Robert Redford stars as the eponymous American soldier seeking refuge from the Mexican war in the mountains. A quiet meditation on the American West with stunning scenery and excellent performances all round.
John 'Drumbo' French recently wrote a memorial tribute on the recently departed Captain Beefheart which includes a section on this particular film:
Van Vliet had a real love for a movie called Jeremiah Johnson, and I could see why. It was a mans film in the sense that it showed the bonding between Johnson and the character played by Will Geer. As Geers character walks away, after telling Pilgrim that he had done well, his farewell line was watch your topknot and keep your eye on the skyline. The brevity of their words made each hang in your ears and pulled you into the emotion and the bonding that had occurred between these two and you understood exactly what was going on between them in a way a billion words could have never described.
The full piece can be read here http://blog.beefheart.com/2010/12/john-frenchs-tribute-to-don-van-vliet.html
