Cheap The Far Country (DVD) (James Stewart, Ruth Roman) (Anthony Mann) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Far Country

A fine Jimmy Stewart western
The American frontier shifts north to Alaska in this tightly paced Anthony Mann western, starring Jimmy Stewart as a hard-bitten, cynical cowboy loner who finds himself caught up in the Klondike gold rush, and with it, the struggle between lawless injustice and the budding new civility. Walter Brennan gets a choice role as Stewart's stammering, old-timer sidekick; John McIntyre is delicious as the unrepentant villain, Judge Gannon of the border town called Skagway, who runs the place as his own personal company town. Stewart plays his antihero to the hilt, and the on-location cinematography is impressive... A nice, taut, enjoyable film.

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Seattle,Skagway,Dawson
The Far Country is the most quintessential collaboration between director Anthony Mann, actor James Stewart and screenplayer Borden Chase. The movie epitomizes the western according to Mann and more precisely the fascinating possibilities offered by the Stewart persona as a rugged, selfish individualist eventually condemned by the mere force of events to stand by the new-born community.Essentially malevolent, Jeff Webster selfishness will have to come to terms with Gannon, a truculent and almost cheerful Roy Bean- liked judge tyrannicaly ruling the booming and muddy city of Skagway : John Mc Intire versus James Stewart.Only the violent death of his old ranching partner Ben (a marvellous Walter Brennan)will transform Stewart into what might be expected from a western hero.
The magic of the film lies as much in its jubilant treatment of western situations( the stampede of Stewart's cattle out of the steamboat in Skagway, the brutal and colored atmosphere of Skagway under Gannon's heels, the crossing of the mountains en route to the gold mines of Yukon...)as in the vivid painting of characters each viewer feels like knowing.It has been said that each scene could justify a whole film, which is just partly true since the film does so perfectly well. The blend of strength, weakness, doubts...in one word ; the humanity Stewart brougth to this now legendary series of films , together with the air-capturing ability of Mann's filming put these films very high( ask Costner, Eastwood, Jarmush, Scorcese...)
This one among the four or five best westerns of movie history.

Bruno Parfait

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I'm gonna hang you, but I'm gonna like you.
Some time back Humphrey Bogart was selected the number one male screen legend by the A.F.I. (American Film Institute or Asinine Film Idiots, take your pick.) Cary Grant came in second and James Stewart third. Without taking away anything from any of these fine actors, I think this is outrageous. I mean, how many light comedies was Bogart in? How many westerns was Grant in? In my opinion James Stewart was the greatest male film actor ever, and I'd knock Bogart all the way down to ninth place (between James Cagney and Spencer Tracy.) Then again, I've never thought CASABLANCA was "The Movie," so I suppose I'll never understand.
Now that I've got that out of my system.... James Stewart DID star in a number of westerns, and his best were made in collaboration with Anthony Mann. THE FAR COUNTRY may not be the best, but it's a strong entry. Stewart plays Jeff Webster, a loner who's only friend is Ben Tatum (Walter Brennan.) Mann works by throwing opposites in the air and watching what gravity does to them - Ben is domestic and social (he talks about settling down with Jeff on a small ranch in Utah), Jeff is anti-social and footloose.
THE FAR COUNTRY begins in the port of Seattle, where Jeff arrives with a herd of cattle intended for the beef hungry (and rich) gold country of Alaska. He also arrives with two fewer drivers than he began with - he shot them, we are told, because they left the drive and took his cattle with them. Watching Stewart's suspicious eyes narrow and his hand hover over his guns after he returns guns to the two remaining drivers ("Here. You've been waiting to use them for 500 miles.") you can tell that he's an effective enforcer of frontier justice.
Jeff and Ben meet an even more effective enforcer when they reach Skagway. Sheriff Gannon (John McIntire) is the only irredeemable character in the movie. Quick on the draw and cop, judge and jury in the wild frontier town of Skagway Gannon is totally corrupt. Stewart's two love interests, Good Girl Renee Vallon (Corinne Calvet) and Bad Girl Ronda Castle (Ruth Roman) round out the strong cast of major characters.
McIntire is delightfully wicked as the stove-pipe hat wearing hanging judge. Sheriff Gannon is motivated by greed and sadism, and McIntire plays him with gusto. Stewart explores the darker side with his customary intelligence and talent - Jeff Webster is a difficult role, and Stewart makes his journey from misanthropy to social consciousness utterly convincing. Roman is the beautiful saloon owner who may be redeemed by love. Calvet is the French gamin whose beauty (Calvet was a pin-up model in the late '40s and early '50s) is hidden beneath a wool stocking cap and behind a heavy flannel shirt.
Brennan, his upper dental plate out in this one, is the bridge between Jeff Webster and the rest of society. His sin is too much sociability. For my money, Brennan is a can't-miss actor. If he's in it, it's probably good.
The film was shot on location in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada, and it looks magnificent.
If you're familiar only with the MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON/IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE/ HARVEY Jimmy Stewart, and you'd like to see him in an oater exploring the dark side, THE FAR COUNTRY is a good place to start. I recommended this one without qualifications.