Westerns were big back in the fifties still but they began
to change during this period as well. Gone were the clear cut white and black
hatted figures of the west we’d been exposed to and heroes began to become more
realistic, grittier and unwilling to stand still for the events that transpired
around them. Consider that SHANE and THE SEARCHERS both came out of the
fifties. And then there is THE BRAVADOS.
Gregory Peck stars as Jim Douglass, drifting into the town
of Rio Arriba as four men are about to hang for murder. No one knows why he is
there to see the hanging and with the exception of Josefa Velarde (Joan
Collins) most don’t know who he is. Josefa and Jim were in love 5 years earlier
in New Orleans. She now takes care of her late father’s ranch.
The four prisoners are Alfonso Parnell (Lee Van Cleef), Bill
Zachary (Stephen Boyd), Ed Taylor (Albert Salmi) and Lujan (Henry Silva). Their
fate has been decided and now the town is just waiting for Mr. Simms the traveling
executioner to arrive. Douglass asks for a moment to see the prisoners and is
granted that by the town sheriff. They don’t recognize him but Indian Lujan
recognizes in him the eyes of a hunter.
Simms shows and takes his time preparing for the execution
the next day. The real reason is revealed when the entire town goes to church
that night and Simms turns out to be a friend of the gang having taken out the
real Simms. As he helps them escape the local store owner’s daughter it capture
and taken as a hostage and the townsfolk gather to head out in pursuit.
Douglass advises them it would be pointless until morning, that they would
likely be targets at night in the pass leading in and out of town. Ignoring him
one member is shot and the rest follow Douglass’ lead.
The next morning the posse heads out once more with Douglass
providing advice and helping in tracking the men. As the story unfolds we
discover that Douglass has been tracking these men for 6 months. They were the
same group that raped and killed his wife at his ranch while he was away. His
daughter at home and being looked after, he has pursued them with vengeance in
mind.
What makes the movie different than most westerns is not the
revenge cycle portrayed here but the methods and attitude of Peck as Douglass.
He’s more serious than most, more methodical in his pursuit of the bad guys and
more prone to deal with them on his own rather than allow the posse to deal out
justice. This is a man willing to get his hands dirty when it comes to that justice
and who has a part of him looking forward to doing so. But there is more to him
than that and we find that out near the end of the film.
The movie works on all levels and while seemingly a standard
western feels different at the same time. None of the characters that the genre
has offered in the past are as they should be here. The sheriff is a solid,
upstanding sort but is shot early on and his deputy while true blue doesn’t
have the knowledge it will take to get these men. It is only with the help of
Douglass that they will return the girl and catch the bad guys.
Douglass as portrayed by Peck is amazing. He always gives
dynamic performances and here he plays the character as quiet and unassuming,
threatening without putting it on display for all to see. This is a man who
when crossed becomes deadly and he’s been crossed to the extreme by these men.
Collins plays her part well too but the role is smaller than expected and
offers her little to do. Each of the bad guys has their role to play here. Van Cleef
is the somewhat cowardly sort, Salmi the slimy loutish character and Silva the
more noble of them all thrown in due to circumstances. But it is Boyd who comes
off as the most despicable, the rapist of the group who offers a grin fueled
sneer throughout. This is someone you want to see pioneer justice dealt to.
Directed by Henry King he does an excellent job here pulling
the most from his cast. Cinematographer Leon Shamroy presents us with a
stupendous picture drawing out colors from what is one of the least colorful
outdoor offerings one could imagine. And yet his use of color here virtually
pops off the screen when possible.
On the whole the movie was something I’d not seen or heard
of before but was glad to watch. The movie belongs in that gathering of
westerns that get talked about and seen, never to be forgotten. Perhaps not as
high up there as say STAGECOACH or the aforementioned SHANE but one to keep in
mind.
Twilight Time is offering the film as they have in the past
with only 3,000 copies being printed and little extras on hand. At the same
time this offering is presented in beautiful blu-ray format with an exceptional
picture, perhaps the best the film has looked since initially released. Extras
include an isolated music track, Fox Movietone newsreels and the original
theatrical trailer.
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