Bad Day at Black Rock

A bona fide classic drama in a western setting. I'm not big on either, but I'm not big on westerns regardless, so I figured some dramatic counterbalance might actually do the film some good. And in some ways it did, though it was hardly enough to make a real impact. At least the film was short.

Coming back from the war, veteran Macreedy arrives in a little town called Black Rock. He is looking for a Japanese farmer who has a ranch in the neighborhood, but the people in Black Rock don't take kindly to strangers. Certainly not when they are visiting someone who is still considered a public enemy.

I didn't care for the setting, nor for the characters. They are still caricatures to me, trying to survive in what is supposed to be a tense and poignant drama. It's a combination that simply does not work. I'm not a big fan of the technicolor cinematography either, which just leaves the short runtime.