The Far Country – Review

Seattle, 1896. All the way from Wyoming, the finest herd of cattle ever is delivered by rider Jeff Webster (Stewart) and his crew of cowboys. The pay? $200. But… tension is in the air. Webster tosses two of his men their guns, and encourages their use. The men have been waiting for 500 miles, now is the time to resolve some kind of drama.

The men catch their pieces, but decide to holster the weapons instead of drawing down on Webster. They talk smack and ride off, certainly never to be seen again. Jeff’s ally Ben Tatum (Brennan) is in town to receive and ship off the cattle, getting them on a ferry just in time. As the men get on the ship, someone from the crowd nearby yells to the crew that there is a killer on board! The crew says they will put him in irons and into the brig.

As Jeff reacts, he flings a few men off the boat, and hides in a room with interested party Ronda Castle (Roman) who helps him out. She doesn’t give him a reason for why she helped, other than she may need a friend in Skagway. The characters continue to try and drive trail and get into confrontations with surrounding communities, while avoiding trouble with the law and keeping their cattle alive.

The Far Country is a fairly standard western, but it is well done and runs at a decent pace for a 50s film.  Some of what makes it stand out however is the cinematography and usage of the titular country. Excellent mountain, forest and sweeping land backdrops deliver visual goods while the story runs its course.

James Stewart plays a tough cowboy role just fine in this, delivering a decent performance and compelling enough protagonist. The surrounding cast helps keep the script interesting and round out the film. While it may not be a revolutionary experience plot wise, The Far Country delivers a classic western adventure.

“Who’d you kill?”