DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK
God-Fearing Patriotism
What You Need To Know
DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK is a tremendous movie about the American Revolution as experienced on the frontier. It has a profoundly Christian worldview, with a rousing finish.
Henry Fonda stars as Gilbert Martin and Claudette Colbert stars as his wife Lana. They are peacefully establishing their farm on the American frontier when the Revolutionary War breaks out. Indians who have sided with the British attack and burn their farm. Citizens from around the area gather at Fort Herkimer, and Gilbert and many of the other men go off to fight. They return victorious but have suffered many casualties.
Gilbert and Lana begin working for an older widow, Mrs McKlennar (Edna May Oliver). After a period of time, the valley comes under attack again.
Released in 1939, DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK is an American classic directed by the incomparable John Ford. As Ford’s first color movie, the movie has gorgeous photography, with wonderful performances by Henry Fonda, Claudette Colbert, Ward Bond, and especially Edna May Oliver in one of the most delightful performances ever. There are many hilarious scenes, many riveting action sequences, and several scenes that just break your heart. Ford outdoes himself repeatedly in this movie. The scene where Lana runs up a hill to watch her husband march off to war in the distance is simply masterful.
Best of all, DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK is loaded with prayer, courage, self-sacrifice, and endurance. It presents the American patriots as God-fearing and brave. It does contain some alcohol use, as many movies of that period do. There is no foul language or sex, however. There are Indians men in native dress without shirts. The war violence in the movie is modest by modern standards but is still too strong for very young children. That said, it’s a movie that every family should have in its collection. It’s a great movie to watch every Fourth of July with friends and family.
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Very strong Christian, moral worldview with prayer, a sermon, Christian weddings, Christian generosity and a lifestyle of respect for God, with very strong patriotic content as well as strong pro-Capitalist content as settlers work together to enhance their local economy; no foul language; considerable war violence and aftermath of violence, battle scenes and moving scenes of injured and dying troops returning from battle, homes are burned and property destroyed, one soldier is shot by his own troops because he was being burned alive by the enemy; no sex; upper male nudity, primarily Indians in native costume; some alcohol use with brief drunkenness; some pipe smoking; and, nothing else objectionable.
