Watch The Far Country For Free

Truly Dreadful Film

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

RELEASED IN 1954 and directed by Anthony Mann, "The Far Country" stars Jimmy Stewart as a self-centered cattleman, Jeff Webster, who conflicts with a crooked, self-appointed lawman (John McIntire) while driving cattle through Skagway, Alaska, to Dawson during the 1896 Klondike gold rush. Ruth Roman plays a formidable woman he meets on the steamship, who unfortunately works for Gannon (McIntire). Walter Brennan plays Jeff's best friend while Corinne Calvet plays a tough foreign settler with romantic inclinations.This was the fourth of five Westerns Mann did with Stewart. These were uncompromisingly harsh, psychological Westerns featuring themes of revenge, obsession, rage and redemption. They were spectacularly shot on location, rather than in the studio, providing a backdrop of authentic rugged beauty. This one was shot in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada, with one episode involving Athabasca Glacier.The opening sequence on the steamship is memorable for the way Jeff (Stewart) escapes ship authorities with the assistance of Ruth Roman's character. Roman is stalwart, stunning and surprisingly vivacious (for her role as a woman in the rough NW wilderness). Gannon (McIntire) is an interesting antagonist due to the way he joyfully basks in his power and overt corruption.THE MOVIE RUNS 97 minutes. WRITER: Borden Chase. ADDITIONAL CAST: Jay C. Flippen, Harry Morgan and Jack Elam.GRADE: B

And so begins my quest to watch each and every Jimmy Stewart film I can get my hands on. I'm just in love with the man and I think he was a master, a true master, of his craft. It helps that I also grew into a love of Westerns in the last ten years. At first The Far Country wasn't appealing to me but by the time it wrapped, I was completely entertained and really enjoyed the story. I do understand why it didn't appeal to me immediately though. The characters aren't quite as vibrant as some of the better Westerns, its a little bit of a different setting being set amidst the mountains and the gold rush. Ironically it turned out the movie is very character driven and while you may find Jimmy Stewart's hard edged turn as Jeff Webster a little jarring at first, his charisma and the story will win you over. It isn't the best Western I've seen of his or any other but it fits the bill and adds something a little different to the tried and true genre and that's never a bad thing. Its an adventure, epic in nature and certainly well worth your time. I regarded it highly when it was done and thinking of it now, it is growing on me even more and that marks a well made film.I realized after branching out from seeing Jimmy Stewart in It's A Wonderful Life that it turns out he was an incredibly versatile actor. His portrayal in this film is a guy who is really sort of unlikable. He is hard edged, rough, and even mean at times. He cares for himself and not much of anyone else. I'm still not sure how to accept a particular scene where he sends a group of people into literally life threatening danger from an avalanche. But that is indeed the character and he pulls it off. You don't even really see him get redemption in the end but rather soften slightly. Regardless Stewart is mesmerizing as he almost always is. The legendary Walter Brennan is a vital character to this story. He is Stewart's weak spot. He's the one other person that Jeff Webster actually cares about and even then he's ready to cast him off. Brennan does what he does best as an old frontiersman and father figure that you quickly fall for with his slow talk and adorable giggle. Its a bit of a predictable character but so important and Brennan is great at it. Stewart and Brennan have great chemistry together and watching two legends is always fun to do. Ruth Roman is decent as the tough as nails frontier woman who catches Stewart's attention. I felt like her character was very by the book and a little predictable and perhaps even under developed. By the end of her character arc I felt like they were trying to force you to feel empathy for her but it wasn't quite there. Corinne Calvet was also strangely used. Her character was almost annoying, unnecessary and almost in the way of the story and the rest of the cast. John McIntire is our villain and this is another real issue I had with this particular Western. A great villain is essential to any great film and that goes double for Westerns. McIntire was understated and didn't really stand out enough to be a viable antagonist for our anti-hero. The land around them and the time period was more villainous to them then McIntire appeared to be in his role.The landscape for The Far Country is beautiful, certainly cinematography plays a huge part in the feel of this film and they get it down very well. Thanks to that aspect, a decent story and Stewart the film is as good as it is. Outside of that I feel like there were some significant shortcomings by the film makers. I'm not entirely familiar with director Anthony Mann's work but this didn't impress me as far as his ability to really make the film stand out. It had some really good aspects (as I covered) but the shortcomings hold it back for me from being a truly outstanding entry in the Western genre. Regardless, I enjoyed it a lot, had a good time and will certainly watch it again. It isn't one I had heard of before and simply grabbed it from a bargain bin when I saw Jimmy Stewart's face on it. Its well worth the time but doesn't stand up to legendary classics in the same genre. 7.5/10

