Every day until March 31, 2024 I will be watching and reviewing a movie that is 90 minutes or less.
Title: Bad Day at Black Rock
Release Date: January 7, 1955
Director: John Sturges
Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Summary/Review:
Bad Day at Black Rock blends Film Noir with a modern Western aesthetic to tell a chilling story of racial prejudice and American reactionary politics. In late 1945, a passenger train makes a rare whistle stop in the tiny desert town of Black Rock. War veteran John J. Macreedy (Spencer Tracy) finds that the people of Black Rock are suspicious of him, paranoid even, within moments of his arrival. His stated goal of finding a Japanese-American farmer named Komoko only increases their hostility. Soon it’s clear that Macreedy’s life is at risk as the townfolk coalesce behind the strong man Reno Smith (Robert Ryan). He does find support from the alcoholic sheriff Tim Horn (Dean Jagger) and the veterinarian/mortician Doc Vellie (Walter Brennan), but Macreedy needs to rely on his own wits to escape Black Rock alive.
Without spoiling things, I liked how the reason for Macreedy’s visit is revealed late in the movie and is not what I expected. The cast for this film is strong and also includes Ernest Borgnine, Lee Marvin, and Anne Francis. Tracy is probably too old for the character he’s playing but his performance of a man who is outwardly unflappable but nonetheless clearly fearful for his life is excellent. The cinematography which emphasizes the wide open spaces of the Western desert is impressive. And despite the sunshine and bold colors, this is a very dark story about America made during the McCarthy Era and sadly still relevant today.
Rating: ****
Panorama of the Mountains 