Last Stand at Saber River - Ray's Review
NOTE: This was going to be part of a review of three Western DVDs but I liked it so much that it deserves a full review.
Last Stand at Saber River (1997)
95 mins
Directed by Dick Lowry
Based on the novel by Elmore Leonard
Starring:
Tom Selleck as Paul Cable
Suzy Amis as Martha Cable
Haley Joel Osment as Davis Cable
Keith Carradine as Vern Kidston
David Carradine as Duane Kidston
Introduction:
We all know Tom Selleck as Magnum P.I. but do you know him as a cowboy? If you like Westerns then you are in for a treat. Any memories of Tom in Hawaii shirts vanish when you see him as a man of the old west. He is incredibly suited to the role and has made several Westerns, many of which are based on books by the famous Western writer Louis L'Amour. According to IMDb Sellecks co-starred with Sam Elliot in his first Westerns: The Sacketts (1979) and The Shadow Riders (1982) - both highly respected TV movies. He had a break from the saddle then returned in 1990 with the offbeat Western Quigly Down Under (set in Australia where he is hired to kill aborigines, but of course has a moral issue with that and ends up helping them). In 1997 he made the first of his TNT Western trilogy: Last Stand at Saber River, followed by Crossfire Trail (2001) and Monte Walsh (2003) - neither of which I've seen but they are both regarded as quality Westerns also. So it seems old Magnum P.I. has found a niche where his laid back personality and charm fit right in and based on how damn good Sabre River is I hope he stays in the saddle a while longer.
Plot Summary from IMDb:
"As America recovers from the Civil War, one man tries to put the pieces of his life back together but finds himself fighting a new battle on the frontier. Cable is an embittered Confederate soldier who returns from the war to reclaim his Arizona homestead from rebel pioneers who sympathize with the Union war effort. Desperate to rebuild the life he once knew, Cable ultimately joins forces with Vern Kidston, his Union adversary to make a last stand for the one thing worth fighting for -- his family."
The Optimist:
Having recently watched such classics as High Noon and The Bravados I was quite looking forward to a modern Western - I often find old westerns feel far too staged, the music too pompous and the costumes ridiculous (I appreciate there are many exceptions). So it came as some what of a relief to see the more realistic tone and less clean cut characters in Saber River.
From the moment they introduced Tom Selleck as Paul Cable I knew this film was going to be good. He looked and sounded the part and the mood was just right. He is not as brooding and mysterious as Clint or as puffed up and proud as John Wayne - he is his own blend of hero: laid back and charming, yet tough and intimidating all at once. He looks right at home on a horse and comes across as very efficient with guns - crucial factors if you want a believable Western hero.
Being a TV Western I thought it would be 4:3 and was pleasantly surprised that the DVD claimed to be Anamorphic, however only the menu appeared to be widescreen - the film itself is, in fact, 4:3, but thankfully it's a clear and crisp image. The sound (while not 5.1) was aggressive and well mixed. Apparently after the demise of Western films in the cinema many veteran Western directors started making TV Westerns, hence the high quality of many of them. Western films only come along occasionally now and have never again found the level of popularity they had up until the 60's (though there were still many great 70's Westerns, but they didn't attract wider audiences like in the past). My other concern was that the violence may be toned down for TV, but this was not the case either - several shotgun blasts to the chest and a man being run over by six horses attest to that.
Other than Tom's engaging performance and the classy cinematography, the next thing that stood out immediately was the action; it was incredibly well staged - I always had a sense of where the fighters were in relation to each other and was completely engrossed through out every shoot-out (unlike many westerns where it just feels like they are going through the motions, unable to elicit excitement at something we have seen so many times before). The final shoot-out has a particularly cool moment where Tom is wounded and totally outgunned. First he tries to talk his way out of it by saying "Here's the plan. You take the rifles and clear out, let's end this now". The enemie's leader shouts back "No, here's the plan. We shoot you and take the rifles." Tom sighs, looks down at his rifle and says "Fine". Then he opens a can of whoop-arse and nails most of the bunch. Sensing defeat the baddie shouts back to him again "OK, we take the rifles." It's funny, exciting and just plain classic.
A large amount of credit must go to Elmore Leonard, who's savvy dialogue adds an immense amount of coolness and humour to a fairly typical western tale. Take for example a scene where Paul Cable and his wife and children are in a bit of a pickle. They are confronted by a large group of men who have every right to kill Paul Cable for being a deserter from the civil war (though the war is practically over). When things get tense Paul Cable whips out his pistol and aims at the leader of the bunch (David Carradine - always great in a western). The leader quips "You think you can shoot us all?". Cable replies with something like "I'm gonna shoot you first and then I'm gonna shoot your friend, you care much what happens after that?". Classic!
