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.
还可以，值得支持一下的，有点点拖沓。配音处理的不好，总感觉想在录影棚而不是现场，让人出戏
全片最大的亮点是影片的镜头运用和色调，导演在画面上加了一层略显模糊、泛黄的滤镜，让故事有一层神秘感，也更贴近七八十年代的画风。影片的服化道很还原，没有违和感。剧情像一篇散文，有着淡淡的离愁。全片文艺部分还行，但破案的推理过程和部分细节着实经不起推敲。刚开始陈默被杀现场，唯一目击者是个老大爷，凶手穿着雨衣裹住了自己，整个脸都没有露出来，他却把凶手的五官特征全部告诉了章欣，这完全神话了画像师。最后的反转有些难以自圆其说。看得出导演想塑造一群个性鲜明的角色，但可惜每个人物的深度挖掘得还不够，人物完成下一步动作的动机没有阐述明白。因为剧情设计闪回和现实，导演完全可以利用画面颜色的明暗做个区分，也方便观众理解剧情。
好久没有看这么好看的悬疑片了，时代感很真实，色彩也是很应景！总说bug太多的人，估计不是看电影，而是找茬的吧。
文艺气息扑面而来
以为是石黑一雄那个书改编的电影，尼玛吓死我了！！！！又要好几个晚上睡不着了，开头的松鸦枯树旧纸泛黄调我就该来先搜一下豆瓣的！！！
年代感处理的很舒适 叙事略微松散 悬疑的节奏不够紧凑
这个名字的字体设计很喜欢！是不是在暗示什么。居然是根据真实改编，那就没有暗示了。。节奏有点儿慢，摄影好像行，也不是摄影，几个空镜很不错。超现实探案，一个画像直接把最难的地方不用写了，这种设定都是设定了也不好说啥。。略傻逼的角色好写，但是难看啊。为什么要写模版式的角色。说的就是那个警察。整个剧本好像还挺可以的，最后能成闭环。还能模糊化，让人遐想，谁是谁，谁死了。色调不错，暗黄暗黄的。
整体比较压抑，一般般，不过有些侦探推理小说的味道。
借用了石黑一雄的书名，最后模拟画像师刑警去了白银，可以拍成神探系列了。文艺风格非常独特，画面很美，逻辑基本能通，不容易了。
还不错，就是一开始画家是怎么画出严华的画像的有点儿说不通
全片完成度还是很高的，男主模拟画像师的破案过程一波三折，悬疑氛围拉满；两个时代相互对照，女孩之间的感情令人动容，“我替你跳舞，替你活下去”，两人对着远山一起起舞的画面优美、伤感又带有一丝昂扬。但明媚只持续了短暂的时间，凶杀埋葬了年轻的、向往外面世界的肉体，而时代则湮没了她们的灵魂，最后的复仇不过是迟到的解脱。导演镜头语言、审美风格都较为高级，最值得一提的是背景音乐，为情节发展、人物情绪增添了亮点，值得加一星。稍显不足的是故事发展到中间稍显拖沓，有些情节交代不明确，需要观众自己推理和想象。但瑕不掩瑜，看到这样极具风格的片子还是很开心的。
色调 还有每一次望向的远处都是 真的远山淡影 很舒服，但情节不要硬抠 摄像师杀人那里解释得不流畅 不算悬疑剧 但叙事的节奏和色调很搭 总体四颗星
8分吧，现在的评分太低了。这画面和质感，太有文艺片的范儿了，喜欢。文艺范的悬疑推理剧，你值得细品。
细节上的确有很多不可推敲的地方，如果在逻辑上和细节上都能体现出来，可能就比较精彩了，因为题材属于悬疑，在国内的话我觉得已经是不错的作品了。但可能是不是无法体现出来呢。整体上的话还行吧，感觉是年轻人做错事留下了不可磨灭的遗憾。年轻人看看不错。希望这种电影以后能更进一步，观看后能让观众在小程序中去头脑风暴的那种，一定会有意思。
摄影相当厉害，故事本身有趣，演员演技也过关，相较于悬疑，这真是个不错的剧情片，是一部值得上院线的片子。女二那个演员可谓是远山淡影。
比想象中的好太多，虽然片中的文艺气息，能够瞬间将观感拉回到那个年代。但前中期的推进速度，该是稍显缓慢。
整个电影画面的色调都有种水墨画渲染的氛围，真的像是电影名字给人的感觉似的。剧情来回反转，虽然都可以猜出结局，但是还愿意听导演亲自把故事讲完。剧中严华在幕布后面看着舞蹈演员的影子跳舞，像极了网传一张图片：3岁小男孩看着自己superhero 的倒影。
不敢想象，这竟然是一部“网大”。拍出了比一些院线影片都没有的质感
导演算挺有正事。画面不错。时长还需要再减减。
在吐槽中和朋友度过了愉快的两小时，远离网大，我记住了。
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