"Typical Western" is one of those frequent time-worn labels I think some people use who don't find this particular genre of much interest or entertaining. It's like the "typical war movie," the 'typical musical," the "typical romantic comedy," the "typical mystery." I apologize to people who write such things, because I don't read them. If someone can't describe the qualities – good or bad – of a film, but instead choose to use such catch-all phrases as "typical," well – I typically don't think there's much reason to read their comments further.
A couple of reviewers gave that label to "Night Passage," and I tried to think what was so typical about it. How was it like Stagecoach? El Dorado? Once Upon a Time in the West? High Noon? Along Came Jones? MacKenna's Gold? Angel and the Badman? The Searchers? Hombre? Rooster Cogburn? The Big Trail? Major Dundee? One-Eyed Jacks? Broken Arrow? Gunfight at the O.K. Corral? Man of the West? The Man Who Killed Liberty Valance? Open Range? The Cowboys? Fort Apache? The Horse Soldiers? The Magnificent Seven? This is just a sampling of some of the better "typical" Westerns that are all quite different in plot, setting, action, and scenery.
So, how is Night Passage typical? Well, it has guns and horses and cowboy hats and boots and a fist fight and women. And, it has an accordion and some singing. Now that's real typical for a Western. And there's a train. Yes, indeed, probably half a dozen to a dozen Westerns have been made that have trains in them – out of 200 or more notable films of the genre. And Western scenery? Absolutely – only this is set in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with trees and mountains and streams, but not lots of sagebrush or buttes of Monument Valley. It does fall short on some "typical" things such as the one or two "standard" Western towns. Mostly this is shot in a train camp, a mining area, and in the great outdoors.
Enough of my tongue-in-cheek fun with the typical-ness of Night Passage. This is one very good film with a very interesting plot. But mostly, it has a top notch cast – a big one – of excellent actors who all give very good performances. And the scenery is spectacular. Just a typically very good Western all around. And just different enough to not bore one to death watching it.
A couple of reviewers gave that label to "Night Passage," and I tried to think what was so typical about it. How was it like Stagecoach? El Dorado? Once Upon a Time in the West? High Noon? Along Came Jones? MacKenna's Gold? Angel and the Badman? The Searchers? Hombre? Rooster Cogburn? The Big Trail? Major Dundee? One-Eyed Jacks? Broken Arrow? Gunfight at the O.K. Corral? Man of the West? The Man Who Killed Liberty Valance? Open Range? The Cowboys? Fort Apache? The Horse Soldiers? The Magnificent Seven? This is just a sampling of some of the better "typical" Westerns that are all quite different in plot, setting, action, and scenery.
So, how is Night Passage typical? Well, it has guns and horses and cowboy hats and boots and a fist fight and women. And, it has an accordion and some singing. Now that's real typical for a Western. And there's a train. Yes, indeed, probably half a dozen to a dozen Westerns have been made that have trains in them – out of 200 or more notable films of the genre. And Western scenery? Absolutely – only this is set in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with trees and mountains and streams, but not lots of sagebrush or buttes of Monument Valley. It does fall short on some "typical" things such as the one or two "standard" Western towns. Mostly this is shot in a train camp, a mining area, and in the great outdoors.
Enough of my tongue-in-cheek fun with the typical-ness of Night Passage. This is one very good film with a very interesting plot. But mostly, it has a top notch cast – a big one – of excellent actors who all give very good performances. And the scenery is spectacular. Just a typically very good Western all around. And just different enough to not bore one to death watching it.