Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West (2002)

When it comes to American history, especially American expeditions, you need to have a previous interest in order to appreciate the 42-minute documentary with actors, "Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West". I did not have such and maybe that's why it did not do too much for me. The nature recordings weren't too impressive and the story is not memorable either, at least to me. I like Jeff Bridges, but somehow his voice was too monotonous here for my taste, which couldn't spark my interest in the story either. I guess this is generally really only worth for a people with great interest in the subject if they are non-Americans. They probably care more about this exploration, just like we care more about history or explorers from our countries, whichever that may be. All in all, not recommended.

I saw this as a DVD copy of the IMAX presentation. The film is well made and shows in a short form what the expedition consisted of, the obstacles they encountered, the overall success of it. No matter what your political leanings, this expedition 200 years ago was a landmark in exploring the western half of what we now know of the United Sates. I have vacationed in the mountains of Montana, I cannot imagine being a band of men in that era trying to cross those mountains with a boat and supplies. Not only did they try, they reached the Pacific Ocean.As an IMAX film it is obviously very attractive visually. Pains were taken to film in authentic areas. For those who like to learn more about the "behind the scenes" work, there is also an interesting "making of" extra on the DVD. A loan from my local public library.

I couldn't believe how SHORT this was and yet how substantial the filmmakers managed to make it. You know, while Eyes Wide Shut, The Green Mile, Titanic, and other films are making it seem like "epic" has to mean "ass falling asleep in seat" moviemaking, this film actually manages to achieve the same kind of epic scope, adventure, sense of drama, and sheer wonder yet maintain BREVITY! Believe me, even though it's less than an hour, you're definitely getting your money's worth. What I realized halfway into the film was I wanted to come away from the film with an education about the route that Lewis & Clark took, not just its effect on the country. I think everybody knows that Lewis&Clark explored and opened up the Northwest for the United States, producing questionable effects for the Indians of the time period. However, until seeing this film, I would not have been able to tell you the rivers, nor the states that their crew traversed. I also liked the little details they took the time to put in, like that of Sacagawea and the slave being the first woman and black man officially voting for a decision of the United States of America, that being where to set up Lewis&Clark's winter base camp on the Pacific. The lack of dialogue between the characters (for the most part) is odd, but after a while, you get used to it. It's almost like a return to silent filmmaking somehow, where facial expressions made all the difference. Jeff Bridges provides a commanding and wise presence for the journey, and the score soars. ****

Visually stunning on a huge IMAX screen, this short film (42 minutes) is an accurate depiction of the epic Army trek to the Pacific commanded by Lewis and Clark. Assuming modern sensibilities, the film shows Native Americans as far more accommodating than they actually were and the end credits tell us that two Indians were killed in a skirmish during the return trip.The scenery is gorgeous, a reminder of how much wilderness we still have and must preserve. For the younger set in particular this film is a good history lesson.For it's genre, 9/10.