the operative rule in the making of this film seem to have be never make a 1 minute scene when you can make it a 10 minute scene . this be a principle set right from the start with an interminably long portrayal of the graduation of the harvard class of 1870. the point of that scene and i suppose and be to introduce some of the primary figure in the story and give a bit of their background which be somewhat effective when compare the idealism of the harvard graduation ceremony to the realism of life in johnson county and wyoming and but it just keep go and go and and that set the stage for a film that feature repeat stretch of mind numb nothingness and make even bad by the fact that i find a significant amount of the dialogue to be almost incoherent . in the end and i couldn not even watch this in one sit . i get through about half of it and have to set it aside for a couple of day before i could drag myself back to see how it turn out . my reaction to this movie in many way be a shame and because there be positive here . the performance be generally of a high calibre and especially from kris kristofersson a averill and christopher walken a champion and isabelle huppert a ella . the basic story intersperse a it be around that ever present mind numb nothingness be potentially interesting and focus on the effort of immigrant to establish themselves in johnson county and a local cattle company effort to stop them by kill a number of them in collaboration with the government and the military . there also some absolutely breathtaking scenery shot . have say that and the whole thing could frankly have be do in half the time and should have be . in the end and all those potential positive be wash out by again the mind numb nothingness that the movie seem to revolve around . seriously negative .