Bad Day at Black Rock is a tightly knit classic that helps one to admire the continuing power of good movies.
Tracy is a commanding screen presence in one of his best roles. A viewer could quibble about his age, I suppose; he appears a bit too old to have been recently fighting in the War. But it's a small objection, given Tracy's ability to hold one's attention by hardly saying a word and then barely talking above a whisper. The town bullies attempt to goad him, but he's above it. And when he is finally pushed too far, well, you can guess the results.
The town's head bad guy is Reno Smith, played by Robert Ryan. He's a ranch owner who orders everybody around, including the sheriff. His is not an obvious or overt villain but a calm, subdued one, a villain all the more repulsive for his seeming indifference. The other baddies, Smith's henchmen, could not be bettered. They are Coley Trimble and Hector David, played by Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin. Borgnine's toughie is a loudmouth bully, much as he had played in "From Here To Eternity," but Marvin's character is creepier, more menacing. Meaner, ornerier brutes you couldn't ask for.
The hotel keeper, Pete Wirth, is played by a young John Ericson, and his spunky sister, Liz Wirth, is played by Anne Francis. The drunken, do-nothing sheriff, Tim Horn, is played by Dean Jagger; and the local veterinarian and undertaker, Doc Velie, by old but ageless Walter Brennan.
The wide-scope format is used to good advantage throughout the movie, back in the days when it wasn't taken for granted and wasn't designed to be cut apart later, panned and scanned for television. So every scene is well framed, well balanced, revealing a wealth of peripheral detail. This is necessary in showing us the vastness of the desert landscape as well as the closed-in, boxed-up feeling of the interiors; it gives us a visual impression of people imprisoned by their surroundings, large and small.
OK, so "Bad Day at Black Rock" is a message picture as well as a suspense thriller. It's a psychological study of guilt and cowardice as well as courage, strength, and growth. It's a short film, but its tensions mount in ripples and then waves you can feel spreading out and engulfing everything in their path. It's a story of conflict between the Old West and the New West; between the lawless West and the modern West; between the law of the gun and the law of reason and order. In short, it's a terse, exciting, thoughtful little gem.
Video:
As I mentioned, this was MGM's first film in CinemaScope, with an original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. On the DVD the ratio is largely preserved in a high bit-rate, anamorphic transfer. The Eastman Color looks a tad faded, but the object delineation is superb. There are some minor line shimmers, and a small degree of grain is enough to give the film a vaguely rough appearance. And, not to worry, while occasional white age flecks make their presence known, it's nothing serious.
Audio:
The original stereo sound is reproduced via Dolby Digital 2.0 processing. Since it is early movie stereo, it's not the widest you'll ever hear; and since most of the movie consists of dialogue, it will probably seem like ordinary monaural most of the time. Oh, well. There is not much to the frequency extremes, either, making the sonics a little soft; nor is there much in the way of dynamic impact. Yet the all-important midrange is ultra smooth and easy on the ears.
Extras:
Don't count on many bonuses except an audio commentary by film historian Dana Polan. It's a critical analysis of the film rather than a typical lightweight, behind-the-scenes affair. Polan points out, for instance, the juxtaposition of the wide open Western spaces and the claustrophobic interior of the town, a contrast that reinforces the movie's point that all is not as it first appears. Beyond that, there are twenty-two scene selections; a widescreen theatrical trailer; English and French spoken languages; and English, French, and Spanish subtitles.
Parting Thoughts:
Splendid, understated acting from Spencer Tracy as the laconic hero; great, well-focused direction from John Sturges; a fine, thought-provoking story from Breslin, Kaufman, and McGuire; superb widescreen cinematography from William C. Mellor; and good, atmospheric music from Andre Previn unite in one topflight movie. "Bad Day at Black Rock" is a tightly knit classic that helps one to admire the continuing power of good movies.
"Bad Day at Black Rock" is available separately or in a Warner Bros. seven-disc box set titled "Controversial Classics" that also includes "A Face in the Crowd," "Advise & Consent," "Blackboard Jungle," "The Americanization of Emily," "Fury," and "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang."
The town's head bad guy is Reno Smith, played by Robert Ryan. He's a ranch owner who orders everybody around, including the sheriff. His is not an obvious or overt villain but a calm, subdued one, a villain all the more repulsive for his seeming indifference. The other baddies, Smith's henchmen, could not be bettered. They are Coley Trimble and Hector David, played by Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin. Borgnine's toughie is a loudmouth bully, much as he had played in "From Here To Eternity," but Marvin's character is creepier, more menacing. Meaner, ornerier brutes you couldn't ask for.
The hotel keeper, Pete Wirth, is played by a young John Ericson, and his spunky sister, Liz Wirth, is played by Anne Francis. The drunken, do-nothing sheriff, Tim Horn, is played by Dean Jagger; and the local veterinarian and undertaker, Doc Velie, by old but ageless Walter Brennan.
The wide-scope format is used to good advantage throughout the movie, back in the days when it wasn't taken for granted and wasn't designed to be cut apart later, panned and scanned for television. So every scene is well framed, well balanced, revealing a wealth of peripheral detail. This is necessary in showing us the vastness of the desert landscape as well as the closed-in, boxed-up feeling of the interiors; it gives us a visual impression of people imprisoned by their surroundings, large and small.
OK, so "Bad Day at Black Rock" is a message picture as well as a suspense thriller. It's a psychological study of guilt and cowardice as well as courage, strength, and growth. It's a short film, but its tensions mount in ripples and then waves you can feel spreading out and engulfing everything in their path. It's a story of conflict between the Old West and the New West; between the lawless West and the modern West; between the law of the gun and the law of reason and order. In short, it's a terse, exciting, thoughtful little gem.
Video:
As I mentioned, this was MGM's first film in CinemaScope, with an original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. On the DVD the ratio is largely preserved in a high bit-rate, anamorphic transfer. The Eastman Color looks a tad faded, but the object delineation is superb. There are some minor line shimmers, and a small degree of grain is enough to give the film a vaguely rough appearance. And, not to worry, while occasional white age flecks make their presence known, it's nothing serious.
Audio:
The original stereo sound is reproduced via Dolby Digital 2.0 processing. Since it is early movie stereo, it's not the widest you'll ever hear; and since most of the movie consists of dialogue, it will probably seem like ordinary monaural most of the time. Oh, well. There is not much to the frequency extremes, either, making the sonics a little soft; nor is there much in the way of dynamic impact. Yet the all-important midrange is ultra smooth and easy on the ears.
Extras:
Don't count on many bonuses except an audio commentary by film historian Dana Polan. It's a critical analysis of the film rather than a typical lightweight, behind-the-scenes affair. Polan points out, for instance, the juxtaposition of the wide open Western spaces and the claustrophobic interior of the town, a contrast that reinforces the movie's point that all is not as it first appears. Beyond that, there are twenty-two scene selections; a widescreen theatrical trailer; English and French spoken languages; and English, French, and Spanish subtitles.
Parting Thoughts:
Splendid, understated acting from Spencer Tracy as the laconic hero; great, well-focused direction from John Sturges; a fine, thought-provoking story from Breslin, Kaufman, and McGuire; superb widescreen cinematography from William C. Mellor; and good, atmospheric music from Andre Previn unite in one topflight movie. "Bad Day at Black Rock" is a tightly knit classic that helps one to admire the continuing power of good movies.
"Bad Day at Black Rock" is available separately or in a Warner Bros. seven-disc box set titled "Controversial Classics" that also includes "A Face in the Crowd," "Advise & Consent," "Blackboard Jungle," "The Americanization of Emily," "Fury," and "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang."
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[release]15773[/release]