Justification

One of my favorite Westerns is 1962's Ride the High Country.  Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea are two older lawman who are ending their days guarding a gold shipment.  Scott's Gil Westrum intends on stealing it, and wants his comrade in on it.  He mentions all the hardships of the past and the ingratitude, asking, "Is that what you want?"  McCrea's Steven Judd replies, "All I want is to enter my house justified."

Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea in the
finale of Ride the High Country

Not given the proper publicity by MGM, Ride the High Country started to die at the box office, but something happened.  The critics managed to find this film, and gave it raves.  As a result, Ride the High Country became a hit.  In his book Alternate Oscars, Danny Peary picks it as his best film of 1962 over Lawrence of Arabia.

What is so special about Ride the High Country?  It's just a Western, right?  So the teaming of Scott and McCrea might be special to Western buffs, but aside from that, no big deal.  And it's Sam Peckinpah in his early years for those who like him.

Those are a few facts, but that is nothing that makes a person like the film.  It's the script.  When Judd states his life's goal, you realize this is not your ordinary film.  It's a morality Western, one that Peckinpah would never make again.  Steven Judd is no fool.  He knows what his partner is attempting, and at the same time, Judd tries to reform him.  In between is Westrum's friend Heck, who follows him but begins to admire Judd. 

All throughout the film, Judd never loses his convictions.  He is steadfast, like a rock.  I miss the Steven Judds of the cinema.  As a movie fan, I often get into online discussions as to if we could be any character in film, who would we be?  I always reply 'Steven Judd.'  Someone once pointed out that he'd had a sad life, losing the woman he'd loved, etc.  I said all of this was true, but his stick was straight, and he was the most admirable person in filmdom I could think of.  Also, he'd accomplished his one goal.

Steven Judd will always be my cinemtaic hero.