The man of the plain (C8): should we watch this western worn by James Stewart?

James Stewart is undoubtedly one of the most iconic actors in the history of American cinema. From Frank Capra to Alfred Hitchcock, abusive with Tippi Hedren, passing by John Ford, he toured with the most directors of his time. With a career spanning fifty years, he received several Oscar nominations, winning the statuette for his role in indiscretions, by George Cukor. Cary Grant, legendary actor with a tumultuous love life, even awarded him an honorary Oscar in 1985. Eclectic actor par excellence, James Stewart is as well illustrated in the drama as the comedy, or the thriller. Evidenced by his performance in Life is Beautiful, Mr. Smith in the Senate, Cold sweator Courtyard window. The western also occupies a primordial place in his career, offering him memorable roles such as in The man who shot Liberty Valance, Cheyenne, The broken arrow. And in this genre, he is a director with whom he has a special relationship: Anthony Mann. Together, the two men collaborated on five films between 1950 and 1955. After Winchester 73, The hungry, the baitand I am an adventurer, James Stewart thus closes this cycle with The man of the plain.

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The man of the plain : James Stewart as a silent man with established motives

In The man of the plain, Will Lockhart delivers goods to the lost town of Coronado, New Mexico. But his motivations are much more personal since he wishes to shed light on the death of his brother, killed by Apaches armed with repeating rifles. He therefore sets off on the trail of an arms trafficker secretly supplying these devices to the Indians. Very quickly, the character played by James Stewart clashes with big local landowner, Alec Waggoman, as well as his brutal son Dave, and his second Vic. A solitary stranger, a small town, a wealthy rancher: from appearances, The man of the plain could be a classic western. And he is. But it is also much more than that. More subtle. First by its main character, Will Lockhart, of whom we don’t know much… yet just enough. A line from his friend Charley then takes on its full meaning: “I don’t think we exchanged ten words coming here. But I feel like I know you. And I like what I know about you.”. With his subtle charisma as always, James Stewart shines in the guise of this quiet voice with a well-honed spirit of revenge for whom we fall in love.

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James Stewart, vulnerable hero of The man of the plain

A man of few words, he is also one in his interactions with Barbara Waggoman. Sometimes limited in the western to the figure of a gruff cowboy who may seem outdated, this hero appears here awkward with women, and even vulnerable. Will Lockhart’s exchanges with the young woman may not be central, but they bring a welcome nuance to this masculine world. These men, precisely, also turn out to be more complex than it seems. Exit the tyrannical landowner, classic of the genre. Alec Waggoman is a man who lived, reflected, and even calmed down. Although he owns all the land for miles around, he knows he has to deal with the Apaches. Better still, by his own admission, he “respect them”those who “were there first”. A point of view rare enough in westerns of the time to notice it.

The man of the plainShakespearean Western

So yes, the “indian villains” exist, but they are almost absent. And above all, they are not the real antagonists. Therefore, beyond the western, it is played in The man of the plain a tragedy, an almost Shakespearean drama. Without taking the risk of revealing too much, let’s say that the enemy is coming closer than Alec Waggoman long thought. From the outset, there is a heavy atmosphere from which we know that not all the protagonists will come out unscathed. Among this gallery of characters, only Dave (Alec’s son) plays his role as a bully wonderfully. Vic, much more devious, works insidiously. Despite his son’s cruelty, Alec loves and protects his only child more than anything, and especially more than his “spirit son” Vic.

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The man of the plain… and large spaces

Apart from his exciting character study, Anthony Mann films wide open spaces like no one (or almost). For him, the western is the business of an opposition between Man and these desert landscapes of the American West. The opening sequence is in this respect a model of the genre and already manages to draw up a portrait of Will Lockhart. The director will multiply the majestic scenes in these arid lands to make his characters evolve, to confront them. No need to expect frantic rides and duels worthy of famous westerns for that, like Once upon a Time in the West and Settlement of scores at OK Corral. That’s not the point. Anthony Mann concludes its cycle in style with the phlegmatic James Stewart. How could it be otherwise.

The man of the plain (C8): should we watch this western worn by James Stewart?