Firecreek

Would've figured more people would've seen this. Not a bad way to spend a couple hours. Little heavy on the big soapy speeches and doesn't really pick a way it wants to go and just jams as many western tropes into it. But once the stable boy dies it gets interesting.

For this relatively unknown film to feature two heavy hitters, namely Stewart and Fonda, is surprising, but so is the very nature of the film. Whether it is the pace, the mild soapy romanticism, that classic sense of dubiously sexist portrayal of young women, all particularly heavy in the beginning of the film, it in many ways fits in better with late 40's and early 50's westerns than it does 60's westerns. Firecreek is quite the oddball, filled with platidinous and folksey speeches.

A slightly more thoughtful western than usual, though not on par with the best revisionist westerns of its day. Fonda and Stewart are too rigidly typecast, but delight when they finally step out of their acting bounds. The script has goofs and unimaginative dramatic peaks, but most scenes along the main conflict are refreshingly subdued and balanced.

A group of guns-for-hire (led by Henry Fonda) come to the titular backwater and gradually begin to make trouble; the local part-time sheriff (James Stewart) must ultimately stand against them. Compelling little Western, tackling the theme of complacency as embodied in a dead-end town and its unambitious citizens. Calvin Clements' solid script boasts a few more nuances than usual; sturdy direction by Vincent McEveety, the ubiquitous final shoot-out being especially well done. Above-average cast.