Like a study in white trash ethnology. You can't watch this film today, with today's frame of mind, without seeing it in those terms. When you see it that way, a lot of this country's history makes a certain amount of sense. There's a real "appeal to violence" that pervades the sensibility of this show. You see it throughtout, like in the character played by James Stewart. Much like in "The Man from Laramie," Stewart plays a guy far removed from the stammering charmer seen in various comedies, not to mention his public persona. He's a flinty son of a bitch who takes the entire running time to learn to stop being a total dick--maybe. And he's supposed to be the good guy. The rest of this crew is either complete knuckle-draggers or their victims. The movie is redeemed somewhat by the plenitude of postcard scenery; Canada's Jasper National Park, standing in for Alaska and the Yukon, never looked so good. Other than that, there isn't much here; the story, such as it is, starts off all right but eventually doesn't hold much interest. If this one gets lost in the wilderness, it's probably not worth sending a search party.
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