Also worth commenting on is the great Carradine brothers. These guys always look at home in a Western (check out The Long Riders for proof of that) and their natural performances add immeasurably to the quality of Saber River. It was especially nice to see the "baddies" not being painted as black and white as they often are in Westerns and for Keith Carradine to get a chance to redeem himself and ultimately help Cable save his daughter from another - slightly unexpected - enemy.
I could go into the plot more, but the plot is not responsible for making this a good film. What makes Saber River is the strong performances, clever dialogue, great action scenes, beautiful scenery and the excellent pacing. If you like Westerns I have no doubt that you will enjoy this. I for one can't wait to check out the two westerns Tom did after this.
The Pessimist:
Suzy Amis's character Martha Cable (Tom's Wife) is a little off. She is meant to be angry at her husband for enlisting in the army and deserting his family for a little adventure, and that is understandable. When he returns - much to everyone's surprise, as he is thought dead - she is on his back right up until the end of the film. She just complains and complains and seems to have absolutety no sympathy for what he endured in the war (yet he does his best to understand what she endured in his absence). Perhaps this element worked better in the novel - I'll never know - but I found it hard to like her at all, which detracted a little from all the time he spent risking life and limb for her and his children. If I liked her more - or perhaps understood where she was coming from more - I may have cared for her survival as much as Cable did. Yet I can overlook this because ultimately things are resolved between them and it is a satisfying note to end on.
Another character which rubbed me the wrong way was David Dukes character Edward Janroe. He is the pro-War type guy and has moral issues with Paul Cable being a deserter. Inevitably they end up butting heads in a major way. After how layered the other "baddies" were, Edward Janroe just seemed a little over the top - whether it's the actor's fault or the script is debatable.
Other than the above two characters grating with me, my only other problem is it's too short! I was enjoying Paul Cable's company and didn't want to leave so soon.
Conclusion:
Last Stand at Saber River is well paced, well acted and well written. A damn fine western! Just don't go into it expecting Unforgiven or the Dollars Trilogy, Saber River's tone is nothing like those, it is much more laid back.
9/10
If you watch it and enjoy like I did, then look out for Tom's other recent Westerns Crossfire Trail and Monte Walsh. You go Tom!
Last Stand at Saber River (1997)
95 mins
Directed by Dick Lowry
Based on the novel by Elmore Leonard
Starring:
Tom Selleck as Paul Cable
Suzy Amis as Martha Cable
Haley Joel Osment as Davis Cable
Keith Carradine as Vern Kidston
David Carradine as Duane Kidston
Introduction:
We all know Tom Selleck as Magnum P.I. but do you know him as a cowboy? If you like Westerns then you are in for a treat. Any memories of Tom in Hawaii shirts vanish when you see him as a man of the old west. He is incredibly suited to the role and has made several Westerns, many of which are based on books by the famous Western writer Louis L'Amour. According to IMDb Sellecks co-starred with Sam Elliot in his first Westerns: The Sacketts (1979) and The Shadow Riders (1982) - both highly respected TV movies. He had a break from the saddle then returned in 1990 with the offbeat Western Quigly Down Under (set in Australia where he is hired to kill aborigines, but of course has a moral issue with that and ends up helping them). In 1997 he made the first of his TNT Western trilogy: Last Stand at Saber River, followed by Crossfire Trail (2001) and Monte Walsh (2003) - neither of which I've seen but they are both regarded as quality Westerns also. So it seems old Magnum P.I. has found a niche where his laid back personality and charm fit right in and based on how damn good Sabre River is I hope he stays in the saddle a while longer.
Plot Summary from IMDb:
"As America recovers from the Civil War, one man tries to put the pieces of his life back together but finds himself fighting a new battle on the frontier. Cable is an embittered Confederate soldier who returns from the war to reclaim his Arizona homestead from rebel pioneers who sympathize with the Union war effort. Desperate to rebuild the life he once knew, Cable ultimately joins forces with Vern Kidston, his Union adversary to make a last stand for the one thing worth fighting for -- his family."
The Optimist:
Having recently watched such classics as High Noon and The Bravados I was quite looking forward to a modern Western - I often find old westerns feel far too staged, the music too pompous and the costumes ridiculous (I appreciate there are many exceptions). So it came as some what of a relief to see the more realistic tone and less clean cut characters in Saber River.
