Like most of the Anthony Mann westerns, "The Far Country" (1954) has a tough and determined James Stewart. Jeff Webster, his character here, is determined not to get involved in other men's conflicts and not to get involved with either of the women who repeatedly throw themselves at him (Ruth Roman, Corinne Calvet). The chink in his armor of egotism is taking care of a garrulous Walter Brennan (playing a role Brennan played way too many times, inflected with plans for a small ranch that is reminiscent of Lenny's dream (and of George's protection) in Of Mice and Men).

There is more humor in "The Far Country" than in any of the other Mann films I've seen (the low-budget cinema noir films of the 1940s, the hard-bitten, scenic westerns of the 1950s and the epics of the 1960s, including the first hour of "Spartacus"). Much of the humor is supplied by a corrupt Skagway(, Alaska) judge/entrepreneur, Gannon, played by John McIntire (who was also in Winchster 73, Apache, Psycho, etc. and tv western series including "Wagon Train" and "The Virginian"). In addition, there is some from ingenue Corinne Calvet, some from the competing boomtown saloons, and the usual Brennan schtick.

The mountainous Alberta locales (passing for the Yukon) are spectacular and the viewer knows that hard as Stewart tries to mind his own business, he is not going to be left alone -- particularly given his earlier dealings with Mr. Gannon. As in the other Mann/Stewart westerns, there is a trek through dangerous country, though the dangers in this outing are avalanches rather than vengeful marauding Indians. This time, Stewart was driving cattle rather than leading a wagon train, a mule train, or bringing in a wanted man.

The characters and (a)morality are noirish, though the look of the film is daytime outdoors scenic (by sea first, then by land). The pace is more leisurely than the other Mann westerns and the film is almost genial despite a high body count. Partly this is because the villain is debonaire and has a sense of humor supplementing his greed (in contrast to the vicious villains in some of Mann's other westerns, especially and Lee J. Cobb's patriarch role in Man of the West).

Stewart is less obsessive than in some of his other 50s films (the Hitchcock ones as well as the other Mann westerns), but is more than a little callous. He's more resigned to having to straighten out messes he'd have preferred to avoid than vengeful here (contrast "Winchester 73").

The female roles in Mann westerns are generally implausible. Here, Ruth Roman seems more like a possible human being than Janet Leigh did in "The Naked Spur" (or Sophia Loren in "The Fall of the Roman Empire"...).



Other Anthony Mann movies I've reviewed:
"Sing Your Way Home," "Bamboo Blonde," "T-Men," "Raw Deal," and "The Devil's Doorway" at http://www.epinions.com/content_4469268612
Desperate
Man from Laramie
Man of the West
The Tin Star
Thunder Bay
The Fall of the Roman Empire
The Heroes of Telemark
(plus two other Stewart westerns:
Firecreek
Two Rode Together)

This review was one of many casualties of the latest database "improvement," which unlinked many of my reviews from what "search" shows (so that "zero reviews" is indicated) along with making it impossible to review some products that appear to be in the database (until one clicks "write a review"!) and dropping travel destination postings entirely from sight (not just dropping them to the bottom of what is shown). Consider this my databate complain as I pass my 1800th review!



Recommended:
Yes