While surveying a telegraph line in 1861, Western Union engineer Edward Creighton (Dean Jagger) is severely injured in an accident. He is discovered by Vance Shaw (Randolph Scott), an outlaw on the run from a posse. Forced to travel on foot after his horse was hurt, Shaw at first considers stealing Creighton's horse, but changes his mind and takes the man with him, saving his life.
Sometime later, following his recovery, Creighton returns to Omaha, Nebraska and plans the construction of a telegraph line from Omaha to Salt Lake City, Utah. Facing considerable opposition to the line from Confederate soldiers, Indians, and outlaws, Creighton elicits the help of his sister Sue (Virginia Gilmore), foreman Pat Grogan (Minor Watson), and assistant Homer Kettle (Chill Wills).
Looking to put his outlaw past behind him, Shaw arrives at Creighton's Western Union office looking for honest work and is hired as a scout by Grogan who is unaware of his past. Creighton recognizes him among the men and allows him to stay despite his suspicions. Creighton also hires tenderfoot Richard Blake (Robert Young), a Harvard-educated engineer as a favor to Blake's father. Shaw and Blake are both attracted to Sue and vie for her attention, but their romantic rivalry is cut short when construction of the telegraph line starts on July 4, 1861.
After work commences on the line, one of the men is killed apparently by a mysterious band of cattle-rustling Indians. Unconvinced that Indians are to blame, Shaw rides out to investigate and follows the rustlers' trail to the camp of Jack Slade, a former friend and cohort, whose gang committed the killing disguised as Indians—the gang Shaw left following his last bank robbery. Slade reveals that they are working for the Confederacy to disrupt Western Union because they believe the telegraph service will help the Union. Shaw rides away and returns to the line. Not wanting to turn in his former friends, Shaw tells Creighton that a large band of Dakota Indians stole the cattle, and recommends that they simply replace the herd and not risk a fight with the Indians.
Sometime later, a confrontation takes place between men working on the forward line and a band of drunken Indians. When one of the Indians tries to steal some equipment, a nervous Blake shoots him, ignoring Shaw's order to remain calm. After word arrives that the main camp is under attack by other Indians, the Western Union men rush back to help with the defense. At the main camp, Slade's men, who are again disguised as Indians, steal the Western Union horses. The company discover the ruse when one of the wounded Indians turns out to be a white man. Forced to buy back their stolen horses from Slade, Creighton becomes suspicious of Shaw's involvement, especially when he admits to knowing the gang.
Soon the U.S. Army arrives and announces the Indians have now refused to allow the telegraph lines to go through their territory in response to Blake's shooting of the drunken Indian. Creighton, Shaw, and Blake ride out to convince Chief Spotted Horse to allow them to build the line through Indian territory, even though the man Blake wounded was Spotted Horse's son. Creighton is finally able to persuade the Indians to allow them passage, and work continues until the company approaches Salt Lake City.
Sometime later, Shaw receives word that Jack Slade wants to meet with him. On the way to see Slade, Shaw is captured and bound by Slade's men. Slade says his group is going to burn down the Western Union camp and they don't want Shaw to interfere. After Slade and his men ride off, Shaw escapes from his ropes but arrives back too late to prevent the fire. He helps rescue some of the Western Union men from the flames and burns his hands in the process.
After the fire, Creighton confronts Shaw for an explanation, but Shaw does not reveal what he knows and is fired by Creighton. As Shaw leaves the camp, he tells Blake that Slade is actually Shaw's brother and that he, Shaw, will find Slade's gang and stop them from interfering with the telegraph project. Shaw rides off and finds Slade and his men in a nearby town. At the barber shop, Shaw confronts his brother, whose gun is concealed under the barber's sheet. Slade shoots Shaw through the sheet. Shaw fights back in spite of his wound, killing some of the gang members, and then dies. Blake arrives and continues the fight with Slade who dies from his wounds. Soon after, the Western Union line is completed and the workers celebrate. When Sue laments the absence of Shaw, Creighton tells her that Shaw can hear them.
