Plot: Steve Judd (Joel McCrea) was once a skilled, respected man of the law, but these days, time has caught up with him, while the world has changed around him. Now he provides security for mining companies, guarding shipments and lamenting how things have changed. As part of his latest assignment, Judd enlists an old friend to assist him, named Gil Westrum (Randolph Scott). The two have a lot of history and both feel out of place these days, with Gil working at carnivals to make ends meet. On the way to the mining camp, they spend the night at a small farm and encounter a feisty young woman, who joins them to meet her fiance at the mining operation. Once at the mining camp, more drama ensues as the brothers who run the operation clash with Judd’s group, as the brothers want to use the woman as a shared plaything. The tensions start to run high and with a sizable amount of gold being transported, will someone be tempted to make a play for themselves?

Entertainment Value: This is the second movie directed by Sam Peckinpah, but he helms this with immense skill and the result is a powerful western that is one of my personal favorites in the genre. The story centers on two older lawmen on what could be their final run, protecting a gold shipment. But the movie is about so much more than that, as the men explore how the world is changing around them and what their role is in this new world. Ride the High Country looks at the vanishing frontier, but also at the genre itself in the process, a loving tribute to one of cinema’s great genres as it evolved into a new era. Of course, Peckinpah would revisit the genre, but not with the same style as he did here. You have to be impressed with this as his second feature, as it shows all the signs of a veteran director. When you combine his skills behind the camera with this cast, you have some excellent performances that honestly I don’t think could be much better. Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott are ideal choices for these roles and they come through in the clutch with picture perfect efforts. The chemistry between them is very good and their conversations here seem so natural, it really adds so much to the movie, to be sure. If you’re a fan of Peckinpah, westerns, or great movies in general, you need to check this one out.

No nakedness. This is Peckinpah, so of course there’s some blood. This one has some fun shoot outs and the blood flows a little, but not a lot. More than you might expect however. This one has a lot of great dialogue, from tough guy talk to Old West lingo to some great exchanges about what’s important in life. The dialogue is sharp and well written, with a number of memorable lines sprinkled throughout. A line about the dangers of littering even makes the cut, always fun. The banter between the aging lawmen is a lot of fun as well, with the charm of Old West wisdom often heard. The writing isn’t campy or over the top, but it is still very memorable and offers a lot of quotable moments. Great stuff here. As far as craziness, the movie has some nice twists and a well staged shoot out, but plays mostly within the bounds of westerns. I would never call it “just another western,” but it does pay tribute to the western tropes and feels like a love letter to the genre, I think.

Nudity: 0/10

Blood: 1/10

Dialogue: 7/10

Overall Insanity: 0/10

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