Westerns
Re: Westerns
Great clips from one of my favorite westerns, 3.10 to Yuma. Ford and Heflin play off each other so well.
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JackFavell
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Re: Westerns
I agree with Goddess, that's really spot on! He really won't get his hands dirty, but if it serves his purpose he will let them off Heflin, he's very much like Richard Boone in The Tall T. And I absolutely see the story being about heflin's self worth, even he doesn't want to do it, but he can't give up or it would mean he couldn't look at his son anymore. As much as they are facing ruin already, he would face a far greater interior ruin and the lack of respect of his family were he to take the money. It's interesting how human everyone is in the movie... in an older film, the wife would stand beside him to the bitter end, no matter what, but this shows a more realistic situation, where the wife has just about had it, is at the end of her rope, and she WANTS him to give in. I could see this happening now, with lots of different people. Morals are cheap when you are facing ruin and maybe even starvation. Should he stand up and be moral when his families bellies are empty? Wow, it's so complex.movieman1957 wrote:One thing about Ford is that he puts himself above his gang. The clip makes a point about him being charming, he is that. He charms Felicia Farr right out of her clothes. But it also shows he doesn't want to hurt anyone but he sure doesn't mind what the group is doing to the others and will do to Heflin if they can.
I think we start to see the wife making more sense of him quitting. It's not worth the risk, I think Heflin has to convince himself that he can do it. He's not much, in his mind, if he can't. For me it becomes less about the money and more about his self worth.
And Goddess, that's where Ford is so good - His character is always able to gauge people, observant, he can tell what their weak point is without much effort. It is a fascinating approach to a villain. He's not mean about it, but it puts him in the driver's seat, except of course for this one time.terrific! glad to see this western get respect. wendy, brilliantly said about how the starkness does set it all out before the people are introduced...this is a place of hard choices. chris, i agree that heflin's self worth is what's on the line, and it's fascinating that ford's character figures this out almost before heflin does.
Re: Westerns
Charming villains. That's a good theme. I've got to visit these mature westerns where characters are a little more complicated. More shades of grey.
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JackFavell
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Re: Westerns
Oh, I've seen "3:10 to Yuma" before. It was the first movie I saw where I actually liked Glenn Ford as a person. And Heflin's wife played Natalie Wood's mom in "Kings Go Forth" I think. Yeah, I liked "...Yuma."
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JackFavell
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Re: Westerns
Oops! Sorry, just assumed since it was western territory that you hadn't seen it before. Shoulda listened to my teachers when they said, "never ASSume...it makes an..."
Re: Westerns
Elmore Leonard has made a career of writing likeable badguys! And more than a fair share of naughty ladies. Even the remake of "Yuma" is good. It focuses too much on violence; not enough on character. But I have to recommend it. As contemporary action films go, you could do a lot worse.
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JackFavell
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Re: Westerns
Well, last night's showing of The Far Country fits right in with what we are talking about!
THE FAR (reaching) SPOILERS
This is the first time I've seen the movie, and I really enjoyed it. I like this Mann film a lot, I like the theme (no man is an island) and the actors. John McIntire is so likable here, it's hard to hate him, except that he propels all the violence in the entire film, without ever soiling his fingers.
I loved Ruth Roman too, though she's the dark horse, she was much more interesting than Corinne Calvet. Her performance was nuanced and sexy as all get out, and she totally had me rooting for her to turn, but Mann carefully makes it so you can't see her with Stewart at the end, she's the choice of darkness and suspicion, fear and isolation, the same path he's already been following. In fact, my favorite parts of the film are toward the end - those dealing with that darkness...also with the use of coffee as a mini theme. But more on that later.
I just loved Walter Brennan as Stewart's Lennie (Of Mice and Men). He, along with Jay C. Flippen and Eddie Waller as Yukon Sam were the backbone of the story, just as Molasses (Connie Van), Hominy (the great Connie Gilchrist), and Grits (the equally great Kathleen Freeman) were the backbone of the newly forming town of Dawson.
