Very Cool!!!

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Blistering performances.

'Firecreek' was a film I stumbled over late one night after watching another movie trying to fill my quota for the day. I was in the mood for Jimmy Stewart and I found myself watching this.When one thinks of westerns or 'The Western' one would likely not mention 'Firecreek,' mostly because it seems to not be well known, but if it were to be known, it very well could be one of the greats. Full disclaimer up front; the film is flawed in ways during the final gunfight but nothing that ultimately takes away from the message it tries to give and the character study that it punctuates. 'Firecreek' begins slow, trickling really... setting up the super low-key vibe of the town and its people in a way that makes you think the movie deserves to be lesser known when in reality it is setting you up for the ultimate truth in THE best scene of the film, before the final gunfight. Now, let me quickly note here how Jimmy Stewart is one of the amazing few who have had moments of acting that have sent chills down my spine, or left me quiet and dumbfounded by the power or the passion in which they say their lines. One example that comes to mind is his monologue in the alleyway in Harvey (LEGENDARY moment), and the same thing happens in 'Firecreek.' Not another monologue in an alleyway and especially not one about an imaginary rabbit, but one that screams the message of the film and could very well catch you off guard. The scene is between Stewart and the shopkeeper played sublimely by Dean Jagger, who in a moment of reflection brings to light what Stewart's character was ignoring all along.And you can begin to tell that THIS is what this film was building up to; this moment that has Stewart's character drowning in his own too-polite, too-nice sentimentality's that have cost him too much. It is now he realizes that what has happened to 'Firecreek' has gone on long enough, and even if there's a chance of dying, dammit, he's gonna do it anyway all in the name of pride and dignity because he was always proud of his beloved town.And Fonda... playing almost the same character as Stewart but as the leader of an outlaw gang. I didn't notice it at first, but then, like the revelation Stewart's character goes through, I realized that Fonda is subdued as well. He has a change of heart (possibly looking for romance) and wants to change his lifestyle but is tied to the antics of the gang as its leader and allows it (Stewart is tied to the town as its $2 salary SHERAF while his wife is about to give birth to a child). The parallel is interesting and makes the character study even more entertaining.Kinda got a little carried away there, but you get the point. 'Firecreek' is an under- appreciated film that holds way more weight than has been mentioned about it. The cast as a whole is fantastic, and Stewart's riveting passion at the end wouldn't be justified without mentioning the instigators of his town's temporary hell played by blue-eyed devil Fonda, Lockwood, Elam, Best, and Woodward. Inger Stevens does a wonderful job as a spinster who takes care of Fonda briefly and takes part in entertaining him reluctantly with little conversation as he recovers from a wound he received prior to his gang's antics in 'Firecreek.' Stevens' greatest moment also comes at the end, making a powerful and emotional statement albeit as brief as it is. Another blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty in Brooke Bundy is worth mentioning as she steals some moments as wonderful eye-candy.'Firecreek' is an excellent example of Stewart and Fonda doing what they were always good at, especially Stewart who once again shines in moments of ultimate humanity and humility as the guy we all know as not a 'John Wayne' or 'Clint Eastwood', but as the Jimmy Stewart, the aw-shucks anti-hero who did it better then anyone else.

I start every Western review the same...I tell everyone how I became a huge fan about ten years ago after having never seen a Western before and then I discovered Jimmy Stewart and now I have a new genre that I eat up. As with any genre, it is hit and miss even when Stewart is involved. I had never heard of Firecreek and lucked out finding it on DVD. I am excited to say I was absolutely blown away. First of all, this is one of the darkest and most adult classic Westerns I have seen since Pale Rider which is very high on my list as well. Firecreek deals with some heavy emotions and themes and is definitely not light hearted fare. I didn't realize going into this that it would be so dark but I certainly didn't mind. There are a lot of characters without a ton of background but they all have such great scenes and charisma on screen that you are riveted beginning to end. There is just a tone to the film that is completely captivating. The villains are exactly that through and through and the heroes are reluctant ones who are forced into what I think might be one of the best Western climax scenes I have seen in a very long time. It is brilliantly made.I will start with easily one of the greatest actors in history, Mr. James Stewart. The man was versatile, charismatic, riveting to watch and I adore him. He obviously loved Westerns and did some amazing ones. This is now one I can say he performs brilliantly in. Quite often his Western heroes are sort of angry, brooding and sarcastic but this time in Firecreek he is soft spoken, a family man never pushed to his limits. To me it seems unfathomable that Stewart was sixty when he made this film. He doesn't look it nor does it play any games with his character who easily could be middle aged. This is a subtle performance of his that if you watch closely you can't help but be in awe. Another Hollywood legend joins him, Henry Fonda. I am not nearly as familiar with Fonda's work and I'm not even sure I've seen him in anything besides this but he is stoic and strong willed as the leader of the savage crew that invades Firecreek. He is more suave than his rough around the edges gang and he commands attention on screen. Cleverly they keep Fonda and Stewart separated through most of the film in order to build to the aforementioned amazing climax at the end between them. The supporting cast are all very good and play their roles well. They really are there to support Fonda and Stewart but their characters all drive the story as well. Inger Stevens, Gary Lockwood, Dean Jagger, Ed Begley, Jack Elam and Barbara Luna are specifically worth mentioning in the main supporting cast. Everyone plays off of each other so well.Director Vincent McEveety is a legendary Television director. Usually that doesn't translate well to film but I think he brings the most out of this cast of characters. Firecreek is a small dusty Western town that finds themselves in extraordinary circumstances. This viscous gang is exactly that. Rape and bullying and looting...it is almost hard to watch at times. Stewart's character being pushed to violence and to the brink of war while portraying that he is a simple man, a family man, waiting for his child to be born is just something that works so well for this film. I am always amazed by Westerns that they can be so blatantly similar and yet you can find some truly unique stories and characters in certain films and this is one of them. An absolute must see!! 9/10

