Cowboy
Dir: Delmer Daves
1958
****
Widely regarded as a proper representation of the old West and what it really means to be a Cowboy. It is the story of a Hotel Clerk who dreams of a life on the Cattle Run and finds his chance when a learned Cowboy decides to stay a few nights. The casting of Glenn Ford and Jack Lemmon is perfect. Ford is the quintessential representation of the Cowboy, forget John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart, Glenn Ford is the Cowboy. Jack Lemmon really isn't, so as a wannabe who may not be cut out for the life, he is perfect. Don't expect a comedy though, Lemmon plays it straight all the way and the pair of them on screen share some pretty poignant scenes together. The script is sharp as a knife and cuts deep; "You haven't gotten tough, you've gotten miserable" is a great line from an amazing scene, whereby the Cowboy realises what he's created and doesn't like it. It holds a mirror up to his own life and raises an alternative view of the Western in general. The final scene in the Train is intense and so real it will have you watching between your fingers, it is utterly captivating and depth. A Western with real meaning.