There are two scenes that really hit me - one is right after Ben (Walter Brennan) is killed in the ambush. Stewart has finally recovered somewhat from his gunshot wound in the hand, and he sits in his cabin. The two women are no longer needed to nurse him, and he sits staring at his hand, trying to pick up a coffee cup and drink. The coffee cup is a blistering reminder of how Ben got killed, just because he went back to get coffee and talked too much about how they were leaving with their gold. Stewart's bitterness is palpable, and yet there is something more here too - for the first time in the movie, he is completely ALONE, there is no one to talk to, no one to listen. Ben and Renee were right, you can't live without needing someone, and this becomes achingly clear in this scene. Stewart starts working his hand so he can go after Gannon (the great John McIntire). You know when he starts pulling at his hand to open it up, it really hurts, but it's nothing to the hurt he feels INSIDE, because Brennan isn't there jabbering away.
The other scene takes place after Stewart goes to town, and Yukon Sam (Eddie Waller, who bears a striking resemblance to Francis Ford) is bashed over the head by Gannon, because he tried to stand up to him. Gannon has already had the marshal killed, humiliated Rube (the great Jay C. Flippen), killed another townsperson for daring to step up about his claim, and has made every other person in the town feel like dirt. He tells them all to leave, since he's taken all their claims and they need to be out of town by morning. He makes Stewart look a fool for not saying anything or standing up to him. Stewart goes out and asks them why they are leaving, aren't they going to stay and fight? And because of his previous isolationist stance, they chide him.
He goes back to his cabin. The scene is shot from inside the cabin. As Stewart swings the door open, the coffee cup is smack dab in the center of the shot, sitting on the table, glinting in the moonlight, right where he left it. And we see Stewart's eyes fix on it. It's only a moment, but I just loved this camera shot and set-up! It took my breath away. The cup is that irritant, a grain of sand in the pearl of his soul, like a beacon to him to put things right. A man can't be alone in life. Then the camera pulls back and we see that Stewart's eyes are NOT fixed on the cup at all but on his gunbelt, hanging on a post that we previously couldn't see. He practically runs to it and straps it on. Stewart's determination to put an end to Gannon's hold over the town is perfectly played, in fact, throughout the film he was perfect - very understated, very plain, no mannerisms, just that dark side, the suspicious nature coming out in his eyes and behavior. I don't really catch Jimmy acting here AT ALL. It's maybe the most relaxed of the Anthony Mann movies I've seen, maybe because John McIntire is such a relaxed villain. Like I said about him in another film, I could sit and watch McIntire play cards for 2 hours and be happy doing so, he's such a good actor. He's a spellbinder, a Mark Twain type character actor, the kind who plays down so much that any flamboyant action on his part seems natural to his character, it's so exciting.
Anyway, to have a cast like this assembled, well, it's a joy to watch, a dream cast. And the scenery, breathtaking! The scene of the ambush was set so beautifully (like everything else) - just about the time you realize there's a ridge behind him where someone could aim a shot at him, Brennan is down already. The film feels all of a piece, nothing seems extraneous, no shot is there simply for it's own sake - Mann lets us in on Stewart's massive moral change without skipping a beat, the scenes line up like ducks in a beautiful row. A great director.
THE FAR (reaching) SPOILERS
This is the first time I've seen the movie, and I really enjoyed it. I like this Mann film a lot, I like the theme (no man is an island) and the actors. John McIntire is so likable here, it's hard to hate him, except that he propels all the violence in the entire film, without ever soiling his fingers.
I loved Ruth Roman too, though she's the dark horse, she was much more interesting than Corinne Calvet. Her performance was nuanced and sexy as all get out, and she totally had me rooting for her to turn, but Mann carefully makes it so you can't see her with Stewart at the end, she's the choice of darkness and suspicion, fear and isolation, the same path he's already been following. In fact, my favorite parts of the film are toward the end - those dealing with that darkness...also with the use of coffee as a mini theme. But more on that later.