From the moment they introduced Tom Selleck as Paul Cable I knew this film was going to be good. He looked and sounded the part and the mood was just right. He is not as brooding and mysterious as Clint or as puffed up and proud as John Wayne - he is his own blend of hero: laid back and charming, yet tough and intimidating all at once. He looks right at home on a horse and comes across as very efficient with guns - crucial factors if you want a believable Western hero.
Being a TV Western I thought it would be 4:3 and was pleasantly surprised that the DVD claimed to be Anamorphic, however only the menu appeared to be widescreen - the film itself is, in fact, 4:3, but thankfully it's a clear and crisp image. The sound (while not 5.1) was aggressive and well mixed. Apparently after the demise of Western films in the cinema many veteran Western directors started making TV Westerns, hence the high quality of many of them. Western films only come along occasionally now and have never again found the level of popularity they had up until the 60's (though there were still many great 70's Westerns, but they didn't attract wider audiences like in the past). My other concern was that the violence may be toned down for TV, but this was not the case either - several shotgun blasts to the chest and a man being run over by six horses attest to that.
Other than Tom's engaging performance and the classy cinematography, the next thing that stood out immediately was the action; it was incredibly well staged - I always had a sense of where the fighters were in relation to each other and was completely engrossed through out every shoot-out (unlike many westerns where it just feels like they are going through the motions, unable to elicit excitement at something we have seen so many times before). The final shoot-out has a particularly cool moment where Tom is wounded and totally outgunned. First he tries to talk his way out of it by saying "Here's the plan. You take the rifles and clear out, let's end this now". The enemie's leader shouts back "No, here's the plan. We shoot you and take the rifles." Tom sighs, looks down at his rifle and says "Fine". Then he opens a can of whoop-arse and nails most of the bunch. Sensing defeat the baddie shouts back to him again "OK, we take the rifles." It's funny, exciting and just plain classic.
A large amount of credit must go to Elmore Leonard, who's savvy dialogue adds an immense amount of coolness and humour to a fairly typical western tale. Take for example a scene where Paul Cable and his wife and children are in a bit of a pickle. They are confronted by a large group of men who have every right to kill Paul Cable for being a deserter from the civil war (though the war is practically over). When things get tense Paul Cable whips out his pistol and aims at the leader of the bunch (David Carradine - always great in a western). The leader quips "You think you can shoot us all?". Cable replies with something like "I'm gonna shoot you first and then I'm gonna shoot your friend, you care much what happens after that?". Classic!
Also worth commenting on is the great Carradine brothers. These guys always look at home in a Western (check out The Long Riders for proof of that) and their natural performances add immeasurably to the quality of Saber River. It was especially nice to see the "baddies" not being painted as black and white as they often are in Westerns and for Keith Carradine to get a chance to redeem himself and ultimately help Cable save his daughter from another - slightly unexpected - enemy.
I could go into the plot more, but the plot is not responsible for making this a good film. What makes Saber River is the strong performances, clever dialogue, great action scenes, beautiful scenery and the excellent pacing. If you like Westerns I have no doubt that you will enjoy this. I for one can't wait to check out the two westerns Tom did after this.
The Pessimist:
Suzy Amis's character Martha Cable (Tom's Wife) is a little off. She is meant to be angry at her husband for enlisting in the army and deserting his family for a little adventure, and that is understandable. When he returns - much to everyone's surprise, as he is thought dead - she is on his back right up until the end of the film. She just complains and complains and seems to have absolutety no sympathy for what he endured in the war (yet he does his best to understand what she endured in his absence). Perhaps this element worked better in the novel - I'll never know - but I found it hard to like her at all, which detracted a little from all the time he spent risking life and limb for her and his children. If I liked her more - or perhaps understood where she was coming from more - I may have cared for her survival as much as Cable did. Yet I can overlook this because ultimately things are resolved between them and it is a satisfying note to end on.
Another character which rubbed me the wrong way was David Dukes character Edward Janroe. He is the pro-War type guy and has moral issues with Paul Cable being a deserter. Inevitably they end up butting heads in a major way. After how layered the other "baddies" were, Edward Janroe just seemed a little over the top - whether it's the actor's fault or the script is debatable.
Other than the above two characters grating with me, my only other problem is it's too short! I was enjoying Paul Cable's company and didn't want to leave so soon.
Conclusion:
Last Stand at Saber River is well paced, well acted and well written. A damn fine western! Just don't go into it expecting Unforgiven or the Dollars Trilogy, Saber River's tone is nothing like those, it is much more laid back.
9/10
If you watch it and enjoy like I did, then look out for Tom's other recent Westerns Crossfire Trail and Monte Walsh. You go Tom!
posted by Ray_Tango at 12:40 pm
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