Blu Ray review: Border River (1954)

New on blu ray from Kino Lorber is this strong western drama from Universal

Border River deals with Joel McRea as a confederate soldier who plans to buy munitions for the Civil War in the Mexican border town of Zona Libre. He soon discovers that the evil ruler General Calleja (Pedro Armendáriz) may be as dangerous as the Yankee soldiers pursuing him. Yvonne DeCarlo also stars as the woman from the soldier’s past who once saved his life.

The story is compelling, aided by Joel McCrea’s firm and stoic presence. The scene where he indicates that he intends to get the necessary materials even if he must kill for them is especially powerful.

As with many 1950s westerns in color, Border River is a film that rests on its narrative and dramatic conflict and less on continuous action sequences. So, when a man supporting the north starts a fight with one of the south, McCrea jumps in, and the entire skirmish is over in a couple of punches without escalating. What does escalate is the underlying sense of danger that is evident from all directions.

George Sherman's direction makes great use of the Colorado locations, filling the negative space with beautiful scenery, especially during a rather stunning scene where McCrea's horse gets stuck in quicksand and he rescues it. His comforting of the animal in the aftermath is really quite moving and adds an extra layer to his character.

Border River has been claimed in some accounts as the last film shot in three-strip technicolor, but actually it is another Universal feature, Foxfire (1954), that is the more likely candidate as the last. Still, the color on the Kino blu ray for Border River especially pops out, including during the night scenes.

Kino Lorber’s new blu ray release of Border River is much sharper than Universal’s DVD release of around 10 or 12 years ago. It also features an excellent commentary track by the always reliable western film expert Toby Roan. It can be ordered at this link: BORDER RIVER.