La Rivière de la dernière chance

Although made for television, this is an excellent western; far better than the usual fair one finds on the tube. I bought the DVD after watching Selleck in Crossfire Trail, The Sacketts, and The Shadow Riders . No doubt about it: Tom Selleck makes a Hell of a cowboy! The plot has been described in previous reviews so there is little point in repeating what has already been said.

The actors are uniformly fine especially Suzy Amis, Keith and David Carradine, and Tracey Needham. Haley Joel Osmet was also fine in a relatively minor (but important part)and Rachel Duncan was marvelous as Cable's daughter Clare (watching her ride side by side with Selleck on a horse drive mimicking his actions is great fun). I have to also mention western character actor extraordinaire' Harry Carey, Jr., who was fine as Cable's father-in-law in an all too brief roll at the beginning of the movie Carey was once a member of John Ford's stock company with John Wayne, Ward Bond, and many other western genre greats.

In a sense this is an anti-war movie as it certainly does not glorify the Civil War (or the War for the Southern Confederacy). Indeed, it rather accurately portrays Bedford Forest's roll at Fort Pillow, Tennessee but Forest was the only Confederate leader to murder black Union Troops. This atrocity was committed during the battle of Petersburg (if my memory serves me correctly at a fight called "The Crater"). The confederate gun runner offered a accurate statement when he said that war changes men and that it makes those who survive killers. Afterall war is simply murder wrapped in a flag. Sam Elliott said much the same thing as Sheriff Bucky O'Neil in the movie Rough Riders. I thought Selleck's portrayal as Cable and Keith Carradine as Vern Kidston were right on target. Calling Vern a bad guy is hardly accurate and frankly, this is a movie with no quintessential bad guys with the possible exception of David Dukes as Edward Janroe. Janroe, an ardent Confederate nationalist, however is far more of a tragic figure having lost the use of his right arm in the war and remaining extremely bitter as a result. Janroe said he fought in Virginia with Kirby Smith. Although Smith is better known for his leadership in the Transmississippian Department after 1863, he did in fact fight in Virginia during 1861. Smith was the last Confederate general to surrender in May 1865. The ending of the war in favor of the north seems to have caused Janroe to lose his senses...a tragic (bot hardly sympathetic) figure indeed.

In sum, this movie has enough action to keep it exciting but it is honestly a human interest movie about how war effects those who participate in it and those left behind. It never drags and the 96 minute duration passes by all too quickly.

The secret of a watchable western is a rugged cowboy and his 'Annie get your gun' moll/wife, a wild west terrain, spectacular scenery and a story like this of a returning "reb" soldier having to make peace with himself, his family and then be involved in a land dispute etc or whatever with the Yankie occupiers.

It is also about people coming to terms with the new order of things if they can.

I like a good Western and this is one even though the tale is in some respects often weak and far fetched yet the stunning scenery and great photography makes up for that, so this is worthy of at least: 6/10

Tom Selleck made a couple of made-for-cable TV westerns that were very good, and this is one of them. The always-reliable Selleck is convincig in the lead role and Suzy Amis is fun to watch to in the corresponding female lead. It's also kind of neat to see a very young Haley Joel Osment two years before he became famous in "The Sixth Sense."

Once again, as these westerns tend to be, the viewer is treated to some beautiful scenery and in addition, a good story of a man taking taking family back home to Arizona - not the north or south - after the Civil War and not finding a nice welcome from the home folks.

In this film, we also get two Carradines: David and Keith, villains but not as despicable as many are shown in other westerns. The Carradine family has produced some really fine actors over the years.

It's just another one of these solid, relatively-unknown westerns that I am glad to discover. I'm sorry to see only three other reviews of this as of my writing. Apparently there are many others out there who have yet to discover this gem.

I thought this was a darn good western. Enjoyable and entertaining as a true American Western should be. Great chemistry with all the actors. Keith Carradine was really good you see why their back in Monty Walsh. Tom and Keith have it on screen. The wife of Cable is very authentic. A western frontier gal. She reminds me of the wife in Shane. A good plot and running story line. David Carradine always as weird as ever playing Duane. He carry's it. True to the civil war era with rifles and revolvers for authenticity. I like the scene where Paul Cable sits on the porch with riders coming up slightly pulls his gun out from the holster for a quick draw and cocks his Henry rifle. I also notice Comet rides again from Brisco County Jr. It looks like that horse that Tom rode was what Brisco rode too. Also Denis Forest who played Cornet the cowboy who got a shot into Cable played on Briscoe as well. He was one of the Swill Brothers. A good movie won't be disappointed.

Last Stand At Saber River finds Confederate veteran Tom Selleck mustered out of the army a few months before the end of the Civil War come home to his family in Texas to start his life again. The problem is that a family of Unionists played by David and Keith Carradine and Tracy Needham are sitting, nay squatting on the land that was his. As he's recently been making war on the US government, Selleck's rights and title to the land are in question. Forms the basis for the conflict throughout the film.

Selleck's wife is Suzy Amis and during the war she lost a child which Selleck finds out on his return. They've got their problems to get through as well including the eternal one of the veteran coming home and just wanting to get back to civilian life.

Playing the small role of Amis's father is Harry Carey, Jr. for whom this is his last screen role. He's reason enough to see this film which in the old days would have had theatrical release.

Last Stand At Saber River is a good made for TV western and fans of Tom Selleck should approve.