A naive Harvard dropout gets a life lesson in brutality on a dangerous quest to hunt buffalo in the 1870s. Butcher's Crossing, adapted from the classic Western novel by John Edward Williams, is a parable of greed, arrogance, and humanity's unquenchable thirst for blood. Stunning landscapes are stained by the slaughter of the majestic animals' skinned carcasses. The price of their thick hides are worth any risk to the foolhardy willing to follow them. Good performances overcome a somewhat rote narrative with uneven pacing. A solid second act emphasizes character development and lifts the film from several stumbling blocks.
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