more acute readers may be aware of a bit of a trend at the moment, alas it is purely coincidental. fritz lang's penultimate foray into the world of the western was sold to me on the premise alone, in which former gunslinger vance shaw decides to turn himself straight by taking on the task of protecting the building the western union telegraph lines across the western side of the united states. trouble arises when our protagonists former gang members prove to be the people that he is protecting his employers from, and therein launches a moral based western from the golden age of cinema.
visually the film isnt clearly "a fritz lang picture", in fact its largely similiar to other fare of the time, but the spirit, the conscience of the piece is very much of what we would expect of him. randolph scott, a hearty leading man who lends more than just a physical presence to the role of vance shaw, bringing the spiritual augmentation that the moral issues that make up the central conceit demands. robert young as shaw's love rival, an educated young man named robert blake, adds an element to the film that while it may not be wholly necessary, is still rather effective, at least in allowing the audience to strike up a relation point with shaw and therefore strengthening the ultimate emotional bond between viewer and film.
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