Starring: James Stewart, Walter Brennan, Corinne Calvet, Ruth Roman, John McIntire

Director: Anthony Mann
Released: 1954

Mood: If you’re craving a classic Western but you’re super tired of the same old dusty scenery and want to see something as fresh as Canadian snow.

After a bit of a break, I needed a REAL Western. One I was reasonably sure would be good. Last year I picked up a fancy collector’s DVD of The Far Country, and this felt like the right time to watch it.

This is a really good movie. It’s nowhere near being my favourite Jimmy Stewart Western, but it’s well-made, it showcases gorgeous Canadian scenery, and it has a LOT of memorable actors in smaller roles. You get to see Harry Morgan, Jay C. Flippen, Chubby Johnson, Steve Brodie, Robert J. Wilke, and even a young Jack Elam.

Honestly, the supporting and background characters are kind of everything in The Far Country. Let’s get right into that now.

The Far Country is about a cowboy named Jeff (James Stewart) and his partner Ben (Walter Brennan), who are moving cattle to the Yukon, to capitalize on the Gold Rush demand for beef. Solid plan, right?

Jeff is accused of murder when he reaches Seattle, but manages to escape with his cattle onto the steamer to Skagway, Alaska. The beautiful Ronda (Ruth Roman) invites him into her stateroom to hide, saying she might need a friend later on. The authorities give up looking for him after one check of each room because apparently finding a murderer isn’t that important.

Once in Skagway, Jeff angers Judge Gannon (John McIntire) by disrupting a hanging. Gannon arrests Jeff, and tries him for both the murder and for disrupting the peace. Jeff is acquitted of murder, but his herd is seized in payment for ruining the hanging.

Jeff steals the herd back and presses on to the Yukon with Ben, while also guiding Ronda and her team to make some extra bank. Gannon and a posse pursue Jeff to the border. There’s a series of gunfights, chases, avalanches, and other exciting misadventures. Gannon doesn’t have jurisdiction in Canada, but he vows to get Jeff when he passes back through Skagway – the only way in and out of the Yukon in this story.

Will Judge Gannon and Ronda get away with using their evil capitalist powers in Dawson City? Will Ben ever get his farm in Utah that Jeff promised? Will Jeff do anything other than look out for himself? And will sweet Renee (Corinne Calvet) ever get out of the friend zone?

I didn’t like Stewart’s character in The Far Country. At all.

It’s not just that Jeff is an anti-hero; I can get on board with anti-heroes. Jeff disrespects his partner, he spends their money without asking, he delays his partner’s dream for selfish reasons, he suspects an avalanche is coming but lets people ride into it, he helps screw over local businesses, he watches a good man get gunned down when he is the only person who could intervene… the list goes on.

But I appreciate that this was intentional and have to give props to Stewart’s guarded, lone-wolfish performance. I wanted to yell at him and shake him and slap him upside the head. He got me riled. He made me feel emotionally invested in everyone and everything else going on AROUND Jeff by being the aloof straight man, which is quite a feat.

• Fun Fact #1: James Stewart loved his horse, Pie, with whom he starred in 17 movies and called “a ham of a horse.” In the final showdown, Pie needed to walk all the way down the dark street by himself. Stewart whispered in his ear what to do, and Pie did it in one take.

Corinne Calvet is great as Renee, giving a sort of ‘Doris Day in Calamity Jane meets Gidget’ energy. She’s a compassionate, loyal, flannel-wearing woman who can ride a horse, shoot a gun, and heal a wound while casually running a scam to put her dad through medical school.

It’s annoying that Jeff falls for the hot mean girl instead, and it’s rude AF that he repeatedly calls Renee ‘freckle face’ in a patronizing tone when all she does is help him. But again, these script choices help build frustration with Jeff, and make the audience anxious for him to take action.

Walter Brennan is so friggin’ adorable as Ben. I can’t even handle how much I loved Ben every moment Brennan was on screen, and desperately wanted him to get his farm.

• Fun Fact #2: Walter Brennan is the only actor to this day who won three Best Supporting Actor Oscars, two of which were for Westerns.

John McIntire delivers a formidable nemesis in Judge Gannon. He’s slick and sleazy and his hat makes him look like another infamous ‘scourge of the Canadian North’, Snidely Whiplash – although the character is rumoured to be based on Judge Roy Bean. Ruth Roman is technically good as Ronda, but there was never a single point where I related to or even liked her character. I felt zero chemistry between her and Stewart.

But ALL of the townsfolk and miners are played incredibly well. It’s a really strong supporting cast.

The Far Country is like an endurance trial, to see how long the viewer can go without getting any kind of satisfaction from the protagonist.

Director Anthony Mann had a film noir background; his movies’ heroes were often morally flawed or outright cold, and this continued into his Western era. He was also known for maximizing use of natural scenery for storytelling purposes, and in The Far Country the rugged Canadian landscape really adds to the challenges facing Jeff and Ben.

Mann made 10 Westerns in his career, four of which star James Stewart. The others are Winchester ‘73, Bend of the River, The Naked Spur, and The Man from Laramie.

• Fun Fact #3: James Stewart and Anthony Mann had a falling out over Night Passage. Apparently Stewart wanted Mann to direct, Mann thought it was just an excuse for Stewart to play a lot of accordion, and they never spoke again.

The Far Country has a 100% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and a high audience score as well. It’s definitely worth a watch for any Western fan.