I have to concur with the opinion that this is both possibly the single best Randolph Scott western of the fifties before he started working with Bud and also that this film prefigures many of the tropes and styles that those later collaborations would feature.
Having no preconceptions before my first viewing of this, I literally didn't know that it existed till I was watching it, I was very impressed from the opening scene almost without interruption to the marvellous climax; certainly I had enjoyed the film easily enough to swallow the studio happy ending moments.
Fine performances from Scott and stalwart Ray Teal as men on opposite sides of the siege, and also personality profiles, helps a lot. Most of the supporting actors are either very competent and familiar studio character actors plus Lee Marvin displaying swagger in an early role. Marvin definitely gets his characters unsympathetic value out to the fore very directly.
This is a suspense film in its narrative bent and the brisk runtime is well used by the director to heighten suspense: there is a sense of inevitable urgency all through.
Happily for me the physicality is downplayed for the most part, but when it does erupt it's done well and with impressive doses of fire and water!
Of course the characterisations are usually straight forwards and the character arch predictable in each case but a decent detailing of each person's moods and motives is provided to give enough human interest to whether people succeed or fail, live it die.
I give this 6/10 and my recommendation for fans of Randolph Scott, Lee Marvin, 50's westerns and suspense. Frankly though anybody happy watching films older than the late 1960's would, I think, get some enjoyment from this one. Even if it's just the well done punchy effectiveness of the opening and climactic sequences.
Having no preconceptions before my first viewing of this, I literally didn't know that it existed till I was watching it, I was very impressed from the opening scene almost without interruption to the marvellous climax; certainly I had enjoyed the film easily enough to swallow the studio happy ending moments.
Fine performances from Scott and stalwart Ray Teal as men on opposite sides of the siege, and also personality profiles, helps a lot. Most of the supporting actors are either very competent and familiar studio character actors plus Lee Marvin displaying swagger in an early role. Marvin definitely gets his characters unsympathetic value out to the fore very directly.
This is a suspense film in its narrative bent and the brisk runtime is well used by the director to heighten suspense: there is a sense of inevitable urgency all through.
Happily for me the physicality is downplayed for the most part, but when it does erupt it's done well and with impressive doses of fire and water!
Of course the characterisations are usually straight forwards and the character arch predictable in each case but a decent detailing of each person's moods and motives is provided to give enough human interest to whether people succeed or fail, live it die.
I give this 6/10 and my recommendation for fans of Randolph Scott, Lee Marvin, 50's westerns and suspense. Frankly though anybody happy watching films older than the late 1960's would, I think, get some enjoyment from this one. Even if it's just the well done punchy effectiveness of the opening and climactic sequences.