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.
用力过度的水准可以和韩国掰一掰手腕，煽情太过是减分向，人物都是工具性的，最大的力量是根据真实事件改编，不过也许真实比电影里的煽情更令人窒息。
这部电影有些过于个人英雄主义了，至少电影呈现出来的是给我这样的感觉。也许真实案例更带有血泪控诉，但夸张的艺术表达有些失真了，而且电影的节奏给人感觉冗长拖沓……这些是不足。
折磨戏真的是咬着牙看下去，明明没有通过化妆技术把伤口，流血效果进行加强和特写，却偏偏让你震撼。真真是那种姓制度带来的不公与压迫，通过警长挥出去的棍子，还有警界和政府官员沆瀣一气的腐朽，让你感受到了压抑。透不过气的压抑~
为弱者争取正义，这样主题的电影永远都是值得赞扬的。
这个故事在相当程度上说明结果正义带来的恶。故事是靠着三个关键人物鼎力相助才能走下去，这样的良心人物固然可贵，但只能指望良心的社会着实可悲。程序正义的未来才是法治社会
断断续续看完，印度真是歌舞的国度，一段黑暗的历史，拍的很励志的感觉
一个魔幻现实吊炸天的原型故事就这么被总是“适时”响起的傻不拉几的激昂BGM和过度神化的视角拖了后腿，硬是整成了三流爽剧。亮点都在部落里了，看他们对于苦难的描述，仿佛永无休止的噩梦，不像是电影而是纪录片。神奇国度，诚不欺我。
看误杀的时候就疑惑 印度是不是没有广电总局
三星半。不能给太多，怕太骄傲。比较商业片，非常努力让观众能看懂。胜在题材承担着足够的社会性，选角也极具魅力。但是还是逃不过印度片比较夸张的表达方式，还是不太符合个人审美。
某国至今拍不出律政片，原因可不仅仅在审查啊
是一部很好的传记片，但现实意义和影响可能需要慢慢撬动
整个故事比较套路化，有点工业流水线产品的味道，但是为不公抗争的故事永远值得歌颂
少数族群底层人民的苦，官僚群体相互串通的恶，正义人士无偿助力的善，让一个你看着毫无希望的印度有了某种星星之火可以燎原的可能。就电影本身技术角度而言并不算优秀但这个题材和胆量是我们不会有的。天下乌鸦一般黑，只是有的叫了，有的沉默了，有的是哑巴。
折磨戏真的是咬着牙看下去，明明没有通过化妆技术把伤口，流血效果进行加强和特写，却偏偏让你震撼。真真是那种姓制度带来的不公与压迫，通过警长挥出去的棍子，还有警界和政府官员沆瀣一气的腐朽，让你感受到了压抑。透不过气的压抑~
但真实事件改编真的非常有力量
但在人心里剔除阶层歧视还有漫漫长路。
电影拍摄的旋律是C大调，但这种明快相信并不是事情的全貌，如果邪恶如此轻易就能被打败，就不会有持续了这么多年的种姓制度。虽然我觉得这部电影是唱给底层人民的嘹亮战歌，但不晓得这些底层人民是否有途径看电影，感觉仅是维持生存就已经要耗尽他们所有的精力，电影可能还是太奢侈了些。
虽然脸谱化严重，但谁又能拒绝以一己之力对抗强权的爱装逼正义大侠呢？（个人能当英雄，主要还是因为能找到强权的上一级来制约，不然很有可能连只是立个案都没机会）适合杀时间，能杀快三个小时…当律师指名找本赞同私刑的警长开始查案才开始真正好看起来
把歌舞去掉，再减到90分钟，绝对很燃。总有一些人会站出来发声，这个世界不是这样。冤假错案无非是升职，政绩上的绊脚石。
故事剧本、音乐甚至于镜头都是印度电影标准啊。
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