Canyon Passage

Year: 1946

Runtime: 92 mins

Language: English

Director: Jacques Tourneur

Western

Set against the rugged Oregon frontier of the 1850s, a prosperous businessman finds his world torn apart by competing affections for two very different women and a fierce sense of duty toward a compulsive gambler friend whose reckless actions push the bounds of loyalty.

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Timeline & Setting – Canyon Passage (1946)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Canyon Passage (1946). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Location

Jacksonville, Oregon Territory, Portland, Pacific Coast, San Francisco

The movie takes place in the rugged regions of Oregon, including the bustling seaport of Portland and the mining settlement of Jacksonville in the Oregon Territory in 1856. The journey follows along the Pacific coast to San Francisco, capturing the frontier's natural beauty and rough-hewn lifestyle. These locations are iconic for their history of gold rushes, frontier development, and rugged landscapes.

🌲 Rustic 🏞️ Frontier 🚢 Seaport 🌉 Coastal

Last Updated: August 19, 2025 at 04:54

Main Characters – Canyon Passage (1946)

Meet the key characters of Canyon Passage (1946), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Last Updated: August 19, 2025 at 04:54

Major Themes – Canyon Passage (1946)

Explore the central themes of Canyon Passage (1946), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

Last Updated: August 19, 2025 at 04:54

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Tense Frontier Dramas with Bittersweet Endings like Canyon Passage

Epic stories where romantic rivalries clash with the harsh demands of frontier survival.If you enjoyed the high-stakes drama of Canyon Passage, explore more movies like it. This collection features similar epic Westerns and frontier stories where intense love triangles and fierce loyalties are tested against a backdrop of gritty survival and frontier justice, culminating in emotionally resonant, bittersweet conclusions.

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Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread typically follow characters trying to carve out a life in a dangerous, unforgiving setting. Central conflicts arise from divided loyalties between friends and lovers, often involving love triangles, gambling debts, or criminal acts that test moral codes. The plot builds steadily towards a climactic confrontation with violence or justice, resolving the central relationships but at a significant emotional cost, reflecting the harsh truths of the environment.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared atmosphere of tense, gritty frontier life, their focus on heavy emotional themes like love and betrayal, and their narrative structure that balances epic scale with intimate personal drama. They deliver a similar viewing experience of high intensity and a steady, event-driven pace, ending on a note that is both satisfying and somber.

Movies About Fierce Loyalty and Betrayal Like Canyon Passage

Stories where fierce friendship is pushed to its breaking point by betrayal and survival.For viewers who appreciated the central conflict of loyalty in Canyon Passage, this section highlights similar movies. Discover stories where a protagonist's unwavering commitment to a friend leads them down a dangerous path of moral compromise, violence, and ultimate reckoning, creating a tense and emotionally weighty narrative.

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Narrative Summary

The defining pattern is a protagonist anchored by a deep, perhaps unwise, loyalty to a charismatic but reckless companion. This loyalty is tested through a series of escalating crises—often involving crime, debt, or violence—that the friend instigates. The protagonist is forced to choose repeatedly between saving their friend and preserving their own stability, creating intense internal conflict that mirrors external dangers, culminating in a tragic or bittersweet resolution for the relationship.

Why These Movies?

These movies share a core thematic focus on the extreme costs of loyalty. They are united by a tense tone, high intensity, and a steady pacing that relentlessly applies pressure to the central friendship. The emotional journey is consistently heavy, exploring the bleak consequences of standing by someone who is their own worst enemy.

Unlock the Full Story of Canyon Passage

Don't stop at just watching — explore Canyon Passage in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Canyon Passage is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Canyon Passage Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Canyon Passage, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Canyon Passage Timeline

Track the full timeline of Canyon Passage with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Canyon Passage Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Canyon Passage that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

More About Canyon Passage

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Canyon Passage: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

Similar Movies to Canyon Passage

Discover movies like Canyon Passage that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.