How I felt about it. Stewart suits his role as family patriarch, reminiscent of Lorne Greene in Bonanza, then contemporary to this interesting epic. Non-Hollywood surprises happen along the way, which suggest the story was not made by committee.
For the film's first half, Stewart's wily stance appears unrealistic. After all, his sons would be drafted into conflict, and his farm would be seized for stock, if not used as to station troops once the front moves his way.
These historical difficulties with the story are forgiven once war troubles finally reach Stewart's family. Stewart even becomes a saboteur against the Yankees, a true character turn from a man with contempt for the concept of slavery. Early in the film, one suspects that he would prefer a bloodless Yankee victory to bloodstained Southern independence.
There are several brief battles in the film, but these are not the focus of the story. Since Stewart is the star, most scenes involve him. He's more of a field marshall than a soldier. Either he is defending his family interests, or he's offering cagey advice, usually to his son-in-law, Sam (Doug McClure), youngest son (Phillip Alford), or daughter (Rosemary Forsyth). The latter leads a double life as a refined beauty and a gun-toting tomboy.
Stewart has six sons, but not all are created equal. Young Alford and golden boy Glenn Corbett get most of the screen attention. The actors playing the other four sons did not have to worry about learning their lines, since they mostly appear only when a scene requires their group appearance.
Sometimes, the story seems to omit the consequences of reckless actions. Stewart and his sons gets into a fistfight with Confederate agents seeking horses. Later, the Union feels Stewart's wrath, when he burns one of their prisoner trains. After either event, one suspects that troops would soon arrive at Stewart's farm to take him away, either in chains or a pine box.
Stewart avoids such a fate, but his family is touched by war tragedy in unexpected ways. The only Virginian institution unscathed is the local church, which holds service every Sunday, regardless of what army is in control.
The success of Shenandoah sparked two more collaborations between Stewart and director McLaglen, The Rare Breed and Bandolero!, both westerns. Stewart had greater success than his leading man counterpart/competitor Cary Grant, in finding roles that fit his age.