Love, Courage and the Battle of Bushy Run (2024) Movie Review – An inspiring story of heroism and sacrifice

An inspiring story of heroism and sacrifice

Love, Courage and the Battle of Bushy Run, from directors Dave Alan Johnson and Larry A. McLean, is based on a fascinating true story that you may never have heard of.

The year is 1763, in Western Pennsylvania, at a time when tension was mounting in the American Colonies. Britain has just defeated France in the Seven Years’ War (also known as The French and Indian War), causing the French to abandon America.

Left behind are the Native population who sided with the French in combat. They are fearful that the British will seek revenge on them, so under the advisement of Ottawa Chief Pontiac, they decide to strike first. Their ultimate target is Fort Pitt but they also attack other forts, laying them to ruin and killing the British soldiers and settlers residing within. 

It’s up to Colonel Henry Bouquet to protect Fort Pitt, so he and a ragtag group of British soldiers, Scottish Highlanders and American volunteers, set out to save the fort, in a journey that takes them to Bushy Run where the titular battle takes place. Do they stand victorious after their brutal battle with the tribesmen? If you’re not familiar with this chapter in history, you have extra incentive to see the film if you want to see how their fight ends. 

The film is based on C.M. Bomberger’s novel The Battle of Bushy Run and stars Tom Connolly (Stars Fell Again) as Henry Bouquet, the honourable and courageous man who led the fight against the formidable Chief Pontiac and his army of ferocious warriors. 

Also starring in the film is Adam Baldwin (Serenity) as General Jeffrey Amherst, the British Army Officer who helped Britain conquer the territory of New France during the Seven Years’ War. Other cast members include Rachele Shank (Legion) as Anne Willing, an American socialite who is a love interest of Bouqet’s, and Chris Mayers (Ozark) as the cowardly Lt. Francis Gordon who tries to save his own skin by cutting a deal with the Indian people. 

The performances are excellent, with special mention to Connolly who expertly displays Bouquet’s steadfast courage and resilience. In the film’s depiction of the character, Bouquet is both humble and loyal, and more interested in bringing peace between the British and tribesmen than igniting another long-term war.

We’re assuming the film is historically accurate, not only in the way it brings Bouquet and other key characters to life but also in the way it retells the battle between the two warring factions. As seen on screen, the battle is extremely intense, with tomahawk-wielding tribesmen facing off against the armed soldiers who enact a plan formulated by Bouquet to ensure victory on the battlefield. 

The battle is extremely well done, with vivid attention given to every brutal blow as each side faces off against one another. The use of slow-motion ensures we don’t miss an inch of the action as the camera moves in close to capture every facet of the combat.

If there’s a criticism to be made it’s that the actual Battle of Bushy Run is over almost as soon as it’s begun. For all we know, this might be true of how events played out in real life. But for a film that highlights the battle in its title, I expected longer scenes of warfare. Despite this, the run-up to the fight is executed well, with scenes of Bouquet planning the battle and recruiting more troops to help him in combat while making his way to Fort Pitt.

The meticulous attention to detail in the film can’t be praised enough. Both the costumes and locations are befitting of the period, so there’s a real sense of time and place as we watch the story play out.

The characters come across like real people and not two-dimensional stereotypes familiar from certain other war films, so this adds to the authenticity. 

These positives ensure the film is worth watching so we can recommend The Battle of Bushy Run to you. However, it does have its faults, most notably in the way in which the tribespeople are portrayed. While the film isn’t exactly biased towards the British, it doesn’t go to great lengths to show us the humanity present in the indigenous people.

As such, this could be considered a one-sided film, thus disputing its historical accuracy. But at least it’s not like one of those cowboy films of old when the white men were clearly the good guys and the tribesmen were cold and savage brutes with no redeeming values.

Love, Courage and the Battle of Bushy Run tells a timeless story of heroism and sacrifice. It’s not a perfect film but there’s enough here to provide an inspirational and occasionally emotional viewing experience.

Read More: Love, Courage and the Battle of Bushy Run Ending Explained

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