Un homme est passé

"Bad Day at Black Rock" is one of the more interesting "westerns" ever made. Told in the present(1955), it has all of the elements and feel of the classic western that may have taken place eighty years prior to this. From the first shot of the modern day locomotive traveling along the same path that many a stagecoach may have taken, you realize that this is a story about a way of life that has not been totally brought up to date. Where strangers are suspicious, secrets that take place in a town stay in the town.

John Sturges has done a wonderful job of bringing all of these elements together. One of the things that I found interesting was that there were very few, if any, close-ups. Most of the shots could have been master shots. For me, this made me feel as though I were a by-stander in the room with the characters while they talked. A nice touch.

As expected all of the performances are great. Tracy, Ryan, Brennan, and Jagger are all terrific. As are Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine (two actors at the time who were about to break out, and become top-line stars).

If you like classic westerns, and great acting, "Bad Day at Black Rock" will not disappoint.

8 out of 10

Spencer Tracy had a wonderful gift for the theater, his on screen persona was often able to offer audiences quality entertainment. Regardless of the many characters, Tracy's talent always shown through and became memories for his many fans. Here is one exceptional example. The movie, Directed by John Sturges, is called " Bad Day at Black Rock. " It relates the story of John Macreedy, (Spencer Tracy) a U.S. Army veteran who decides to visit the town of Black Rock, the hometown of a Japanese friend killed during the war. However upon arrival, he is greeted with suspicion, resentment and apathy. The longer he stays, the more questions he has to ask. Unfortunately, everyone he questions has been told not to talk to him. Led by Reno Smith (Robert Ryan), others are intimated not to co-operate with the stranger, The exceptional cast includes Dean Jagger, Walter Brennan, Ernest Borgnine, Anne Francis and Lee Marvin. Though the vast scenic desert, surrounds this forgotten town, it nevertheless allows the foreboding atmosphere to commit itself to a linger secret which prevails and haunts the towns folks. An excellent film for a time when true drama could fit well into a pleasant afternoon. ****

A one armed stranger leaves the train at Black Rock Station, unbeknown this is a place built on damnation, past events have caused suspicion, in this place without contrition, as the locals build there walls to cause frustration. The atmosphere's caustic and quite tense, as the alien observes and starts to sense, that his mission will be scuppered, as a secret is discovered, and attack is swiftly dealt after defence. But there are locals who no longer will adhere, to the tragedy that happened yesteryear, prepared to take the bullies on, to correct the heinous wrong, and stand up to dread and terror, built on fear.

A film of rare economy, elegance and stillness. Pretentious as it may sound, there's a perfect balance of tension and space about this film. Not a word or scene or character is wasted or unnecessary.

The other reviewers here give a plot outline and performance details. Tracy dominates the picture, his black and white appearance setting out the clarity of his moral position. The other main presence in this classic picture is the silence. Sturges SHOWS us silence, and what denial can do to a community.

I'd just like to make a recommendation to those who think that great cinema need sound and action - watch Bad Day at Black Rock, and sink yourself into its opening emptiness and cut-to-the-bone story.

9/10

Produced by Dore Schary out of MGM, Bad Day at Black Rock is directed by John Sturges and stars Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis, Dean Jagger, Walter Brennan, John Ericson, Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin. It's adapted by Don McGuire and Millard Kaufman from the story "Bad Day at Hondo" written by Howard Breslin. It's shot on location in CinemaScope and Eastman Color at Lone Pine, Death Valley & Alabama Hills in California, with William C. Mellor on photography and André Previn scoring the music.

A classy production that combines elements of Westerns and film noir, Bad Day at Black Rock deals with racism and all the hate and bully tactics that come with such a vile subject. It tells the story of a mysterious one armed stranger, John J. Macreedy (Tracy), who arrives at a tiny isolated town in a desert of the Southwest United States in search of a Japanese-American man. From the moment he arrives he is met with hostility and mistrust. Over the course of the day Macreedy picks apart the town to uncover the secret that the towns folk had hoped had gone away forever.

From the opening sequence of a bright red train rushing towards us, it's evident that we are in the modern day West. It's just after World War II and the horse trails of the old West are now frequented by jeeps and cars. Yet the hallmarks of the old West exists and thrives because of the inhabitants of Black Rock. An ignorant group of people consisting of bullies, drunks and the head in the sand weak willed type. Yet even though the film is set mostly in the blazing sun, in a barren one horse Western town that time forgot, the film exudes a film noir sensibility. Dark secrets from the past weigh heavy on the shoulders of the towns' big players - and Tracy's High Noon like situation is moodily paced by the wily Sturges. In fact, that a film with so little "gun play" action can be so tense is actually no mean feat, with him yet again directing an ensemble cast to great effect.

Tracy is at his best when he is as he is here, playing subdued. Here he is a thinking man's protagonist, calm and reflective in the face of constant hostility. That he is facing an impressive line up of heavies really brings home just how thoughtful a performance Tracy gives in the piece. Robert Ryan does yet another fine turn as a complicated villain whose rage is bubbling away under the surface. Borgnine and Marvin are memorably vile as his right hand thugs, Dean Jagger as the drunken cowardly sheriff manages to pang the heart and Walter Brennan is his usual solid scene influencing self. Anne Francis adds the glamour but really - and sadly - it's a nondescript role that the film could easily have survived without.

Clocking in at just 81 minutes the film never outstays its welcome. It looks great on home format issue, and for those interested in commentary tracks, this one comes with a very good one from Dana Polan. Anyone who has not seen this film should try and seek it out. It was considered controversial back on release but now can be viewed as a smart message movie about racial tolerance. Tight, taut and expertly directed and acted, Bad Day At Black Rock is an important film from the 50s that still rings the bells loudly even today. 8/10