A commendable attempt by first-time director Burt Kennedy to do something as far removed from a conventional Hollywood western as he could manage (which included going north of the 49th Parallel). Sadly it was both a critical and commercial flop and when eventually allowed to direct again he stuck thereafter to more conventional fare.
The cast acts well and the bright red Mounties' uniforms against the rolling autumnal Saskatchewan plains (photographed by British cameraman Arthur Ibbetson), the sombre mood and the vibrant soprano voice of Metropolitan opera star Theresa Stratus all linger in the memory long after the film is over, however. And it has Robert Ryan in it.
The cast acts well and the bright red Mounties' uniforms against the rolling autumnal Saskatchewan plains (photographed by British cameraman Arthur Ibbetson), the sombre mood and the vibrant soprano voice of Metropolitan opera star Theresa Stratus all linger in the memory long after the film is over, however. And it has Robert Ryan in it.