Last Train from Gun Hill (J. Sturges, 1959)

Last Train from Gun Hill (John Sturges, 1959)

Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.  –Leviticus 19:15

First of all, this is a daring film for 1959. A white protagonist married to an Indian woman. A somewhat explicit attack on this woman resulting in a rape and murder. A lot of very open talk of another character’s life as a prostitute. While much of this is still tame compared to what you can find in movies today, for this time period, it was a bit jarring. It helps the film’s atmosphere tremendously though. This is a hard-nosed section of the far west and no one is living cookie cutter western lives. Additionally, it makes the relationship between the two older protagonists all the more interesting. A relationship built on respect and friendship knifed by a horrible situation that throws each into a heartbreaking set of circumstances. You can’t blame either for reacting the way they do and while justice is warranted, it’s not easy to accept. The film’s plot does drag a bit once it is fully set up, so the momentum of such a grand beginning stutters as it goes. But it comes to a conclusion that fits perfectly and is a solid film that’s not one to miss.  8.25/10

Thunder Over the Plains (De Toth, 1953)

Thunder Over the Plains (André De Toth, 1954)

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution,whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.  –1 Peter 2:13-15

On the surface, what we have here is a rather simple and unoriginally themed film – an ‘outlaw’ standing up for what he knows is right. However, in this scenario, the outlaw is generally the protagonist, not a side character. Thunder Over the Plains follows the life of an army captain trying to balance his allegiance to both the army and the people of Texas. He has his duties, but he has his friends, one of which is the outlaw. Throw in an interesting love triangle and there’s a lot of interesting relational angles at play.

Randolph Scott is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors. He is always able to so wonderfully portray a man dealing with a number of issues that rarely lets these issues visibly surface in his persona. When another captain comes to town and quite obviously starts to hit on his wife (well, obvious to everyone except for her apparently), he calmly lets nature take its course until action is required. At first he comes across as weak, but in reality he was just calm, not allowing hate to cloud his judgement until the time was right. Overall, a very interesting character. Additionally, the film’s cinematography is subtly fantastic. The dimly lit sets, use of handheld camera, and closeups are all very rare for a classic western, but very aptly used throughout. Man, I love westerns.  8.75/10

The Cranes are Flying (Kalatozov, 1957)

First, let me apologize to my millions of readers for not giving you word on why there have been no updates recently. On 11/8, my wife and I welcomed our newest little addition to our family into this world – Howie Walter Weseloh! So, obviously, things have been busy and not a lot of movie watching has been happening around here. But I did have time to sneak this in during nap time.

The Cranes are Flying (Mikhail Kalatozov, 1957)

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.  -Proverbs 3:3

Well if this is any indication, the flaws from my first Kalatozov experience, Letter Never Sent, seem to be staples of his directorial style. That’s a disappointment, especially since it leaves no room for other flaws. So the overbearing melodrama on display here is too much to bear. The beautiful opening sequence of young love filmed gracefully, painted with the light of the surroundings and the unashamed smiles and laughter of the two people lost in their own little world, is serene. But almost immediately the melodrama takes center stage as war is abruptly introduced as a central conflict. How will this love survive? Unfortunately, a beautiful depiction of young love becomes a lesson of how war rips apart relationships, including an eye-roll inducing scene where the start of the loveless marriage happens during a frightening airborne attack. If only Kalatozov would have continued down the path he started with young love, extraordinary cinematography (well, this is consistent throughout at least), and an interesting familial dynamic. But the drama and the message become too much.  6.75/10

Rawhide (Hathaway, 1951)

Rawhide (Henry Hathaway, 1951)

Losing your temper causes a lot of trouble, but staying calm settles arguments.  –Proverbs 15:18

A beautiful execution of suspense and hostage. A group of misfit bandits ride into a stagecoach stop literally in the middle of nowhere to begin executing their leader’s master plan. The oddity? These men are just a random group of prisoners who happened to be in the right place at the right time when the mastermind made his escape. But in a short period of time he has them convinced he is to be obeyed and followed at all costs. As the film progresses and we learn small bits of the lead bandit’s life and watch him work with both his cronies and his hostages, while we aren’t overloaded with character definition, enough of the cloak is removed to see how this situation could have realistically unfolded. In more simpler words, the writing of this character is fantastic. Placing this film in one setting, both wide open with its endless plains and claustrophobic with its a one-room entrapment (and some great closeup shots) makes for a beautifully contrasted and multi-layered experience of suspense. Hathaway is quickly becoming one of my new favorite western directors, always caring about his settings and his people and letting everything else fall into place from there.  8.5/10

Three Young Texans (Levin, 1954)

Three Young Texans (Henry Levin, 1954)

In a wooded moonlit area, a silhouetted figure rides his horse along the side of a train, engulfed in sight by the darkness and in sound by the rhythmic churning of the train. The mystery man creeps into the traincar, performs a quick and smooth robbery, and ditches out with little alarm. It doesn’t take long to figure out who the robber was, and it doesn’t take much longer to decipher why he did it. But the relational developments that result have a wealth of interesting depth and drive the story in directions that are unexpected yet completely unforced. In the two films I’ve seen from Levin he has no trouble creating people with visible flaws yet sympathetic personas without resorting to uneven presentation of his characters. Three Young Texans has a smaller scope, but it’s an honest depiction of some odd circumstances and very well done.  8.5/10