This Savage Land

John Chard

Not really savage, more uncomfortable really. Ohio widower Ben Pride (Barry Sullivan) moves to Kansas with his parents and children shortly after the Civil War. When they arrive in Lawrence they are harassed by Confederate marauders led by Jud Barker (George C. Scott). Ben also has matters of the heart to contend with as he starts to fall for Elizabeth Reynolds (Kathryn Hays), the daughter of the local doctor. This is basically a TV movie that was spliced together from a TV series in the 60s called The Road West. It's a bit uneven and certain character factors are hard to swallow - such as the 21 year gap between the Sullivan and Hays romance, and the underuse of Scott's complex character - yet it's well performed and has the requisite Western staples to please fans of the genre. 5.5/10