Stars: Spencer Tracy, Lee Marvin, Walter Brennan, Robert Ryan, Earnest Borgnine, Ann Francis.
Not a Western
Often labeled a "Western" Black Rock is actually a technicolor film-noir, set in small western town. Its closer to Crossfire (1947) , another Dore Sharey anti-racist sermon, then Shane or True Grit. Only 81 minutes, we follow Spenser Tracy, a crippled Veteran, as he tries to find Komoko, a local Japanese farmer, and give him the medal his dead war-hero son earned in Italy. Strangely, no one's seen Komoko since December 8th 1941, and he never made it to the Relocation camp in April 1942.
Still Enjoyable
After the first viewing, Black Rock still remains a pleasurable experience almost in spite of the mediocre script and the melodramatic story. Partly, its the acting. What a great cast! Almost everyone is an academy award winner. And I want Ann Francis running my local Gas station. Why doesn't my mechanic look like her? Also to be enjoyed are the technicolor photography, desert location, and the tight, not a wasted moment, direction.
The Unlikable Hero
Re-watching I was struck by how insulting and self-righteous Tracy's character is. Now, given the evil nature of Ryan and his goons - its justified -to an extent. But Tracy's acts the same way toward the Hotel Clerk, Ann Francis, Walter Brennan and the Sheriff - who all neutral or want to help him! In fact, that's one of the big flaws. Everyone puts up with Tracy's nosey/hostile attitude, when most normal people would've told him to go to hell. After all, he's not a Cop - and they don't have to answer to a self-appointed avenger.
For example, when the scared Telegraph Clerk shows Tracy's telegram to Ryan. Tracy triumphantly thunders that the Clerk has just earned himself "a year in Federal Prison" for divulging a "private telegram." I actually applauded Lee Marvin (who's a rattlesnake in a cowboy hat) when he tore up the telegram and said "No evidence, no crime."
The Overpraised Anti-racism
The movie is constantly overpraised for its "Brave" stance against Anti-Japanese racism. It's a very small part of the movie. Never does Tracy attack the relocation of the Japanese-Americans. He doesn't even mention Komoko's son was a war hero till the very end. Instead, all we get is Tracy sneering at Ryan, when he blames all Japanese-Americans for the Pearl Harbor sneak attack. "Was Komoko at Pearl Harbor?" Tracy snarks.
The movie's Weird view of Patriotism
The movie paints Ryan as a completely black-hearted villain. He's greedy, murderous, nasty, and a complete bigot. He's the obvious bad guy from scene one. But the script paints Ryan as patriotic! Ryan, y'see tried to enlist after Pearl Harbor but was turned down, which made him so angry, he took it out on Komko. Since the producers want us to dislike Ryan, you wonder why they tried to tie Ryan's villainy to his patriotism.
Summary: Despite its flaws of a way-too-old for-the part Spenser Tracy, a melodramatic story and some unrealistic plot holes, Bad Day at Black Rock is still worth re-watching due to the cast and fine direction/photography. Lee Marvin, Ernie Borgnine, and Robert Ryan make a wonderful evil trio and Walter Brennan and Tracy do their usual grand job. But its been overpraised for some run-of-the-mill anti-racism. You wonder how many critics would sing its praises so loudly if "Komoko" had been a German-American. Rating 3 of 4 stars.
