Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Aubrey Hackett While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Richard Chatten The second of only two westerns directed by the always interesting Robert Wise. As befits a reunion between two veterans of 'Citizen Kane' (Wise, who edited it, and star Joseph Cotton), 'Two Faces West' boasts pin-sharp black & white photography by Leon Shamroy and roofed sets, all well as impressive skyscapes shot in New Mexico.Backed by a vintage supporting cast, this is a relatively early example of the black & white postwar 'adult' western that occasionally brought gravitas to the genre during the fifties, with a plot that vaguely anticipates 'The Dirty Dozen', with a violent climax to match.

zardoz-13 "The Day the Earth Stood Still" director Robert Wise helmed only two westerns during his long career in Hollywood. The first was a Robert Mitchum oater, and the second was the Civil War western Two Flags West. Movies about the American Civil War out west usually dealt with the Confederates trying to commandeer gold for the Lost Cause. Two Flags West qualifies as one of the best simply because it doesn't rely on a contrived plot. Instead, there is a lot of historical accuracy. The premise in Casey Robinson's screenplay based on a story by Curtis Kenyon and Frank Nugent concerns Southern prisoners-of-war who are released from prison camps on the condition that they don Union blue and fight hostile Native Americans. Despite its having been made before the advent of Cinemascope, "Two Flags West" is a pictorially elegant, black & white masterpiece of composition. A panning shot early on of the desert with Union cavalry riding through the austere terrain pulls back to reveal Indians atop mountains observing the troops. Indeed, this panoramic image is straight out of a John Ford western. In 1863 we are told that Abraham Lincoln offered Confederate soldier the chance to take an oath to the Union and be allowed to put on Yankee uniforms. Union officer Captain Mark Bradford (Cornel Wilde) puts the offer to Southern Colonel Clay Tucker (Joseph Cotton of "The Hellbenders") and he lets his imprisoned men made their decision. Naturally, they don't like the deal, but they abhor prison, so Tucker takes a demotion to Second Lieutenant and his men join him. Once they arrive at the fort, fort commandant Major Henry Kenniston (Jeff Chandler of "Broken Arrow") doesn't trust Tucker and his rebels. Moreover, he expects them to defect. Kenniston is a grim character. He is lame and jealous of his brother whose wife, Elena Kenniston (Linda Darnell of "My Darling Clementine") sulks because she wants to go to California and rejoin her family, but Kenniston refuses to let her out of his sight. Eventually, when Kenniston assigns Tucker and his troops to provide an escort for a wagon train, Elena persuades a minister and his wife to let her hide in their wagon. During the journey, Tucker learns about her presence. At the same time, a Confederate spy masquerading as a Union agent confides in Tucker that he can serve the South best by refusing to desert and staying with Kenniston. Kenniston is convinced that Tucker and his men will desert, but Tucker surprises him by not only returning but also bringing back Elena. Meantime, while Tucker is out on patrol trying to locate mysterious wagon trains, Kennison goes berserk and murders the son of an Indian chief and the tribe surrounds the fort. Tucker learns about Kennison's misfortune and decides not to desert but ride to Kennison's aid. "Two Flags West" boasts a strong cast. Joseph Cotton is at his virile zenith with Jeff Chandler delivering a commanding performance as the paranoid Kennison. Cornel Wilde, Dale Robertson, Arthur Hunnicutt, and Noah Beery Jr., round out the cast. If you enjoy Civil War westerns, "Two Flags West" should be on your not-to-be-missed list.

Michael Morrison Not often do we get this kind of "all-star" cast and far too rarely do we get this much talent in one movie.There is no need to name the stars here -- but it is a pleasure just to look at the list here at IMDb -- however it is worth repeating they are huge talents.The premise, of Confederate soldiers, prisoners of war, enlisted to fight "Indians" on the Western frontier, has been used several times, and at least once ("The Last Outpost") Confederate regulars joined with Yankee troops to battle the tribes.Paraphrasing -- badly -- Franklin D. Roosevelt, "I hate war films," and I hate the premise that progress comes because of war. I hate the phony premise that war brings glory. Actually, this is a more accurate observation: "War--after all, what is it that the people get? Why--widows, taxes, wooden legs and debt." ~Samuel B. PettengillSo, the death and destruction do not appeal to me as entertainment, but I still admire the high production values and, again, the astonishingly talented cast.I thank the Encore network for presenting this and urge everyone who can to see it.

krocheav You only have to look at the production credits to see that this western has the promise of being an above average yarn. And it is. When my Brother in Law asked me if I wanted to see this film, I hesitated, expecting another run-of-the-mill Cavalry show. After noting the impressive cast and behind the scenes crew, just had to take a look.For it's year, it's a surprise in both story elements and production handling. Not having before seen Jeff Chandler take a lead role in an 'A' grade feature (and this being quite early in his tragically short career) I had not realised he was such a professional performer. It seems his Universal International years may have sold him short. His performance as an embittered commanding officer in this film is a powerful one.For me, Multi Award winning Director Robert Wise has always been a favorite, and this western is further proof of his skillful hand. Helping Mr Wise is another multi Award winner, Director of Photography: Leon Shamroy. I was surprised that Fox did not use Techicolor for this outdoor epic, but pleased they did not. The powerful on-location settings, featuring low horizon shots and huge dramatic sky scape's, dwarf the humans as they strive to survive this hostile environment. The wonderful use of quality black and white stock, evokes the visual poetry of a John Ford classic. Cornel Wilde, does what Wilde does best, and Cotton is reliable as always. The cast is good right down to the support players. Linda Darnell is convincing as the sole female lead and the reason for her character to be in this situation is fully believable. This beautiful woman also had a tragically short career, both Chandler and Darnell died within months of the same age (Chandler only 42 through Medical 'misadventure' ~ Darnell 41 following a house fire) The original story is above average (founded on some historical facts) it was co-written by Curtis Kenyon and Frank S. Nugent ~ two writers also known for their screenplays. Their story was then honed into a tight adaptation for the screen by the great Casey Robinson ('Kings Row' etc) Robinson also Produced this film, so had a strong interest in it's success. If you enjoy character driven action entertainment, then this could be a western for you. The Music credits are also interesting, with Fox's resident composer, the marvelous Alfred Newman taking a back seat as: Musical Director to composer: Hugo Friedhofer (although Newman contributed some incidental music) The score adds handsomely to the powerful images. Much of the dramatic action is surprisingly graphic and superbly staged, showing considerable time and care had been taken in all areas. I have heard 20th Century Fox sadly junked many of their B/W Negatives when the studio foolishly made the decision to make 95% of their later films in CinemaScope and Color (a poor move in terms of artistic creativity) For the DVD release, they have at least produced a good digital master from available fine-grains and release prints. Recommended, and worth buying.