O Último Tiro

Firecreek is a somber western indeed about a man who is a sheriff and in the end forced to act like one. And an outlaw who's also forced to act like one.

Five outlaws led by Henry Fonda are dodging a posse and go to this out of the way town called Firecreek. Fonda leads a real motley crew of killers in Morgan Woodward, Jack Elam, James Best, and Gary Lockwood. Though Fonda says stay out of trouble and don't start anything, their outlaw natures get the better of them.

James Stewart is the part-time sheriff here. The place is so small it doesn't usually need and can't afford a real professional lawman. It makes the town of Hadleyville in High Noon look like Chicago. Stewart is more of a constable who usually just has to jail those who get inebriated on Saturday night.

Stewart also has other problems like a wife who's about to give birth to their third child. That's the conflict he's undergoing.

Fonda in a performance similar at times to Gregory Peck in The Gunfighter is weary of the life and finds a little romance going with Inger Stevens. But Peck rode alone and Fonda is responsible for the leadership of this gang.

A whole gang of familiar players like Ed Begley, John Qualen, Dean Jagger, and Jay C. Flippen are some of the town citizens. But the most touching portrayal is that of J. Robert Porter who plays the tragic, slightly retarded stable boy. What happens to him sets the stage for the climax.

Other than separate appearances in How the West Was Won, the only joint screen effort for Princeton graduates and lifetime best friends, James Stewart and Henry Fonda was in On Our Merry Way. This second joint venture was not greeted with glowing reviews at the time. But Firecreek has definitely held up well over the years.

Though the climax is completely ripped off from High Noon it is still a well choreographed gun battle just as High Noon was.

The job of sheriff even in a hole in the wall like Firecreek is not one for amateurs.

Or may I say his masterpiece if you compare with what he will do later for Disney industry. This is a pretty good western though showing a scheme already told before ten million times; a sheriff alone against a bunch of outlaws. But Hank Fonda, supposed to be the leader of the "bad men" has very intersting character, ambivalent and touching in some points. It could be compared with the Richard Boone's character in THE TALL T, the leader of four outlaws, but a character for whom the audience can feel some kind of empathy. Not the ugliest guy in the world. A western that deserves to be seen over and over. Not so typical of the late sixties but rather the fifties. It could have been made ten years earlier.

The late sixties, for me, were the last years of traditionnel Hollywood western, typical of the Anthony Mann type of films of the fifties. Western of the seventies will have all that Leone type of feeling, or the violent aura of The Wild Bunch (Of course, there's few exceptions, like The Shootist). Nothing new under the sun here : a little bit of High Noon here, a little bit of the Mann-type of western there. But the story, if not original, is strong and the acting is very fine. I don't think Firecreek was popular then, or got a reputation, perhaps because people were tired of that kind of films. But James Stewart is superb. As always.

This film shows the power of the motion picture. It is entertaining and it sends a strong message about doing the right thing while avoiding stereotyped good and bad characters. It stars Jimmy Stewart as a farmer is also the honorary part time sheriff. A gang of outlaws lead by Henry Fonda rides into town and starts to cause trouble. Stewart and the rest of the town folk want to avoid rocking the boat and figure that the new visitors are none of their business. It is only after a terrible event that Stewart finally realizes the mistake of inaction and understands that it is everyone's responsibility to stand up for what is right. The true beauty of this film is that neither the hero or the villain are common Western stereotypes. They much more resemble real people. The hero is more concerned with his own life and doesn't want to risk bodily harm trying to stop troublemakers that will be gone by morning. The lead villain is a man that seems to be trapped by his own reputation. He doesn't agree with what his gang is doing, but feels that they expect certain things from their leader. He says, "I don't know what to do, I feel like I am on a greased pig trying to hold on." When asked why he doesn't just leave the gang he responds that he spent his whole life building a reputation and he can't go back to being a nobody. The greatness of this picture is that it has the noble purpose of bettering its viewers, but it does not sacrifice its entertainment value to achieve it.

Firecreek is one of the most underrated great westerns ever because it doesn't have a lot of flash. It's just gritty and tense. I think this is the best small-town-sheriff-gets-pushed-too-far western. Fonda proves he is better when he's bad (pre-Once Upon a Time in the West) and Jack Elam is always a plus. The real surprise is Gary Lockwood (2001) in a powerhouse performance of pure evil. Jimmy Stewart of course is the sheriff and I didn't really like him as an actor until I saw this film. The final shootout is great, pitchfork and all. Firecreek isn't for all tastes, but I recommend it, especially for noir-type fans.