TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

beckr1 "Hangin' is any man's business that's around." Henry Fonda's father took him to the site of a lynching that occurred the previous morning and told young Henry that statement, and that line was used in the movie at Henry Fonda's insistence. It's hard to watch movies like this because it exposes the soul of every man. At a tight 75 minutes, the plot and dialogue move along at a good pace. Beautiful performances by Dana Andrews and Anthony Quinn along with the reaction shots of the mob after the final realization of their lynching leave an indelible mark on the watcher. It was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture and in 1998 it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

jawlaw The Western Genre has produced many good and bad films, but occasionally a western rises up above shoot-outs and "saloon fights" to make a wonderful statement. Like "High Noon" and "Shane," "The Ox Bow Incident" is not just a battle between "white hats and black hats" or "Cowboys and Indians." Every so often a western comes along that moves past the genre in a profound way. "The Ox Bow Incident" is such a movie. This writer is an attorney, who is frequently asked "Why even give a murderer who is obviously guilty a trial, why not just execute them." I always respond, "Rent 'The Ox Bow Incident' and you will never ask such a question again." Dana Andrews and company, in this film, have purchased cattle from a man, and are overtaken by a posse looking for the man's murderer. What follows is a gripping two hours of intrigue between those that want quick justice, and those that are willing to let the law take its course. Every performance is very good, and this may be the greatest acting performance for Dana Andrews' career. Without giving you away any spoilers, suffice it to say that this is a tale about how good, indifferent, and bad men view and seek that thing which we call "justice."

Hitchcoc When I first saw this film, I couldn't get it out of my head. Three men are executed by vigilante justice, put forth by a bigoted, but respected man. I couldn't help but put myself in the place of those men, trying to logically remove myself from the the grasp of these people. There is no reason to hurry the verdict. It is about people who get caught up in a mob mentality and give up their common sense and integrity for expediency. The hard thing is that there is nothing anyone can do to right this. There is no bring people back to life. About all we can determine is that these men will have to live with this decision for the rest of their lives. The problem with mob rule, is that they all have excuses for their actions. I thought. I thought. I thought. See this film but be prepared to think about it for a long time.

sharky_55 We expect something when Henry Fonda, darling of Hollywood, strides into a bar in the west, weary, weathered but eyes alert and focused. A fight, or an argument, or a shootout perhaps. And we also expect him to win it, because, well, he's Henry Fonda. His Gil Carter is not as intimidating as say, his Wyatt Earp, but nevertheless he still has the presence of the leading man, the protagonist, the one who will shake up the small town and its inhabitants. But here is a film that goes against that narrative - he is not the invincible figure who can overcome all odds, and for once the strange powers of mob justice overwhelm everything else. Gil and his companion Art in fact join the posse because they are new in town and drawing lurking, suspicious glances from the folk - what better way to draw attention away from themselves than to take part in their own sport? The film portrays that dangerous allure that can drive mobs to do things that individuals could never even think of doing. Innocents and the naive are dragged along with them, or else for fear of not fitting in, being cast aside, being viewed as weak - as the mayor's son sees himself as. But they don't go about it chaotically. The scariest thing is that it evolves in a way that seems also consequential. The sheriff is missing, so the deputy steps up, and swears to uphold the mob's democratic 'justice'. When they catch their suspects, all the evidence seems to point to them, and the only witness who can prove their story is conveniently dead. At a mere 75 minutes it does not ever drag to that eventual conclusion (with the exception of a rather tame encounter with an ex- girlfriend of Gil's). Slowly, Trotti takes away our hope of the group ever getting a fair trial and justice. Dana Andrews' Donald Martin sells this increasing desperation. It is clear from the very foremost discovery that he is not a murderer or a thief - but no matter how well spoken and passionate he is the mob is not swayed. Indeed, as his most eloquent words are heard he is already dead, but his character shines through. As Fonda gives a stirring rendition of the misplaced morals and justice that has lead to his untimely death, Wellman pans across the bar to all the regretful participants. These events will not leave their eyes for a long time. Funny too, when movie goers don't expect a coward, but then are made to desperately want all these men to be so.