If you ever have to arrest someone far out in the wilderness of Canada in the dead of winter, you'd better hope it's as nice a guy as Jules Vincent. 1952's The Wild North follows this affable character, played with maximum charm and absurd French accent by Stewart Granger, in an arduous journey with a Mountie played by Wendell Corey. The friendship between the two men that develops is terrific and the film's engrossing because of it.
Jules is introduced as just the nicest guy, so nice it's slightly absurd. As he saunters into town, he rescues a kitten from a dog before carrying it into a tavern where he starts to chat up a sad luck dame played by Cyd Charisse.
She has a melancholy musical number and ends up being an important character, Jules' love interest, but somehow she's only credited as "Indian Girl". She's Chippewa, according to the dialogue, and Jules agrees to escort her back to her tribe miles to the north. But before they can go, a big drunkard picks a fight with Jules.
One thing leads to another and the big man ends up accompanying them. Jules is forced to shoot him in order to protect Charisse but, since the two men were seen fighting in a tavern, Jules looks guilty. After a visit among Charisse's people, he goes on the lam, alone. Constable Pedley (Corey) tracks him down to a little cabin in the middle of nowhere.
Immediately the two men seem to respect each other. After Pedley formerly arrests Jules, they sit down to a friendly game of checkers. The bulk of the film is spent on their long journey back to town and there's constant tension over whether Vincent is going to have to flee and whether the two can maintain their odd friendship through it all. It's an oddly cosy movie and Granger and Corey have great chemistry.
The Wild North is available on The Criterion Channel.
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