Customer Reviews

Crossfire Trail

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Excellent, old-fashioned classic western. Tom Selleck plays a cowboy who makes a promise to a dying friend to watch over the man's ranch and wife, and means to keep his word. Taken from a Louis L'Amour novel, CROSSFIRE TRAIL is a winner.
For those of us who haven't gone out of our way to track Selleck's career this movie is a revelation of sorts. He fits comfortably in the John Wayne/Randolph Scott/Gary Cooper tradition of the strong, dependable western hero. Fast paced and well photographed (see it in wide-screen if possible), with an above average cast, this movie is definitely going to please anyone who thinks they don't make them like that anymore.
CROSSFIRE TRAIL also contains one of the best final shootouts I've seen. Not only is it well choreographed and understandable, it also pulls off the unique trick of resolving some minor character questions - in particular those surrounding the town sheriff (Barry Corbin), who tries to drown his self-loathing while the guns are blazing. Simply a strong and smart western, essential for classic western fans, strongly recommended to the rest of you.

Morality plays set in the Old West, a staple of my childhood on both television and in theaters, are hard to come by these days, so it's a treat when a half-way decent one comes along - like CROSSFIRE TRAIL. And there aren't too many living actors that can do a credible cowboy hero - Eastwood and Duvall come to mind. Luckily, this film has another excellent one of the genre, Tom Selleck.

CROSSFIRE TRAIL opens aboard a merchant vessel off the California coast in the 1870s. Rafe Covington (Selleck) is comforting a dying pal, beaten to death by the sadistic captain. After promising to look after the man's wife and ranch, and kicking the bandini out of the ship's master, we next see Rafe riding through the magnificent mountain scenery that is ostensibly Wyoming. Upon arrival at the ranch, Rafe finds the place deserted. In the nearby town, Covington discovers the widow, Ann Rodney (Virginia Madsen), under the benevolent spell of smooth talkin' Bruce Barkow (Mark Harmon), the local VIP who holds the mortgage on the ranch and pretty much rules the local rubes with his band of armed good ol' boys. (Where have we seen this before? SHANE, PALE RIDER, and THE QUICK AND THE DEAD.) Barkow is more suave and better dressed than most villains of the ilk. As Rafe notes, Ann likes Bruce because "he has manners and smells nice". In any case, the Wider Rodney doesn't believe Rafe's version of events, but accepts Barkow's story that her husband was killed by Injuns on his way back from San Francisco. It's quite obvious that Barkow covets Ann and her land, which has pools of oil on it. The conflict is, of course, between Covington and Barkow, and the hired pistolero that the latter imports from, of all places, Kansas. (SHANE and PALE RIDER also had pistol packin' hit men.)

Because the plot of CROSSFIRE TRAIL offered no surprises at all, I was tempted to award only three stars. However, playing the stolid, principled and reluctant gunfighter is Selleck's forte, and he does it as well as The Duke, Alan Ladd, or Gary Cooper ever did. Harmon is particularly oily as the charming Barkow, and there's a crusty performance by the aging Wilford Brimley, one of my favorite character actors, as Joe, Ann's ex-ranch hand. And it was good to see Barry Corbin as Barkow's toady Sheriff Moncrieff. (Corbin was Chris Cooper's deputy in LONESOME DOVE.) So, I'm awarding a reluctant four stars.

The scenery is absolutely gorgeous, and mated to an uplifting score. I was all set to saddle-up for Wyoming when the credits rolled and informed me that the film was shot in Calgary, Alberta, and at the Western Studio and Backlot, which, according to its website, is 35 minutes west of the city. Hummph! Pretty soon they'll be pretending it's Tombstone's OK Corral with Mt. Fuji in the background. At least SHANE had the Grand Tetons.

Based on a great story by Louis L'Amour, Crossfire Trail pits Tom Selleck's Rafe Covington, a cowboy who has promised a dying friend to protect his land and his wife, Ann Rodney, portrayed by Virginia Madsen, against a gang of Wyoming ruffians portrayed very capably by Mark Harmon as crooked businessman Bruce Barkow, Marshall Teague as general bad guy Snake Corvill and Brad Johnson as gun-for-hire Bo Dorn.

Wilford Brimley as Joe Gill, David O'Hara as Irish immigrant Brendan "Rock" Mullaney and Christian Kane as John Thomas Langston support Selleck in his classic good against evil quest. Add to the cast and setting the unparalleled direction of Simon Wincer (Lonesome Dove) and you just can't miss with Crossfire Trail.

Crossfire Trail is the classic western tale: The evil land grabber, the hapless heroine and the avenging hero who, taking on all comers, overcomes evil, restores justice and gets the girl.

Tom Selleck has emerged as the leading actor in the modern western genre. With stellar performances in Quigley Down Under, The Shadow Riders, Monte Walsh and Crossfire Trail, he is well on the way to achieving the same western star status and appeal as Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Duvall and Clint Eastwood. Crossfire Trail is a fitting showcase.

Douglas McAllister

No contemporary director knows how to film horses better than Simon Wincer. "Quigley," "The Man From Snowy River" and "Phar Lap" are great films, but this one tops them for sheer scope and beauty. What better vehicle for Wincer to showcase his brilliance than a Louis Lamour story! Toss in the understated acting of Tom Selleck, the sarcastic sagacity of Wilford Brimley and the appearance of a Winchester 45-60 "big-bore lever gun" and you've got yourself a first-rate oater. Forget the critics, this is good stuff. Besides, any film that has a blue roan AND a red roan in the remuda is definitely worth the price of admission. I hope Selleck continues his homage to Louis Lamour. For my money, Selleck and Wincer could be the new John Wayne and John Ford.

