I enjoyed the film, but had to think of it as a FICTIONAL Donner party. Assuming most of the accepted chronicles of the doomed Donner party are true, I feel a better screenplay could have been written regarding the Forlorn Hope. What they endured was worse than what was depicted in the film - again assuming survivor accounts are true.
I would have preferred more of an epic-style narrative film - starting near Emmigrant Canyon in Utah - that would have allowed more time for character development and consequent erosion to their base instincts to survive. I could barely get my head around a character before they were insane or dead. I felt the film was edited in such a manner to make following the story difficult to follow. I had so many questions after watching it the first time that I had to watch it again to more carefully follow the story.
That being said, I do feel it was a superb endeavor about one aspect of the most interesting stories of the pioneers. Someday, I would like to see the accurate story adapted to an epic film that would do justice to the enormity of this grand American story.
I would have preferred more of an epic-style narrative film - starting near Emmigrant Canyon in Utah - that would have allowed more time for character development and consequent erosion to their base instincts to survive. I could barely get my head around a character before they were insane or dead. I felt the film was edited in such a manner to make following the story difficult to follow. I had so many questions after watching it the first time that I had to watch it again to more carefully follow the story.
That being said, I do feel it was a superb endeavor about one aspect of the most interesting stories of the pioneers. Someday, I would like to see the accurate story adapted to an epic film that would do justice to the enormity of this grand American story.