The True Story Behind Robert Redford’s Western Jeremiah Johnson
The 1972WesternfilmJeremiah JohnsonstarsRobert Redfordas the film’s titular character, a world-weary Mexican-American War veteran who, as the film opens, attempts to adjust to the peaceful, secluded life of a mountain-man trapper in the picturesque Rocky Mountains. However, Johnson’s idyllic life is cruelly disrupted after a misunderstanding between Johnson and a native tribe results in the slaughter of Johnson’s wifeand adopted son. The ensuing revenge that Johnson takes against the tribal warriors who murdered Johnson’s family forms the basis of Johnson’s legend, in which Johnson allows a lone tribal warrior to survive for the purpose of spreading the tale of Johnson’s quest for revenge....