I just loved Walter Brennan as Stewart's Lennie (Of Mice and Men). He, along with Jay C. Flippen and Eddie Waller as Yukon Sam were the backbone of the story, just as Molasses (Connie Van), Hominy (the great Connie Gilchrist), and Grits (the equally great Kathleen Freeman) were the backbone of the newly forming town of Dawson.
There are two scenes that really hit me - one is right after Ben (Walter Brennan) is killed in the ambush. Stewart has finally recovered somewhat from his gunshot wound in the hand, and he sits in his cabin. The two women are no longer needed to nurse him, and he sits staring at his hand, trying to pick up a coffee cup and drink. The coffee cup is a blistering reminder of how Ben got killed, just because he went back to get coffee and talked too much about how they were leaving with their gold. Stewart's bitterness is palpable, and yet there is something more here too - for the first time in the movie, he is completely ALONE, there is no one to talk to, no one to listen. Ben and Renee were right, you can't live without needing someone, and this becomes achingly clear in this scene. Stewart starts working his hand so he can go after Gannon (the great John McIntire). You know when he starts pulling at his hand to open it up, it really hurts, but it's nothing to the hurt he feels INSIDE, because Brennan isn't there jabbering away.
The other scene takes place after Stewart goes to town, and Yukon Sam (Eddie Waller, who bears a striking resemblance to Francis Ford) is bashed over the head by Gannon, because he tried to stand up to him. Gannon has already had the marshal killed, humiliated Rube (the great Jay C. Flippen), killed another townsperson for daring to step up about his claim, and has made every other person in the town feel like dirt. He tells them all to leave, since he's taken all their claims and they need to be out of town by morning. He makes Stewart look a fool for not saying anything or standing up to him. Stewart goes out and asks them why they are leaving, aren't they going to stay and fight? And because of his previous isolationist stance, they chide him.
He goes back to his cabin. The scene is shot from inside the cabin. As Stewart swings the door open, the coffee cup is smack dab in the center of the shot, sitting on the table, glinting in the moonlight, right where he left it. And we see Stewart's eyes fix on it. It's only a moment, but I just loved this camera shot and set-up! It took my breath away. The cup is that irritant, a grain of sand in the pearl of his soul, like a beacon to him to put things right. A man can't be alone in life. Then the camera pulls back and we see that Stewart's eyes are NOT fixed on the cup at all but on his gunbelt, hanging on a post that we previously couldn't see. He practically runs to it and straps it on. Stewart's determination to put an end to Gannon's hold over the town is perfectly played, in fact, throughout the film he was perfect - very understated, very plain, no mannerisms, just that dark side, the suspicious nature coming out in his eyes and behavior. I don't really catch Jimmy acting here AT ALL. It's maybe the most relaxed of the Anthony Mann movies I've seen, maybe because John McIntire is such a relaxed villain. Like I said about him in another film, I could sit and watch McIntire play cards for 2 hours and be happy doing so, he's such a good actor. He's a spellbinder, a Mark Twain type character actor, the kind who plays down so much that any flamboyant action on his part seems natural to his character, it's so exciting.
Anyway, to have a cast like this assembled, well, it's a joy to watch, a dream cast. And the scenery, breathtaking! The scene of the ambush was set so beautifully (like everything else) - just about the time you realize there's a ridge behind him where someone could aim a shot at him, Brennan is down already. The film feels all of a piece, nothing seems extraneous, no shot is there simply for it's own sake - Mann lets us in on Stewart's massive moral change without skipping a beat, the scenes line up like ducks in a beautiful row. A great director.
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movieman1957
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Re: Westerns
You bring up John McIntire. Maybe outside of Brennan he must be one of the most successful character actors around. You look at him in this film and his short appearance in "Winchester '73" and contrast that with the lovely old doctor in "The Tin Star" and it gives you such an appreciation for his range. The thing I liked about him was his ability to be absorbed in a character. He looked as comfortable in a fedora as a cowboy hat.
His voice could be reassuring or menacing. I think that helped no matter what character he played.
His voice could be reassuring or menacing. I think that helped no matter what character he played.
Chris
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
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JackFavell
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Re: Westerns
I was thinking the same thing that you put so well, Chris.
