Crossfire Trail is an extremely overlooked western, especially considering it's a beautiful example of the genre. I had seen it once, when Mama brought it home from the library, but it obviously didn't strike a chord within me, or my family, considering the next time it was brought home nobody really remembered anything about it. Which was incredible, because the second time my family and I watched it we all agreed it was amazing! Not a huge fan of Tom Selleck here, but he does justice to what I think Louis L'Amour was looking for in his main character, Rafe Covington. Now onto the review...
Rafe Covington (Louis L'Amour was always good at thinking up eccentric names) promises his dying best friend that once he gets back to America (he's at sea at the time) he'll take care of this man's beloved wife and Wyoming ranch. Covington makes his way, along with an Irishman and a green kid, across America to this wonderful ranch without any trouble. But as any watcher or reader of Louis L'Amour stories knows, things aren't gonna go smoothly for long. When Rafe gets to his friend's ranch, he find that the local big-shot, Barkow, wants not only the beautiful ranch, rich with oil, but the widow who now owns the ranch as well.
| The disgusting antagonist Barkow on the left, and widow-woman Ann Rodney on the right. |
Since Rafe Covington won't budge from his path if he knows he's in the right, Barkow, in his desperation, hires a professional killer with a sniper rifle in addition to his already large motley crew of no-goods. An epic battle ensues, involving Barkow and his cronies attempting to get Covington off the ranch, not caring if the methods they employ are less than ethical. You remember me mentioning an Irishman and a green kid earlier? Well, they're both amazing.
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| David O'Hara as Rock Mullaney... |
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| And Christian Kane as J.T. Langston. |
With the help of Mullaney and J.T., along with a random old guy, Rafe Covington manages to keep odds somewhat even... That is, for a Louis L'Amour creation. Minor Spoiler Alert: Time progresses, and we have Rafe and Ann falling in love amidst the war, somebody very wonderful dying (I am definitely not still crying over his death), and just a heck of a lot of good, western action and excitement going on. It all culminates into one epic showdown that takes place in town. I won't spoil exactly what happens, but let me just tell you it is VERY exciting! Besides the good western fun in this movie, some of the other thing I love about this film are the scenery...
The characters...
And I couldn't find it on Youtube, but from what I remember the music is pretty darn good too. So next time you feel the urge to watch a western, but you want it to have color and beautiful cinematography (nothing against black and white movies, just saying color is nice too and the cinematography in this movie IS amazing) and maybe a slightly modern feel to it, but nothing inappropriate (like, there are a few things you might not want to show your 6 year-old, but nothing terrible), dig yourself up this wonderful western and go and have yourself a doggone good time!
~Irene
This has been Horseback to Byzantium's second post entry into The Legends of Western Cinema Week.
Been havin' lots of fun so far! Hope you have too!
Glad to hear you are not still crying over that character's demise.
ReplyDeleteThe screencaps are indeed beautiful. I haven't seen this, and I am a fan of Tom Selleck and of Louis L'Amour. I loved The Sacketts.
Perhaps my favourite TV movie of a L'Amour story is Conagher starring Sam Elliott and Katherine Ross. It sounds like Crossfire Trail might rival that one.
Yeah, totally not still crying... Maybe just a little ;D
ReplyDeleteThe scenery in this movie is just too gorgeous! I love Louis L'Amour's stories. The Sacketts was great. Both books and movies.
Oh yes, Conagher! That's a great movie! I think they're pretty close. I like Sam Elliot a little more than Tom Selleck, so take that for what it's worth.
I saw this years ago (because Christian Kane), and then I saw it again about a year ago (because Christian Kane), and then I bought a copy on DVD (because Christian Kane). Even though I totally cry during this movie, but it's really good, and it kinda made me a Tom Selleck fan, actually. Just so happens that I picked up a copy of the L'Amour book at the used book store yesterday!
ReplyDeleteLOL Right? I didn't know Christian Kane was in it until the movie started and through the whole thing all I could think of every time I saw him was "Defend yourself!" (hopefully you have seen Secondhand Lions...). Still not a huge Tom Selleck fan (I prefer Sam Elliot) but he was really good in this movie =D
ReplyDeleteYes. I've been a Christian Kane fan since he joined the cast of Angel in its first season, which my brother knew, so when Dad brought this movie home and watched it (I was in college at that point), my brother recognized CK and said, "You have to see this western!" And even though he gets bushwhacked, I still like it. It's always so delightful to see an actor I love play in a western. In fact, I almost never like actors that wouldn't be well suited to a hat and a horse.
DeleteI like Sam Elliot better than Tom Selleck myself.
That's cool :) Never seen Angel meself.
DeleteIt was awfully sad that he got killed, but he's still delightful in the half of the movie he's in :D
Me too! Most actors look good (or even better than they usually do) in a cowboy getup.
Sam Elliot's so cool.
I don't know if you'd like Angel or Buffy the Vampire Slayer... and then again, you might. I like them primarily for the characters, as always, but also because they present a really strong view of good versus evil. And they're very well-written. I'm less of a fan of Buffy, though I love the first four seasons, the ones Angel is in before he split off and got his own show. But Angel itself is second only to Combat! in my heart. It's basically a detective show, only all the cases involve demons and magical baddies, etc. I got into them in college, which I think was a good age for them, as I was pretty well grounded in my own beliefs and old enough not to get freaked out by some of the creepier episodes. But I've been a wuss when it comes to scary stuff all my life, lol.
DeleteI realized recently that I almost never mark an actor as a Favorite if he wouldn't work well in a western. Some actors just don't have the face or the vibe or whatever to work in that genre. Which doesn't mean they're bad actors, it just means I... am not going to care much for them, lol.
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DeleteI usually don't like creepy stuff either. Usually because creepy involves gross, ya know? Like horror movies. I like it when a t.v. series shows good and evil as two very separate things. Very refreshing!
DeleteLOL If he don't work in a western he don't work for me! ;D