General publication reviews indicated this western was a muddled mess. What with pedantic acting, questionable plot and poor direction, overall. So, I skipped its TNT telecast, and finally saw it on VHS. Move over critics, you've forced your own obsolescence. This is a great western, akin to Mr. Wincer's
other, Quigley Down Under, feature. I'm very glad that I saw it, and sorry that I missed it, before. But, at least this way, I missed any commercial interruptions. Mr. Selleck owns the mantle of the western protagonist, unequivocally.

Tom Selleck and Director, Simon Wincer have collaborated on three Westerns: "Monte Walsh", "Quigley Down Under", and this film, "Crossfire Trail." All three films are the direct modern descendants of the great, archetypal westerns made by the collaboration of John Wayne and Director, John Ford.

When watching Selleck, one cannot help but be reminded of the Duke. Like John Wayne, Selleck fills the screen. When he is on screen, you cannot help but watch him. There is also sincerity to his style, an authenticity especially in a Western that immediately connects with the viewer.

There are several things one can always depend on in a Selleck/Wincer Western:

First, it will be a Western in the classic mold; meaning that the hero will be heroic and the villains will be evil (and both sides will be well rounded, human characters). The fight will be good against evil, honor versus greed. There will always be a simple, great story about men and women who seem achingly made of flesh and blood (this trait is shared with all the great films of John Ford, who primarily loved to flesh characters out fully in film, even the small character parts).

Second, the period feel will be perfect. There is not an actor alive today, or maybe ever, that has a deeper understanding of the American West than Tom Selleck. The look of the towns, the dress and leather gear, and especially the firearms, are all painstakingly perfect. Only the Duke himself ever seemed as competent with a lever action rifle.

Finally, all three films by Selleck/Wincer were photographed by David Eggby, and they are all (in the grand tradition) sweepingly beautiful.

If you are looking for a film that "demythologizes" the West, look elsewhere and good riddance to you. Great film making is about mythmaking, and the Western has always been a place were myths were given landscapes to roam. -Mykal Banta

Based on a Louis L'Amour book, the script for this made for cable film is marvelous; it's the substance that makes the characters come alive, and the performances so fine. Though very predictable, down to the very last shot, the words and the acting make it worthwhile viewing. Tom Selleck is superb as Rafe Covington, larger than life, a hero with principles and strength, who never misses his target, and is about as handsome as a man can be. He is backed by a great cast, with Virginia Madsen, one of Hollywood's most underrated actresses, perfect as the widow men want, either for love or what her ranch has to offer. Mark Harmon plays a slimy fellow who though he "has manners and smells nice", is pure greedy evil, and Wilford Brimley is terrific as Selleck's crusty old friend.

Filmed in Calgary, Alberta, the scenery and many horses are beautiful and David Eggby's cinematography makes the most of it, and Eric Colvin's atmospheric, melodic score adds so much to the film. Simon Wincer's direction is well paced (Wincer worked with Selleck in "Quigley Down Under"), but the bottom line is the script, by Charles Robert Carner, which is way above average for the genre, and being made for TV, is free of the foul language that has permeated films in this age, and makes it excellent family viewing.
Total running time is 95 minutes.

If you are a western fan, don't wait any longer....See this one! Especially if you like Selleck in Westerns. Selleck and the supporting cast do a great job keeping your interest in a tale of promises, love, and fighting for what's right. A lot of familiar faces in this one.....Wilford Brimley and Mark Harmon are among them. Quigley Down Under and Crossfire Trail would make a great double feature!

This is the second of three outstanding Westerns that Tom Selleck filmed for TNT between 1997 and 2003. Selleck revisited his early Louis L'Amour, TV-Western roots with "Crossfire Trail" and also re-teamed with director Simon Wincer, who directed Selleck's best big-screen effort - "Quigley Down Under" - as well as the all-time classic Western "Lonesome Dove". The result is an excellent film that, while breaking no new ground, contributes to the rich mythology and legacy of the American cowboy.

Selleck plays Rafe Covington who, at the beginning of the film, promises a dying friend that he will take care of the friend's wife and ranch. Selleck and two partners set out to do just that, and they add a new friend from the nearby town, played by Wilford Brimley, shortly after their arrival. The film is predictable: the widow is suspicious of Rafe's motives, the town bad guy has been wooing the widow in order to get at her land, the bad guy hires a hit man to eliminate Rafe, and so on. And yet, even though the viewer can see right through the plot to the end of the film, every element is so well handled that it is a pleasure to watch the movie.

I read several articles just before the film was released about the painstaking efforts made to have authentic costumes, props, sets, etc., and I must say that the filmmakers' efforts certainly paid off. The film is set in Wyoming, but was filmed in Alberta, Canada, which gives the film some of the best mountain vistas in a Western since the real Grand Tetons were featured in "Shane".

There is one small negative element in the film, which is why I couldn't quite bring myself to rate it a 5, and that is occasional strong profanity. I realize that real cowboys weren't always the most genteel people in their society, and I know that our modern society tolerates a lot of profanity; however, in a movie that continually emphasizes honor and integrity, profanity seems unusually out of place. There are DVD players and devices available that filter out profanity; if you are like me, then you can simply get such a player or device and still enjoy this first-rate Western.

I am very excited about this coming out on DVD. The scenerey is fantastic. Based on a Louis L'Amour book, the cast does a great job of bringing this book to life. Tom Selleck is a perfect L'Amour character and Mark Harmon a perfect bad guy. Just a great old fashioned western that the whole family can enjoy. Some violence, but not excessive. A 5 star movie!