Red Dawn.
And yet not!
Posted by: Ricardo Rodríguez | July 09, 2008 at 03:40 AM
There was a Disney movie in The Wonderful World of Color about a little boy that gets himself an old shotgun and trains his bird dog for a quail hunting competition.
What are the chances of that happening again?
Posted by: Ricardo Rodríguez | July 09, 2008 at 03:44 AM
the ghost and the darkness! Awesome movie. Keeps you in suspense:)
Posted by: Royce | July 09, 2008 at 10:03 AM
Ghost and the Darkness: Entertaining flick, though its worth reading the original journal of Col. Patterson if you get a chance.
Where the red fern grows: Skip the movie, get the book for your kids. Fantastic. Its been 20 years and I still remember the story like it was yesterday.
As for best blood sport movie, Hmm... what about "The Deer Hunter" with Robert Dinero?
Posted by: Duane | July 09, 2008 at 04:44 PM
"I am a mountain man, by God, and will be until an arrow or bullet passes through me!"
I remember spouting this line around the house as a youngster, counting down the years on my fingers till I could go hunting with Dad.
Jeremiah Johnson is one of the most influential movies of our day in that it thrust little boys like me into the throes of big-country romance.
Posted by: John D | July 10, 2008 at 09:53 AM
My favorite movie of all time is Tombstone. While I realize it does not follow Wyatt Earps life accurately, it does portray the lawlessness in a fairly realistic manner (other than Curly Bill's six shooter never needing to be reloaded). A second realistic movie depicting a struggle to survive is Cold Mountain. I don't care for the romantic storyline but I believe it shows just how difficult life could be in the late 1800's. I appreciate the realism of both movies and feel like folks need to apy attention, take heed and be prepared. We may wind up in a similar situation again.
Posted by: Raymond Shaffer | July 11, 2008 at 08:48 AM
The film adaptation of 'The Old Man and the Sea.'
Even though it's with a fish, I think that anyone who has read the book and seen the movie can agree that it's fundamentally about a hunt.
Posted by: Jackson Landers | July 19, 2008 at 07:21 PM
J.J. is tops
Posted by: don m. | July 21, 2008 at 09:03 PM