Bad Day at Black Rock
Dir: John Sturges
1955
*****
John Sturges's 1955 Bad Day at Black Rock is a very different Western. Made slap bang in the middle of the Westerns golden decade, it's contemporaries are among some the greatest of the genre. Bad Day at Black Rock stands out from the rest dramatically. It's filmed in rich technicolor, is a contemporary tale and adopts a noir style that was more commonly used in gangster movies and arty thrillers. Simple and stylish, with powerful performances and a boldness that was unique. The movie sent out quite a political and social message in a time where there was much disruption and injustice but not a lot of talk about it. With the back-drop of the changing West, it tackled small town thinking on a nationwide scale. Spencer Tracy's John J. MacReedy is one of the greatest characters in cinema and Robert Ryan's Reno Smith is one of the most villainous of villains. John Sturges's direction is nothing short of perfection.