Set against the epic journey of a cattle drive from Texas to Montana, The Tall Men tells the story of the competition between Gable und Ryan for the love of Russell. Ryan offers her position and wealth - he dreams of owing Montana - while Gable 'dreams small', offering her only love and a homestead in Prairie Dog Creek. Ryan is the aggressive Walsh hero, second Cousin to White Heat's James Cagney, and Gable the mature Walsh hero, a man who knows himself and therefore doesn't need to be continually testing himself. Equally significant is Russel's role. She is no prize to be given to the best man; rather she deflates the bravado of the one and the wealth of the other. Needless to say, it is she who chooses.
The film is also notable for two scenes which are characteristic of Walsh. The first has Gable und brother pass a couple of corpses strung up from a tree: 'Must be getting near civilization', says Gable to Mitchell. The other is the extended sequence in which Russell and Gable spend the night in a Shack cuddling togehter to keep warm in a fashion which has a mature but nonetheless playful sexuality about it. A magnificent film.
Phil Hardy
Phil Hardy