A Man's Land: A Dusty Little Western That Just Keeps Going

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for grainy, black-and-white westerns where the horses do half the acting, you’ll probably find something to like here. If you need a movie that isn't just people shouting about cows for an hour, skip this one. It feels like it was filmed over a long weekend and someone just decided that was good enough.

The plot is as simple as it gets. Tex Mason and Peggy Turner are forced into a partnership over the Triple X Ranch. Naturally, they don't get along. Peggy is the 'Easterner' who clearly doesn't know a saddle from a kitchen chair, and Tex is the rugged guy who just wants to do his job. It’s a dynamic you’ve seen a million times.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of A Man's Land (1932) through its definitive frames.

Odd moments and observations

• There is a scene where someone tries to explain ranching to Peggy, and the look on her face is just pure confusion. I don't think she was acting.
• The cattle rustling scenes are repetitive. How many times can you watch guys on horses ride in circles before it stops being exciting?
• The villain, Thomas, is so obviously bad that I kept waiting for him to twirl a mustache. He didn't, but he might as well have.

The pacing is all over the place. Sometimes the movie just stops dead for a long conversation about fence lines. Then, suddenly, there's a shootout that lasts about four seconds. It feels like they ran out of film and just said 'good enough' to the editor.

There is a weird lack of tension. Even when the rustlers are right there, the characters act like they are just waiting for a bus. It’s almost funny how little they care about losing their livelihood. I found myself thinking about Show People and how much more energy that had, even with all its own quirks. This feels heavy, like it's dragging its feet through the mud.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of A Man's Land (1932) through its definitive frames.

It’s not all bad, though. There is a certain charm to how cheap it all looks. You can tell they were just trying to get the job done. Sometimes, watching a movie that isn't trying to be an epic masterpiece is a nice change of pace. It's just a guy, a girl, some cows, and a bad guy. What else do you really need for a Tuesday afternoon? 🤠

I wouldn't call it a classic. It’s definitely not something I’d suggest for a movie night with friends unless you want to spend the whole time making fun of the dialogue. But, if you like the genre, it’s a perfectly okay way to kill an hour. Just don't go in expecting anything profound. It’s just a western. A dusty, stubborn, slightly clunky western.