Man in the Wilderness

In the early 1800s, a group of fur trappers and Indian traders are returning with their goods to civilization and are making a desperate attempt to beat the oncoming winter. When guide Zachary Bass is injured in a bear attack, they decide he's a goner and leave him behind to die. When he recovers instead, he swears revenge on them and tracks them and their paranoiac expedition leader down.

Directed by Richard C. Sarafian, Man in the Wilderness leans on a strong ensemble — Richard Harris, John Huston, Henry Wilcoxon — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about western titles of 1971.