A complex story makes this Western a bit slow to get into, but some interesting characterizations, colorful scenery and good performances makes the wait worth while. The story focuses on Richard Widmark, trying to find out what happened to his father (whom he has not seen since he was a child) in an alleged Apache raid. He comes across Donna Reed who has apparently lost her husband in the same raid, and finds out that it's much more than what they thought. In fact, there are no Apaches in sight.
More psychological in themes than most westerns, this isn't quite the western noir like 1947's "Pursued" and 1950's "The Furies", but there's a lot more going on behind the scenes rather than riding the range, feuding over property rights and dealings with your ordinary western outlaws. Widmark has a lot to deal with when he finds out the truth about his father, just as Reed does in regards to her husband.
Strong supporting performances by John McIntire (chillingly good as the film's villain), Harry Morgan and William Campbell, along with veterans Martin MacLane and Edward Platt flesh out the dark themes with Widmark trying to get over the stench of the rotten blood in his veins. Reed is quite complex in her characterization as well, putting up with no nonsense and at times, you can't tell what her motives are either. The nice location footage really makes you think that you are back in the old west, not just in Hollywood's version of it and that makes this quite a bit above the standards of most westerns that didn't try to stretch beyond common themes.
More psychological in themes than most westerns, this isn't quite the western noir like 1947's "Pursued" and 1950's "The Furies", but there's a lot more going on behind the scenes rather than riding the range, feuding over property rights and dealings with your ordinary western outlaws. Widmark has a lot to deal with when he finds out the truth about his father, just as Reed does in regards to her husband.
Strong supporting performances by John McIntire (chillingly good as the film's villain), Harry Morgan and William Campbell, along with veterans Martin MacLane and Edward Platt flesh out the dark themes with Widmark trying to get over the stench of the rotten blood in his veins. Reed is quite complex in her characterization as well, putting up with no nonsense and at times, you can't tell what her motives are either. The nice location footage really makes you think that you are back in the old west, not just in Hollywood's version of it and that makes this quite a bit above the standards of most westerns that didn't try to stretch beyond common themes.