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.
桑德拉还是那个桑德拉 多给一分是给一个在现实中永远求不到的底层人的公证
桑德拉布洛克的表演无可挑剔，甚至比今届入围奥斯卡影后的多数人演的更好，真相揭开的时候，阴差阳错之下Ruth为妹妹付出的一生的代价让人心疼。片子探讨了有犯罪前科，尤其是杀人案底（何况是杀警察）的刑满释放人员在底层顶着社会刻板印象的标签寸步难行的生活困境，以及附着在其上的世态炎凉。红脖、白左再到少数族裔，不同的阶层对待底层投射着各自的成见，但是讽刺的是，假若女主并非被洗白的那样无辜，他们的成见难道不也是一种自我保护或是追求结果正义的方式吗？只能说，在美国这样族群对立日益激化的现实之下，人们为了安全，都会越发极端和敏感，不是局中人，并不能简单地说是对是错。
很高兴看到影片这样的解决，被保护的最终还是被保护了。
影片不是不好，只是不“流行”而已。这种程式化的救赎主题曾经无往不利，靠类似的角色和表演形式的演员也曾频获奖项。桑德拉•布洛克的表演没问题，只不过影片本身“过时”，所以她得奖概率渺茫，建议她还是一起卷入同性影片的大军中吧。
2021年12月25日观看。桑德拉演的很好，情绪拿捏到位。
简单的坚强，简单的语言，才能讲好悲伤的故事。
人与社会的关系，偏见，阶层，很多时候才是人的不幸根源
情绪的叠进，最终释放恰到好处。偶尔瑕疵虽然也存在。
（这中文名动不动给你来个不可饶恕……还不如叫无赦之人之类的）结尾的情感浓度够浓，烈度够高，而那个替五岁小女孩顶罪的信息如果放在前面第一幕就揭示出来会不会发展成一个更好的故事，因为就目前来看前面90分钟都相当平淡和无趣。
萨德拉·布洛克的演技不输东城梦魇的凯特·温斯莱特，整部剧也足够克制。可惜后面为了救赎，为了达到一个光明的结局，剧情走向太过刻意。
没有反转前的剧情其实就挺好的，这已经是我今年看过的第三部讲述出狱人员重返社会的故事了（前两部分别是浊水漂流和美好的世界），从表演的角度说，桑婆可以碾压吴镇宇，略差于役所广司，整个片子的氛围比另外两部都要沉重和压抑一些，女主的处境更加孤立无援，而快到结尾处出现的反转，以及反转之后的情节可以说充满了抓马，编剧试图用反转来加深女主的悲剧性，但这个反转实在太欠缺说服力了。PS：这片里面的角色领悟能力都这么强的吗，通过一个眼神一句话就能get到重点。
所有的现实主义题材，都应该加分。虽然感觉中间节奏不够紧凑，但看完后，余音绕梁，才能说明问题，当年速度与激情的两位男女主，一个虽然成为the one，但演技仍有待提升，另一个成了重刑犯，但却光芒四射，尤其最后姊妹相拥时的克制，生生逼出我两滴眼泪。推荐！
桑德拉布洛克版“我的姐姐”，气质粗粝沉重隐忍，然而太多似乎专为突出她实惨而刻意安排的桥段，令整部影片略显刻意匠气。得一大女主就恨不得每一场戏都用透了，然不管是鱼厂做业，还是木工活儿，都因为缺乏了生活化细节，而显得不真实。因此，女主的困境亦大打折扣。对比卡西阿弗莱克在《海边的曼彻斯特》中的处理，同为蓝领工人 ，除了安排工作场景，还有一场工友聚会戏，人物一下就立住了。回到影片，片中所有的配角都是为了烘托女主而存在，各个都成了工具人。前述因素导致，虽然影片的几个突转都安排得不错，但整体透着“反映生活却远离了生活”的气质，可惜。
意外的好看！不愧是女导演拍摄的作品。全片冷静克制，所以爆发是尤其撕心裂肺。桑德拉布洛克嘶吼这“She was just five yars old”!为了妹妹，她选择了牺牲自己，永久背负上cop killer的罪名。桑姐值得一座奥斯卡的肯定！
直到最后才慢慢交代真相，虽然大致也可以猜到。细节刻画的很到位，每个人物都很有特色。回忆的色调是温暖的，这可能是Ruth生命中唯一的一抹亮色。结尾那个拥抱太让人伤感了…
这该死的人类啊 有时候我恨得不行 有时候 又爱得不行 一部恰到好处的电影 建议写亲情伦理剧的国产编剧们都关在笼子里看这部电影看一百遍
2021年度最佳影片之一，Sandra Bullock的克制沉稳但又极具张力的演技绝对值得再拿一座奥斯卡。影片最后的记忆回放稍有反转，但是也很好的诠释了血浓于水的亲情与大爱。
2022年奥斯卡最佳影片、最佳导演、最佳女主角非他莫属！居然没有入围奥斯卡，只能说明如今的奥斯卡越来越垃圾了！
结尾姐妹相拥，不用铺垫就直接拥抱，姐姐瞬间明白妹妹都记得知道，却安心接受。细思极恐，鸡皮疙瘩一地。
就没有人说说妹妹的养母吗？从头到尾，好有理性，好有气质！
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