密密麻麻的分镜剧本
人还是要有梦想的，万一实现了呢！ 吗的，每次北影节看山田洋次的，都能看哭。
SummerIFF2021@英皇iSQUARE 男主角年轻时期和老年时期的人设的割裂感有点严重（男二倒还好），剧情拼凑感也很强，东扯一点西扯一点，此外剧情上男二还有喧宾夺主之嫌。/本片最好看的部分其实是男主年轻时在片场的故事以及对于拍电影的感悟，但是这部分的情节太少了。/结局雷人，看起来就像好女孩淑子反倒被讽刺和男主是假面夫妻，女演员园子反而是男主的真爱？（如果想表达电影是男主的真爱，大可不必用这种会导致错误解读的手法。）
#BJIFF2021 山田洋次从助理做起，剧本投稿参赛得了第一名，赢了奖金，从此一路顺风顺水名扬天下。电影主人公像是导演在平行世界的影子，不过是个失败版。导演对失败者给予了并不廉价的温柔和同情，这是山田一贯的最可宝贵处。北川景子昭和明星的扮相真美，但和原节子比起来仍差得远啊。
an earnest one
感觉两个时空的故事有点脱节，但还是心甘情愿被灌鸡汤和热血，缅怀志村健。
带着昭和老套又优雅的劲儿，可以跟《今夜在浪漫剧场》搭配食用。
电影值得一生热爱，电影人值得尊敬。
很割裂。一面是世界上不存在同样从基顿点子里诞生出来的《开罗紫玫瑰》的幻想，一面又是新冠对院线的冲击的现实。不论怎样它都无法满足你对山田洋次的期待。
能死在电影里，那可真是电影人最极致的浪漫啊，电影之神会听到的。（老套也没关系，电影是用心来看的）
4新冠疫情下的电影院困境，也还是第一次在电影里看到如此直给的呼吁，90岁的电影之神山田洋次对电影的拳拳之心天地可鉴。
理想化的幸运结局。活久见，选择比努力重要，又有谁能不被生活中鸡毛蒜皮的琐事磨平感情，为实现理想坚持一生呢。
其他都不错，就是有个疑问，也许是菅田将晖气质太过靠谱了，眼神耶过于真诚了，总觉得他不是会赌博和喝酒的人，以至于老年时那个不靠谱的被家人嫌弃的老头，不像是他会成为的样子～哈哈哈～永野芽郁有点苍井优的味道，特别邻家，没有攻击性。北川景子在这里果真大美人～
岁月流逝中活得不如意的小人物是山田影片的常客，作为松竹映画百年献礼电影，这次的他们和电影这个行当有关，不成功的导演、一辈子的放映员、嫁与不嫁都可能后悔的可爱女子……和光影有关的人和事在山田的叙述中，哪怕失意也适宜。
一个尘封的剧本，一部电影的诞生，徐徐展开了一个老人的一生。正是这一个个单调无味的镜头组接在一起，才赋予了电影神灵般的魔力。大银幕看昭和时期的永野芽郁和菅田将晖，难得一见的福利。松竹100周年的献礼片，全球首映，延续了山田洋次一贯温情喜剧的风格。疫情期间，也要看电影看到死，并且一定要去电影院看电影。剧本所讲情节我第一时间想到绫濑遥主演的《今夜浪漫剧场》（BJIFF·Day1·Scene4）【中国电影资料馆】
关于电影，关于爱情，也关于人生，但这部电影始终给我一种什么都想要，但什么都是半途而废的感觉。反而更喜欢年轻时候的剧情，虽然年轻时候的故事的拍摄方法也不新鲜。
..老年的戏份实在看不下去 不过最后影院那段算是全场最佳吧 顺带渣老年男主豆瓣影人页凭啥是如此英俊的年轻照而宫本信子就是老太太照？
（但永远热爱昭和女優不变😂）
真是个好故事啊。前半段看得太难受，今昔往昔，那么意气风发的青春，珍珠变成了死鱼目，正如深夜举杯，全是梦碎的声音。幸好最后满满温情，却又不突兀。双女主都太好看了，昭和美人风范。
不管怎样，黑白色调还是不错，画面构图也很严谨，光线利用也很舒服。就是剧情，不是十分喜欢，也许是不同地域不同文化吧，总之难以共鸣。
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