I recorded this on my DVR machine this weekend and sat down on a snowy Saturday afternoon to objectively view this movie. I was told this belonged in the western genre due to the plot and setting. Admitedly, I was a bit skeptical prior to viewing, but I was dead wrong.
Above all else, the cinematography was spectacular with the wide screen shots, panoramic landscapes. The cloud formations and the rolling hills were so much a part of the movie climate and feel; Desolation.
A predominately male cast led by Tracy Spencer and Robert Ryan made for a tense-ridden, ask no questions movie from start to finish. This was a tight film, coming in a 81 minutes and lasting only 24 hours in screen time.
Long story short, Spencer's character stops at Black Creek looking for a farmer that nobody wants to talk about. He receives nothing but stiff reception and threats from the locals. The best scene, hands down, was the fight scene between Tracy and Ernest Borgnine. I never saw this coming. Tracy's character was injured in WW2 and he doesn't have use of his right (I think) arm. Ernest, one of Robert Ryan's flunkies, tries to bully him out of town, and to my surprise, Tracy pulls out a carnival of jui jitsu moves on the plodding Oscar winner. Best scene!!
In the end, justice is served with these trapped men breaking free of their fears. Some people will say this movie was too simple with nothing but black and white characters. I'll tell you what, don't dig that deep and enjoy what is a great modern western with a man in a suit and hat dishing out the punishment.
Definitely one of my surprise hits from the '50s. You will love this.....
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment