Northwest Passage is a partly fictionalized adaptation that focuses exclusively on Book 1 of Kenneth Roberts’ 1937 two-part historical novel. The film was released on Blu-ray last August by way of the Warner Archive Collection, sourced from a new 1080p HD Master from 4K scans of original nitrate Technicolor negatives. The Oscar-nominated Northwest Passage is presented with a 1.37 aspect ratio with side mattes and a DTS HD-MA 2.0 soundtrack.

In 1759, Langdon Towne (Robert Young), expelled from Harvard, returns to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, welcomed by his family and Elizabeth Browne (Ruth Hussey), but scorned by her father, Reverend Browne (Louis Hector), who doubts Langdon’s artistic ambitions. At a tavern with Sam Livermore (Lester Matthews), Langdon insults Wiseman Clagett (Montagu Love) and Sir William Johnson (Frederick Worlock), leading to a dangerous confrontation he narrowly escapes with help from “Hunk” Marriner (Walter Brennan).

On the road, Langdon and Marriner assist a man in a green uniform, awakening at Fort Crown Point to find he is Major Robert Rogers (Spencer Tracy), commander of Rogers’ Rangers. Recognizing Langdon’s map-making skills, Rogers recruits the pair for a daring mission: to destroy the French-allied Abenaki village of St. Francis. Traveling by night on Lake Champlain, evading French patrols, and navigating swamps and rivers, the Rangers face injuries, insubordination, and the challenge of lost supplies.

The attack on St. Francis succeeds, but Langdon is wounded, and the Rangers endure a perilous retreat through harsh terrain. Dividing into smaller hunting parties proves deadly for some, yet the remaining fifty reach Fort Wentworth, exhausted, only to be heartened by the arrival of British reinforcements. Their bravery is recognized with cheers and formal honors.

Returning to Portsmouth, Langdon reunites with Elizabeth, while Rogers prepares the Rangers for a new mission: the search for the Northwest Passage. Langdon and Elizabeth plan to continue to London, hopeful for his artistic future, while Rogers marches forward in his next mission.

The raid—partly fictionalized—was meant to avenge earlier attacks on British settlers. It took place during the middle years of the French and Indian War in what is now Saint-François-du-Lac, Quebec. Back in New Hampshire, Major Rogers was celebrated as a hero for his actions. Today, however, Northwest Passage (both film and book) is criticized for its racist portrayal of the Indigenous peoples of Canada. War is brutal, and the film was made nearly 200 years after the events it depicts, but the prejudice on display remains difficult to watch.

Hollywood has a long history of misrepresenting Native Americans in Westerns, and while Northwest Passage isn’t a Western, the same problems apply. That makes the film tough to revisit. As an American history buff, I was drawn to the subject matter, as well as to the fact that it’s a King Vidor film starring Spencer Tracy. The color cinematography by Sidney Wagner and William V. Skall earned an Oscar nomination, which also caught my attention, as did its inclusion in the Warner Archive line. But for all of its technical merits, there’s no denying that many aspects have aged poorly.

As a fascinating sidenote, Major Rogers was inducted into the first class of the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame in 1992. In one sense, it’s fitting—he was born in 1731 in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, predecessor to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. But in another sense, it’s curious, since Rogers remained a British officer his entire life. Legal troubles sidelined him in the years leading up to the American Revolution, and by the time he returned, alcoholism had eroded his leadership years after he led Rogers’ Rangers in an attempt to find the Northwest Passage.

Rogers was arrested as a possible spy and released on the condition that he would not serve against the colonies. Though the Continental Congress offered him a commission, he declined, still loyal to Britain. After writing to George Washington for a command, he was instead arrested—only to escape custody. Rogers, the man who failed to find the Northwest Passage, would ultimately play a role in the capture of Nathan Hale. Yet his innovative tactics still influence Army Ranger training to this day.

While I haven’t read Kenneth Roberts’ novel, a biography, War on the Run: The Epic Story of Robert Rogers and the Conquest of America’s First Frontier, by John F. Ross is said to offer a definitive portrait. Northwest Passage remains more a work of historical fiction than reliable history, and the changes made for the screen displeased the author, with a planned sequel never produced. Combined with the racist depictions that mar it—akin to the problems still discussed around The Searchers—the film stands as both a fascinating artifact of its time and a reminder of how badly Hollywood mishandled Indigenous representation.

Bonus Features

• Vintage Featurette: NORTHWARD, HO!
• Original Theatrical Trailer

DIRECTOR: King Vidor
SCREENWRITERS: Laurence Stallings and Talbot Jennings
CAST: Spencer Tracy, Robert Young, with Walter Brennan, Ruth Hussey, Nat Pendleton

MGM released Northwest Passage in theaters on February 23, 1940. Grade: 2.5/5

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