THE CANADIANS
UK/Canada, 1961, 85 minutes, Colour.
Robert Ryan, John Dehner, Torin Thatcher, Burt Metcalfe, Teresa Stratas.
Directed by Burt Kennedy.
The Canadians is a routine western, interesting for its focus on the Canadian heritage in comparison with that of the United States. The treatment of the film is straightforward western style in colour and Cinemascope. The film was written and directed by Burt Kennedy early in his career. He was to make quite a number of memorable westerns from the serious e.g. Welcome to Hard Times to classic comedy westerns especially Support Your Local Sheriff. The film fits in well with his style of the west and his vision of the west and its heroism.
1. Was this a good and enjoyable western? Did it have the impact of a western? The use of conventions?
2. How important was the Canadian emphasis? The prologue, modern Canada, the patriotic song, the spirit of Canada, the modern world and its understanding via the past? How was Canada seen and glorified throughout the film?
3. What were the implications in the film about history and its influence on succeeding generations? The heritage of the pioneers? The good and evil of the past?
4. How important was the emphasis on the Mounties? The explanation of their role in Canada, protections, their special morale and spirit, their heroism? The sense of justice and its administration, the sense of humanity? It was pointed out that this contrasted with the American west. How? The implications of this judgment? The work of a Mountie and then the retiring to build up a farm and pioneer the land? The importance of their police work, the relationship with the Indians?
5. How well did the film portray Indian problems? The complexity of the problems? The Sioux and their suffering in America, the need for migrating, the results of the massacre. Audience sympathy for massacred Indians? The horror of the visualising of this? Yet in contrast, the background of the capture of the girl, her history amongst the Indians, her marriage and child? The atmosphere of avenging and death? The girl and her song, especially in relationship with her child? The death of her child and her wanting to be buried with the Indians? How much insight into the plight of Indians in this film?
6. Audience response to Ryan and his men? The self-made owner of land, his attitude towards his horses, possessiveness? His treatment of his men, the Mounties, the Indians? His lack of conscience in leading the slaughter? His attempts to outwit the Mounties, seek his horses, not regard the danger of the Indians? was it inevitable that he should be killed by them? The working out of justice?
7. The symbolism of the cliff and its explanation in the film: for catching the buffalo, for the horses falling over, for the deaths of the villains?
8. The atmosphere of death in the film: the massacre of the Indians, the inevitability of the villains dying, the girl and the horror of her death?
9. How important were individual incidents in the film: the Indian way of life, the Mounties' relationships amongst themselves, the types of men that Ryan had working for him, the campfire sequences, the attempted rape of the girl, etc.?
10. Were characters important in this film or were they merely symbols of the issues portrayed?
11. What conventions of the western did the film use best? How was the film different from other westerns?
