Trying to placate her daughter, Barbara Stanwyck demonstrates fake affection for her crippled husband (Edward G Robinson).
It's DALLAS circa the mid-50s! Very sharp script and tough performances! Typical western plot about ruthless land grabs by powerful men-- this time it's Edward G Robinson who plays a successful rancher who has promised the entire valley in the region to his demanding wife (Barbara Stanwyck). This one's more unique because their presumed victim, Glenn Ford, is completely disinterested in their manipulation. He's ready to hand everything over and could care less about their piddly offers - he just wants to get back to the city. After Ford hears the low-ball offer, Robinson's hired hands whip one of his men to death in an effort to stir up outrage but their act of violence is unnecessary (and all the more detestable). Tension builds as Ford continues to maintain a laconic attitude even after the death of his man; one of his hands even wonders aloud if he's human. What can bring this guy to retaliate!? No minute drags by in this economical, 96-minute film, and the action is punctuated by a number of short but fierce monologues by some pretty wild women. Barbara Stanwyck is fantastic as a kind of of lady Macbeth, stirring up more and more hatred - a delightfully loathsome character all around. Directed by Rudolph Mate, who also did D.O.A. I detected noir elements throughout this. A real underrated western.
No comments:
Post a Comment