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.
探索=人类的文明发展意味着自然与神秘的消退，但自然与神秘又从不会消失。美学一贯如此，和上一次的《四次》相辅相成（意象与符号）
叙事由地质纹理所造就，不断深入，历史的再造和真实的重演，电影正是这样一种运动，重返洞穴，真理只可能栖息在阴影之中。 @BJIFF2021深影
终于！这漫画啥时候才能完结啊啊啊啊 好想看副cp！！！
弗兰马汀诺再一次以领袖的身份宣示了慢电影的姿态。他像梭罗一样告诉我们：工业向上，电影向下。到达洞穴时那快乐的手势和死亡到来时的平静交织，最终在云雾缭绕中听到那不知从何而来的声音，像是一种天启。慢电影最终是一种超验主义。
《论爱情中的猜忌、怀疑与独占欲》“能爱着你的这个世界，与你一起活下去的这个世界，既痛苦又幸福，是如此悲伤，却又如此美丽。”
可，可恶啊，是被制片那对切片吸引进来的，结果过程不超一分钟……
BJIFF2021-07，今年北影节最后一场，也是最疲累的一场，这就是当今的“沉浸式”探洞嘛，一次无趣的直播。
可以治疗痛经的程度的甜；因为没有偏爱才会全都喜欢；跳舞片段做的也太崩了啦
正儿八经的“再见，语言”，人类学影像，素材的编排我觉得并不是特别高超。但是，这群人花了九牛二虎之力下到了洞的最深处，可是那里有什么呢？啥也没有，就一个小水坑，这个还挺shock到我的，太人生隐喻的感觉了。
如此纯影像纯概念的片子，喜欢的人是会赞美其精巧，不喜欢的人是会睡着。
和我邦舅的记忆朝晖呼应列入本次电影节最舒服观影
不跟18年的剧集做对比，依然很好看，我超想知道有生之年会等到真人版剧集和剧场版吗？
【3.5】建筑般的叙述结构，令近乎纯质的影像另有一层严谨的地质学肌理。
能够爱你的这个世界，既痛苦又幸福，是如此的美丽。
后半段》前半段。具有意大利新电影一贯的特性：神秘、寓言、自然主义。视觉与听觉的配合，地上与地下的对比，一些与洛尔瓦彻《奇迹》同质的片段。
洞穴内摇曳的探照灯，湿润的穴壁，生命垂危的老人，旷野上的牛羊，飘散一地的插画。一种天人合一的感受。#Film Forum#
#2021北影节# 前半较好，叙事脱去了情节而仅剩下了连串的指向性动作，当地的人文和不见底的深洞构成了奇妙的总和，洞内的黑暗被运用的美丽异常。但当作者执意总要在洞内探险之间切到外界关心一下老人死没死时，全片就不可避免地进入了单调与滑稽。这同时摧毁了洞内的结构，后半部分零散的洞中景象与结尾的图纸没有出现任何联系。
真实的心意，一定要好好传达才能被知悉。遇到了特别的人，便有了属于自己的唯一选择。剧情挺好的
洞，非常深遂，《洞》，实在好睡。此中无洞天，老者似神仙，半寐半醒间，电影已翻篇。
像是构建了一场人类与自然的装置艺术，洞穴里的光影设计和好几处视角切换都是大师手笔，对自然的探索和人世的无常构成超验般连接，最终化为沉沉雾霭。大银幕绝佳观影体验。
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