What an interesting western, and kind of frustrating too. I enjoyed it, but I respected it more than I enjoyed it. I had the feeling that there might be an even better movie to be had here.
French director Jacques Tourneur tells the story in a matter-of-fact way. He doesn't so much tell the story as let us follow the hero and witness events, accompanied by an ever-present melodramatic soundtrack I could have done without. The movie starts slow, but it speeds up and plenty of stuff happens.
Once you get used to the style, you can enjoy the gorgeous exterior shots (mixed with some studio scenes), but the best thing about the movie is the subtlety in the plotting and characterization. It defies conventions. You see the hero stand up to a lynching mob, only the lynching mob is right and the hero is wrong. You have to wonder if the hero knows that. Does he believe the suspect is innocent or is he just doing it out of some stubborn sense of friendship or fair play? You see the Indians going into a murderous rampage, only they are depicted with some dignity, and have had ample provocation.
You recognize this as a 40's western but at the same time it's done from a different perspective.
French director Jacques Tourneur tells the story in a matter-of-fact way. He doesn't so much tell the story as let us follow the hero and witness events, accompanied by an ever-present melodramatic soundtrack I could have done without. The movie starts slow, but it speeds up and plenty of stuff happens.
Once you get used to the style, you can enjoy the gorgeous exterior shots (mixed with some studio scenes), but the best thing about the movie is the subtlety in the plotting and characterization. It defies conventions. You see the hero stand up to a lynching mob, only the lynching mob is right and the hero is wrong. You have to wonder if the hero knows that. Does he believe the suspect is innocent or is he just doing it out of some stubborn sense of friendship or fair play? You see the Indians going into a murderous rampage, only they are depicted with some dignity, and have had ample provocation.
You recognize this as a 40's western but at the same time it's done from a different perspective.