The film opens quite comically as an old woman brings a care package to outlaw Wes McQueen (Joel McCrea) which consists of a cake, and some nice new socks. McCrea uses the care package to break out of jail, and concoct a plan to pull off one last railroad job. On his journey to meet up with the partners in crime, he meets Julie Ann and her father, whom have come from the east to set up a home out west. It's clear early on that McQueen fancies Julia Ann, but his time is rather limited so he leaves her to meet his partners. When he meets the crew whom will accompany him on the bank job, he is wary, except for Colorado (Virginia Mayo) a dance hall girl. McQueen decides to do this one last job as a favor to his old friend, who set up the job, but will he ever be able to escape his criminal past? Colorado Terriotry is built around it's main character, Wes McQueen, who carries the film. He is essentially a tortured soul who is done with being a criminal. As he puts it, he has seen far too many prisons, and he just wants to settle down and possibly become a farmer. As the film progresses, we learn about McQueen's old flame, Martha, the one that presumably got away because of McQueen's criminal profession. The film is really a character study of this man, and we learn more and more about him as the film progresses. Raoul Walsh really does bring a high amount of mysticism to the Colorado Territory. There is one scene in particular where McQueen is told that he will love this new area, assuming he "isnt bothered by the ghosts", which as the film progresses we learn is certainly the case, being a man who is haunted by the ghosts of his past. The mountains and terrain are shown in this sorta dream-like atmosphere, illustrating the haunting affect on this central character. Colorado Territory is really a tragic tale of one mans past being too great to overcome, inevitably leading to his demise. It's a film that features a great central performance by Joel McCrea, beauitful landscapes, and finale which just perfectly captures the themes of the film. 9.5/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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