May 5, 2009

The Ox-Bow Incident

Title: The Ox-Bow Incident
Year: 1943
Director: William A. Wellman
Writer: Lamar Trotti, based on the novel by Walter Van Tilburg Clark
Starring: Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews
Music: Cyril J. Mockridge
Distinctions: Oscar nomination for Best Picture; currently #191 on IMDb's Top 250
Synopsis: a lynch mob in the old west accuses three people of murder, at least two of whom are obviously innocent
Length: 75 minutes
How I saw it: on video (rented from Netflix), December 2008
Subjective Rating: 6/10 (Okay).
Objective Rating: 8/10 (points off for cinematography and special effects/design) c. 2.9/4 (Good).

It's an interesting story; the "hero" is an outsider who basically just stands around and watches everything happen. It's a bit dated, visually. Also very serious, which I definitely did not expect from an early 40's Western.  The music is nothing notable, but I'll give them credit for how unobtrusive it is, letting things play dark rather than sentimental. The acting from the leads is great, although a lot of the others are barely getting by.

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