The Ox- Bow Incident, written by Lamar Trotti
and Walter Van Tilburg Clark, based on a novel by the latter
9 out of 10
Notes and
thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E
and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
The Ox-Bow
Incident is one of the films that you remember for a long time, if not for ever,
with its poignant message.
It is
included on the New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made list:
It was
nominated for the Academy award for Best Motion Picture and a few other
prestigious prizes, most of which it won.
The director
is William A. Wellman, nicknamed Wild Bill for his lifestyle and personality,
captain of such films as:
-
Public Enemy and A Star is Born
The star of
the western is Henry Fonda, a legend, a superman, demigod of the Screen Trade,
the leading actor in:
-
12 Angry Men, The Grapes of Wrath,
Once Upon a Time in the West, Advise & Consent, On The Golden Pond…
In The
Ox-Bow Incident he is playing the role of Gil Carter, one of those people who
have a conscience.
He arrives
in this small town with his travelling companion, portrayed by Harry Morgan, a
familiar actor, present in the M.A.S.H. TV series.
There is
humor in the introducing scenes, as Gil Carter tries to figure out a painting
on the wall of the saloon.
But pretty
soon, an “Incident” is creating a kerfuffle, with the entire small town
outraged at the killing of a local farmer.
The sheriff
is not in town and this creates a legal problem, because only he can deputize
and make a posse legal…
At least
that’s how it seemed to me, listening to the judge, who opposed the action of
those who wanted “justice”.
You can’t
do this without the sheriff and it is illegal- this is what the judge says more
or less to the mob assembled.
One of them
is very active and angry with what he calls the “very slow motion of justice…which
might even let the killer escape”.
They have
some information about the route of the “suspects” as they hear a man that has
seen the cattle, marked with the sign of the dead man in a pass nearby, with a
few people leading them West of the town- or was it East?
The posse
is formed and Gil and his friend join it, not as much out of conviction, but
because they would be suspicious to do otherwise.
The Conformity
principle explained in the masterpiece Influence by Robert Cialdini would
explain some of what happens in the film.
People tend
to do what others do and some examples refer to extreme cases, such as mass
suicide in Guyana, where one after another, hundreds of cult followers killed
themselves, to more mundane adoption of big shopping carts.
I think
that the same applies to a great extent to a number of those in the posse who
were bent on killing.
It is not
just conformity, for a number of them were too violent and bloody to think
differently, but it was an important factor.
Without any
spoilers, I would just say that those who wanted justice found the cattle and
the men suspected of murder.
Two of them
are played by great actors: Dana Andrews and Anthony Quinn and their personages
claim innocence.
The cattle
have been bought, there was no violence or crime involved and they have no idea
about any shooting.
Because of “circumstantial
evidence” or what the “self-appointed jury” sees as such, they condemn the
suspects.
Seven men
are against this verdict and I will not go any further than that, expect to say
that a woman is one of the group that wants executions, no matter what.
Extraordinary
tale, with a very powerful message, lessons on life and its meaning, compassion
and vengeance…
Niciun comentariu:
Trimiteți un comentariu