Not Quite as Intriguing as Other Mann/Stewart Westerns, it Still Remains one of the Better of the Genre Despite a Lighter Tone and Fanciful Banter and Lover Interests. The Cinematography is Appealing and the Snow Draped Atmosphere is Welcomed.But John McEntire's Bullying Lawman becomes Almost Unbearable and Jimmy Stewart's Anti-Hero takes so Long to find His Calling that the Climax can Seem like a Long Time Coming. Still, the Tension is Always there and there are a Few Scenes that are Classic Anthony Mann.The Involvement of Civilization's Impending Intrusion and the Terrifying Consequences are Implemented with Enough Dread to Keep Things on Edge, but the Sprawl of the Town Folks and Their Innocent Naivete are a bit of a Drag and at Times a bit Hokey.When the Bell is Finally Rung for the Last Round it is Somewhat Rushed and not Prime Mann Gunplay. Overall this may not be the Best of the Director/Star Collaborations but in the Overpopulated Western Genre Still Stands as Top Tier Entertainment. It's just that Anthony Mann and James Stewart Made Five Great Films Together so this One has some Strong In House Competition.

Jimmy Stewart, soft-spoken, classically well-mannered and mild, with that inimitable drawl, was an unexpected choice to play a frontier anti-hero, and that's precisely why, unlike more conventional cowboy stars, his lanky figure and detached behavior gives Jeff Webster a vulnerability rarely seen in western protagonists, particularly his power to intermingle a sinister, fuming state with America's Everyman. Webster intractably insists he can survive best depending on and relating to no one but himself. He declines help to others in mortal danger, but doesn't expect it from them either. The story then becomes a contest between us and Mann over how long he can keep the theoretical hero from ultimately being heroic? The script hangs around holding its fire with perverse delight.Webster and his subordinate Walter Brennan constantly rub the law the wrong way while running cattle to Canada. Their key obstruction is Sheriff Gannon, the shameless boss of the corrupt border town of Skagway. Gannon administrates spontaneously without looking away from his poker hand, hanging men for inconsequential offenses. He impounds Webster's herd as "payment to the government." Gannon is a cheat who's not so much interested in confiscating Webster's cattle as he is his spirit.When Webster is enlisted to escort a cavalcade to a gold mining settlement in the Yukon by Ruth Roman's gorgeous but hardhearted saloon owner Ronda, he finds his opportunity to reclaim his livestock and flee Gannon's influence. The resulting ploy, which brings about an intrepid chase, has Webster smirking to himself, one rogue outwitting another, both taking pleasure in the game. The next scenes reveal Webster to be startlingly more callous than previously thought. And that's before his arrival in Dawson, where he lets tightfistedness prevail over propriety, selling his herd to Ronda rather than the deprived locals. She's the superstore running the small proprietorships out of business, reducing the town's livelihood to rubble. And they're defenseless to retaliate. Regardless, she's later usurped by Gannon.The plot is constantly priming Webster for redemption just for him to backpedal again. It concludes with a smidgen of doubt about the characters. Webster thinks the locals should deal with it or move camp if they don't want mortal consequences from Gannon's henchmen. Likewise, he's getting rich in the gold rush. The sooner he can turn his back, the better, and no reproach from trusty old Brennan, or the Dawson marshal, or the sweet, unselfish Renee can persuade him otherwise. Renee is the most level head in the movie, repeatedly urging Webster to take a stand while Ronda urges him to take advantage. The movie stages the tiresome love triangle device in a much more interesting way than usual, with both women smitten by our severe cowboy, but again Mann plays with us. Each time we applaud Renee, the script flings Ronda into Webster's gaze instead.It's a conundrum of the movie star figure. Because Stewart was long-established as a guileless average middle-class fellows innocently draw into conflict, it's a test of our trust in the studio-era tradition of typecasting. And if Mann understands that his audience feels that it's certain that he gets wise to heroism, he can imbue his movie with a concentrated emotional look at hostility.