i just recently buy the big trail { 1930 } . it an awesome and amazing film . i know it by reputation but never expect it to be so magnificent . my version be the one shot in 35mm and i will speak of that again later . when one think of the western myth in film the name that come to mind be john ford and john wayne . well and you have only half the team here and but the entire myth be present . raoul walsh have give u a remarkable epic in which the true plot be the struggle of the westward expansion of the nation . there be a plot center on a romance between breck coleman { wayne } and ruth cameron { margaret churchill } with the main villain and red flack be memorably play by tyrone power and sr. but this have an almost incidental quality a the wagon train struggle forward against incredible obstaclesboth natural and human . example be the crossing of the river and the indian battle and and traverse the burning desert . the aftermath of the battle be give a sombre touch when a doll be place on the grave of a child kill while a faithful dog lie down on it master grave . magnificent panorama be fill with energy and activity . the opening scene a the wagon train prepares to leave and the square dance interlude and the great buffalo herd be some that spring to mind . marvellous use be make of location shoot throughout . another feature of this splendid film be the fact that men and woman be give equal credit for their part in the great struggle westward . woman work and fight and and confront the terrible hardship with the same fortitude and strength a their male counterpart . the finale have a powerfully uplifting experience a coleman and cameron meet in the gigantic towering sequoia forest to start their new life . the acting be quite acceptable throughout . i have already mention tyrone power scene steal performance . tully marshall be excellent a coleman sidekick and and marguerite churchill convincingly portray a woman who develop an inner strength a she encounter her own problem as well a those external to herself . the comic relief be the weak aspect of this film and but these scene be not common and be swallow up in the tremendous sweep of the film . i have read much criticism of wayne performancesome even go so far a to blame his wooden acting for the failure of the film at the box office . i think this be unfair . wayne be in his first major role and certainly have not develop the charisma of his performance in stagecoach . but he still do a serviceable job in a role which be certainly go to play second fiddle to the great over arch theme . after the big trail and wayne play in a large number of low budget b western . i have a number of these and one can see the develop actor in them . when stagecoach come he be ready for it and the big trail be a significant part of that apprenticeship . i mention earlier that my version be the one shot in 35mm . it still impressive and but to get some idea of the effect of the 70mm version i set the tv screen to 16 represent9 which doesn not cause any distortion . while not have the complete effect of the grandeur version and it be good enough to make me want to get the latter . { in addition and the film shot in 70mm have a few extra scene not in the form make for ordinary theatrical showing } . all in all and this film deserve to be in any list of the great western ever make .