NR | 1h 34m | Drama, Western | 1962
In 1962, Sam Peckinpah directed “Ride the High Country,” his ode to the classic Western. The film is a captivating exploration of aging, honor, and redemption set against the fading frontier. As I’m a fan of Randolph Scott, I was sad that this was his last film.
The film follows two former lawmen, Steve Judd (Joel McCrea) and Gil Westrum (Scott), as they embark on a dangerous mission to transport a shipment of gold from a mining operation in the Sierra Nevada Mountains down to the town of Hornitos, California. It’s a deceptively simple setup that gradually reveals interesting character dynamics and narrative complexity.
Judd, a once-revered lawman, has fallen on hard times and arrives in town only to realize that the world he once knew has moved on. Gone are the days when he commanded respect; now, he’s just an “old man,” as local lawmen call him. Westrum, Judd’s former partner, has similarly lost his place in society and has been eking out a living as a gun-wielding cowboy, called “The Oregon Kid,” complete with a disguise that looks like it’s from a costume shop.
Accompanying them on this treacherous journey is Westrum’s younger partner, Heck Longtree (Ron Starr), an impulsive, disrespectful, girl-chasing youth representing the next generation of the West.
Icons of Western Cinema
What sets “Ride the High Country” apart is how it develops the character Westrum. He’s tempted by the gold and contemplates betrayal, testing the fragile trust he has with Judd. Meanwhile, Heck is unpredictable and torn between loyalty and greed. Elsa’s reckless pursuit of independence brings its own complications, causing emotional upheaval and sparking friction within the group. Together, they all encounter conflicts not only from within, but also from the violent Hammond brothers, the primary bad guys of the story.The rapport between McCrea and Scott brings palpable weight to the narrative. Their shared history, as the characters and as acting legends of the Western movie genre, enhances the film’s tone of bittersweet nostalgia.
Almost every character makes morally dubious choices that foreshadowed the darker themes Peckinpah employed in future films. However, there’s a feel-good redemption arc during its finale, once all of the dust and gun smoke has cleared. McCrea and Scott’s principles as standup men wouldn’t have allowed them to play entirely reprehensible characters. Both not only had similar career trajectories, but were also men of faith who helped others in need throughout their lives.
Peckinpah’s direction captures the crumbling beauty of the Old West with striking visuals and moments of quiet tension. The Sierra Nevada Mountains setting evokes a world both beautiful and unforgiving, perfectly mirroring the internal struggles of the characters.
The journey of the story presents themes of friendship, greed, and eventual redemption, and the choices one must make to stay true to oneself. In “Ride the High Country,” Peckinpah has crafted a Western that is complex, and pays homage to the genre’s glory days.