First off, anyone calling this typical, cliché, or done-before wasn't really paying attention. I can't recall any other Western I have ever seen that is as personally intense. I believe if this was a Japanese movie involving samurai, the same reviewers saying as much would have been praising it and it would be hailed as an example of originality and how great many unappreciated Japanese films are.To really get an idea of what you're going to watch when you watch this film, realize that it is closer to 12 Angry Men and The Crucible than it is to your typical shoot-em-up Western.I believe that this is an excellent movie for student-actors to watch and study. Stewart and Fonda both deliver powerful, compelling performances. There roles are near perfect classic examples of protagonist and antagonist. Yet, while their respective roles as 'good guy' and 'bad guy' are familiar this is an ultra-intense dive into who their characters are, what has brought them to this point, and the gritty depths to which each is willing to plunge into themselves to win the day. Both characters are inextricably tied to their respective companions with both parallels and extreme contrasts as to why they are so heavily influenced by those around them. Yet each has a core integrity that *seems* unshakable despite constant challenges pushed upon them by the profound flaws that define their respective groups.If you allow yourself to become immersed you'll discover an inglorious, unflattering, gritty hero versus villain tale unlike the vast majority of movies that exist in any genre, let alone Westerns. A dry, dusty, brutal struggle for survival in an isolated Western scenario. It gives you little hope for positive resolution throughout. You can feel the tension and you'll cringe at what seems inevitable tragedy. Unique, gritty, and intense, I claim without hesitation that this is one of the best Westerns of all time.

The plot is really rather simple, but has lasted as long as the western: Henry Fonda and his band of rugged, uncouth outlaws ride into a "farm town", ran by a "farm sheriff", up to no good. Jimmy Stewart is the sheriff, just a mind-his-own-business, genial, wise and respected member of his little town who doesn't want any funny business or trouble, but the beauty of this western is he'll get it regardless. When we get a good look at Stewart (as Johnny Cobb), the film goes out of its way to portray him as a non-violent man who doesn't seem like the kind of person capable of drawing a weapon opposite gunslingers more than willing to shoot or harm anyone that crossed them. Bob Larken's (Henry Fonda) bunch is a nasty brood, each actor blessed with interesting faces and able to convey a dark streak making them wholly unpleasant. They interrupt a sermon preached by "fire and brimstone" preacher Ed Begley (whose voice carries gravitas and bluster), with disgruntled Gary Lockwood (as the always-looking-to-pick-a-fight Earl) sawing away inside, visibly eager to put a bullet in somebody, leaving the "church" (basically a store used as a place of worship) just gnawing on some way to get even with the preached word aimed in his direction. A complaint: Why is it that in most westerns, the gospel song sang is "Bringing in the Sheaves"?!?! When James Best (Roscoe on Dukes of Hazzard and a few memorable Twilight Zone appearances) tries to rape Meli (secretly Cobb's brother's half breed wife), Cobb's "limp brain" stable boy, Arthur (a sympathetic Robert Porter, who looks to Cobb for guidance and wisdom) shoots him as a means to protect her, spurning the wrath of Earl and his colleagues (including sleazy Jack Elam and scar-faced Morgan Woodward who hardly speaks but produces a menace that talks for him). Because he has remained peace-minded and willing to tolerate Larken's gang of irritating galoots, Cobb is finally pushed over the edge when Arthur is a victim of their rage. The final twenty minutes, after a grueling night where his pregnant wife suffered through a difficult labor not yet producing birth, has Cobb, belly full of distaste and anger towards the outlaws plaguing his town, decides to pack a pistol and face off with Larken. "Firecreek", plot-wise is unremarkable and we have certainly seen better westerns starring Fonda and Stewart. Still these pros are sincere and have conviction (conviction for where they stand, criminally or honorably depending on their ideals and principles) in their parts. Seeing Cobb enter, hesitantly and reluctantly, into the town bar as Larken's gang tears up the saloon, Stewart subtly informs us that his character is in a very precarious, uncomfortable situation. You often here in the dialogue that by morning these cretins will be gone, if the town can just outlast their uncivilized, obnoxious behavior throughout the night. The results of the film, that violence will erupt and the outlaws pay for their sins, is unsurprising and expected. Fonda is close, although a bit of humanity shows itself when on screen with Inger Stevens (as a local woman tending to his bullet wound) as he recovers from injury, to the character he portrayed in "Once Upon a Time in the West", certainly in that he will stand behind his boys, regardless of how they act towards others, and use violence if necessary to be a "leader". I don't think we fault Stewart for taking a stand, although unlike "Firecreek", his Mann westerns weren't always as black and white as this film. Does show the Peckinpah approach to the 60s western in how vile and filthy the outlaws are, as well as, the level of violence presented on screen. Considerably aged, Stewart is even more effective, I think, because his character "gave up opportunities" in order to settle in this farm town in the middle of nowhere, with citizens all "running away" from life. Great part for Dean Jagger as a shop owner who speaks about the travails of unfulfilled life, not speaking favorably of the town he calls home. Stevens, a fine actress, proves here just how much a tragedy it was she would commit suicide just a few years later…it's too bad because, along with "Hang 'Em High", "Firecreek" proves she had potential (her best work was on Twilight Zone, I believe).