History Film / JeremiahJohnson

* BeardOfSorrow: When Johnson wants to live alone in the mountains, he has a beard. When he starts enjoying his life with Swan and Caleb, he cuts off his beard. When [[spoiler:they are killed by the Crows]], he grows a beard again.

** {{Deconstructed|Trope}}. Caleb was the son of a homesteader who was killed by the Indians, along with his brothers and sisters. He is traumatized by this experience and does not speak any more. [[spoiler:He is eventually killed by the Crows.]]

* TheSavageIndian: Zig Zagged. The Indians are the biggest threat to the protagonist. The Blackfeet killed the husband and children of the Crazy Woman. The Crows brutally kill [[spoiler:Swan and Caleb]], but a justification for this murder is given (they were killed because Johnson desecrated a cemetary). Moreover, other Indian tribes are described as peaceful.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/ClintEastwood was the original choice to play Johnson.

Creator/RobertRedford stars as the eponymous Jeremiah Johnson, a jaded veteran of the Mexican/American war, who turns his back on the life he has previously led to become a mountain man up in the Colorado Rockies. His first winter is a difficult one which almost ends in starvation, but he is lucky enough to be taken in by the vastly more experienced Bear Claw (Will Geer). During his time up in the mountains, he [[AccidentalMarriage becomes unwittingly betrothed]] to a Flathead Indian woman and adopts a mute young boy, only for [[spoiler: them to be murdered at the hands of the Crow Indians. It doesn't get any better]].

* MountainMan: [[CaptainObvious This is a FILM ABOUT MOUNTAIN MEN.]]

A 1972 western film based (allegedly) on the life of real-life mountain man John "Liver Eatin'" Johnson.

* BittersweetEnding: After all his trials and tribulations, Paints His Shirt Red finally vows peace with Johnson. Your mileage may vary though, as [[spoiler: Johnson losing everything he could have called a family]] would nonetheless qualify as a [[DownerEnding Downer Ending]].

* EnemiesEqualsGreatness: literally. Johnson is dismayed to find out that his reputation among the local native tribes is partly due to the fact that the Crow people want him dead.

* NobleSavage: Zig Zagged (?). The film presents an extremely diverse view of Rocky Mountain Indians, one which this troper believes is most likely an accurate one. Each tribe is discussed as bearing very different traits. Some are peaceful, some are war-mongering. You should probably watch the film to get an idea of just how diversely the different tribes are portrayed.

* SceneryPorn: The entire film is set in the Colorado Rockies. Go figure.
** But it was actually shot in Utah. Later in his career, Redford bought a ski area on the side of Mount Timpanogos (where portions of the movie were filmed) and renamed it Sundance. It's now the site of the Sundance Film Festival.

* TookALevelInBadass: Johnson, [[spoiler: avenging the killing of his family]] and taking on an entire tribe. Your mileage may vary though, as he was pretty badass beforehand (fighting wolves in close quarters combat is badass, isn't it?)

[[quoteright:343:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/johnson3_1398.jpg]]

* EnemiesEqualsGreatness: literally. Johnson is dismayed to find out that his reputation among the local native tribes is partly due to the large number of people who want him dead.

* TheChiefsDaughter: Averted. When Johnson is little short of forced into marrying Swan, the daughter of Flathead chief Two Tongues, she isn't attracted to Johnson. She's reluctant to marry him and initially hates the situation she finds herself in. Though we do get a nice little scene in which she kills a bird by ''throwing a stone at it''. So not totally averted.

* TookALevelInBadass: Johnson, [[spoiler: avenging the killing of his family]] and taking on an entire tribe. Your mileage may vary though, as he was pretty badass beforehand (fighting wolves in close quarters combat is badass, isn't it?)

RobertRedford stars as the eponymous Jeremiah Johnson, a jaded veteran of the Mexican/American war, who turns his back on the life he has previously led to become a mountain man up in the Colorado Rockies. His first winter is a difficult one which almost ends in starvation, but he is lucky enough to be taken in by the vastly more experienced Bear Claw (Will Geer). During his time up in the mountains, he [[AccidentalMarriage becomes unwittingly betrothed]] to a Flathead Indian woman and adopts a mute young boy, only for [[spoiler: them to be murdered at the hands of the Crow Indians. It doesn't get any better]].

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: ClintEastwood was the original choice to play Johnson.

* ShootTheShaggyDog: Johnson adopts a mute young boy who has witnessed his family murdered by Indians. He also marries the ''beautiful'' daughter of a Flathead Indian chief and they all begin to live a content, if quiet, life together. [[spoiler:[[ItGotWorse Then they are both killed at the hands of the Crow]]]] when he is coerced into escorting missionaries across Crow burial ground. And ''that's it''.

RobertRedford stars as the eponymous Jeremiah Johnson, a jaded veteran of the Mexican/American war, who turns his back on the life he has previously led to become a mountain man up in the Colorado Rockies. His first winter is a difficult one which almost ends in starvation, but he is lucky enough to be taken in by the vastly more experienced Bear Claw (Will Geer). During his time up in the mountains, he [[AccidentalMarriage becomes unwittingly betrothed]] to a Flathead Indian woman and adopts a mute young boy, only for [[spoiler: them to be murdered at the hands of the Crow Indians. [[ItGotWorse It doesn't get any better]]]].

* [[Intermission]]

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: ClintEastwood was the original choice to play Johnson.

RobertRedford stars as the eponymous Jeremiah Johnson, a jaded veteran of the Mexican/American war, who turns his back on the life he has previously led to become a mountain man up in the Colorado Rockies. His first winter is a difficult one which almost ends in starvation, but he is lucky enough to be taken in by the vastly more experienced Bear Claw (Will Geer). During his time up in the mountains, he becomes unwittingly betrothed to a Flathead Indian woman and adopts a mute young boy, only for them to be murdered at the hands of the Crow Indians. [[ItGotWorse It doesn't get any better]].

** But the film was actually shot in Utah. While shooting this film, Redford fell in love with the countryside and later bought a ski area on the side of Mount Timpanogos (where portions of the movie were filmed) and renamed it Sundance.

** But the film was actually shot in Utah. Native Utahans will recognize several of the mountains, including Timpanogos.

* TookALevelInBadass: Johnson, [[spoiler: avenging the killing of his family]] and taking on an entire tribe. Your mileage may vary though, as he was pretty badass beforehand (fighting wolves in close quarters combat is badass, isn't it?)

* NobleSavage: Zig Zagged (?). The film presents an extremely diverse view of Rocky Mountain First Peoples, one which this troper believes is most likely an accurate one. Each tribe is discussed as bearing very different traits. Some are peaceful, some are war-mongering. You should probably watch the film to get an idea of just how diversely the Natives are portrayed.

Robert Redford stars as the eponymous Jeremiah Johnson, a jaded veteran of the Mexican/American war, who turns his back on the life he has previously led to become a mountain man up in the Colorado Rockies. His first winter is a difficult one which almost ends in starvation, but he is lucky enough to be taken in by the vastly more experienced Bear Claw (Will Geer). During his time up in the mountains, he becomes unwittingly betrothed to a Flathead Indian woman and adopts a mute young boy, only for them to be murdered at the hands of the Crow Indians. [[ItGotWorse It doesn't get any better]].

* TookALevelInBadass: Johnson, [[spoiler: avenging the killing of his family]] and taking on an entire tribe.