Set in 1874, Butcher’s Crossing follows Will Andrews, a young Harvard dropout seeking adventure in the American frontier. He arrives in Butcher’s Crossing, Kansas, a town built on the buffalo hide trade, and joins Miller, an experienced but obsessive buffalo hunter, on an expedition to a remote Colorado pass rumored to harbor a massive herd. With Will’s funding, they assemble a team, including a one-armed cook named Charlie and a pragmatic skinner named Fred.
The journey proves treacherous, pushing the group to the brink of survival. Upon reaching the valley, they encounter an untouched herd, and Miller embarks on a relentless hunt, killing hundreds of buffalo daily. As the weeks pass, tensions rise within the group. Miller’s obsession deepens, leading to internal conflicts, including poisoning and violence. Trapped by a blizzard, the team endures harsh conditions, and when spring arrives, they return to town only to find the buffalo hide market has collapsed, rendering their efforts futile.
The film explores themes of ambition, human nature, and man’s relationship with the environment, offering a gritty commentary on the destructive pursuit of glory.