I watched him in Westward the Women first, then The Far Country right after. It was like night and day, and if I didn't know who he was, I would have thought it was two different actors. Up until about 2 years ago, I was never quite sure who he was, he can change from one movie to another so drastically, and yet it's always believable, never seems like a put on. Like he's changed from the inside out.
I watched him in Westward the Women first, then The Far Country right after. It was like night and day, and if I didn't know who he was, I would have thought it was two different actors. Up until about 2 years ago, I was never quite sure who he was, he can change from one movie to another so drastically, and yet it's always believable, never seems like a put on. Like he's changed from the inside out.
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MissGoddess
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Re: Westerns
Man of the West I consider the best of Mann's oaters, but The Far Country is my sentimental favorite, and has always been one of my tippy top favorite westerns of all time. I'm glad you finally got to see it, Wendy. I think all the elements come together so perfectly in this movie (compared to Jimmy's others with Mann).
I had not noticed the significance of the placement in the shot with the coffee cup though I've always loved that scene where Stewart finally decides to join the human race.
I will pay attention to that moment more in the future. Goodness, I've seen this western SO many times, I don't know how I overlooked that. Great catch!
Henry Morgan also has a memorable turn as one of baddie minions.
I had not noticed the significance of the placement in the shot with the coffee cup though I've always loved that scene where Stewart finally decides to join the human race.
I will pay attention to that moment more in the future. Goodness, I've seen this western SO many times, I don't know how I overlooked that. Great catch!Henry Morgan also has a memorable turn as one of baddie minions.
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
-- Will Rogers
-- Will Rogers
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JackFavell
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Re: Westerns
I think I was so stunned and upset that Walter Brennan got killed because of something as simple as loving coffee that I just noticed everything to do with it afterwards!
Harry Morgan is in a lineup of so many other good character actors you barely have time to notice him! That's saying something!
I really like Man of the West. It's a great movie. I was surprised how much I like The Far Country - I think it's the lightest of the Mann films I've seen. I don't mean in style, exactly, but in touch of the director, does that make any sense? There is still the feeling of a downward spiral, of a man pushed beyond the limit to confront himself and the villain at the same time, but it's all very quick moving and didn't seem as dark or as foreboding. I should say that the foreboding and darkness was there throughout the film, but it didn't seem heavy or full somehow, maybe it's because there was such a large cast? The heaviness was borne by more people? I felt that TFC had a really perfect mix of entertainment and deep thought.
Harry Morgan is in a lineup of so many other good character actors you barely have time to notice him! That's saying something!
I really like Man of the West. It's a great movie. I was surprised how much I like The Far Country - I think it's the lightest of the Mann films I've seen. I don't mean in style, exactly, but in touch of the director, does that make any sense? There is still the feeling of a downward spiral, of a man pushed beyond the limit to confront himself and the villain at the same time, but it's all very quick moving and didn't seem as dark or as foreboding. I should say that the foreboding and darkness was there throughout the film, but it didn't seem heavy or full somehow, maybe it's because there was such a large cast? The heaviness was borne by more people? I felt that TFC had a really perfect mix of entertainment and deep thought.
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MissGoddess
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Re: Westerns
It is definitely the most positive and affirmative of the Mann films---there is hope and a feeling of good things happening in the future on a community level as well as individually, whereas his other movies tend to close in on the individual triumphs (or failures). There's more comedy, too.
this is my favorite Walter Brennan "sidekick" role. It's very similar to his "Stumpy" in Rio Bravo.
this is my favorite Walter Brennan "sidekick" role. It's very similar to his "Stumpy" in Rio Bravo.
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
-- Will Rogers
-- Will Rogers
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JackFavell
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Re: Westerns
Aww, Walter broke my heart. It's very close to Lennie and George in Of Mice and Men too, although it's its own individual thing, not an overt copy. One man caring for another less capable man, and in the end, the innocence is their undoing. Both stories have the men dreaming of a better life together, in a simple cabin or home, only to have it ripped away again through their own bad luck or failings.