Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

I'm lookin for man named Komoko

The film starts with a hauting music and ends with a man stepping off a train in a small town.His mission to hand a over a war medal to a father who is japanese for the gallantly death of his son in the war.This classic film which turns into a first grade thriller is awesome.This word should be used for the perfect cinemascope transfer on this disc.It comes with a very informative audio commentary and a trailer.For my opinion this film delivers Spencer Tracy's best performance and Robert Ryan brings the unforgettable villain.A Must See. July 18, 2008

Tense and Intelligent...

Exactly the way a film of this kind should be, simple but tense, easy to understand but still profound and unforgettable. Spencer Tracy effortlessly plays the "one-armed-man" John J. Macreedy who causes a lot of tension when he steps off a train into a small town that is troubled by a recent tragedy. Their tension turns to hatred and violence as they learn that Macreedy is investigating the town's darkest secret.

This movie is more tense than suspenseful. You can feel the hatred and guilt each time Macreedy walks into a room. As the mystery unravels, the movie's message really comes through, one that may not be timeless, but is still compelling.

Enjoy this one for the brilliant acting from Tracy and other stars such as Robert Ryan, Lee Marvin, Walter Brennan, and Ernest Borgnine, as well as the simply told profound story of how some people will do anything to cover up and even justify their crimes, even if it means committing more. July 1, 2008

Bad Day at Black Rock

This is an absolutely first class production in every way. It has a cast which includes Spencer Tracy,Robert Ryan, Dean Jagger, Walter Brennan, Ernest Borgnine, and Lee Marvin.

The story takes place in the early post WW2 American southwest in a whistlestop settlement served by the Southern Pacific.
Mr. McCready played by Tracy, steps off the train in a quest to find a Japanese -American named Kumoko.
No one wants to speak of Kumoko and the mystery and suspense gradually build to a violent confrontation
with the local thugs who have been guarding the town's grim secret. One of my very favorites! April 28, 2008

A Parable About Collective Guilt

A train runs through a western desert in California. It stops at a tiny town, so small it must be a studio set. One man gets off, he wants to go to Adobe Flat. Loungers stand up to watch this stranger. It is 1945 and the hotel clerk follows the OPA rules. John J. McReedy, who has a lame left arm, came from Los Angeles. The people in town resent this stranger, it seems like they something to hide. There is a lot of talk about what happened 4 years ago. McReedy finds the remains of a burnt house and a well in Adobe Flat. On his way back a car pursues his Jeep and bumps into him, forcing him off the road. [Where did it come from?] When he returns he makes plans to leave.

McReedy is questioned about his activities. There is some pretentious talk to fill in the time. The mortician offers him his hearse as a means to leave town, but there is a wiring problem. There is action in the diner, somebody learns a lesson. [Did a stunt man double for Spencer Tracy's action scenes?] Mr. Smith owns the Sheriff, and the people, like some feudal lord. Finally, the story about Tomiko comes out. Will McReedy be able to leave town? Will some of the people help him? McReedy improvises a defensive weapon and succeeds in leaving town.

This film is a weak echo of "High Noon", not worth watching except as a bad example of a pretentious parable from the 1950s, when western movies went downhill. The story could have made a good episode for "The Outer Limits". The implicit portrayal of a corrupt and powerful big landowner is a redeeming feature, another echo of the traditional western movie.
April 21, 2008

Bad Day at Black Rock Movie Review

Directed by the late great John Sturges, Bad Day at Black Rock is a tense action, drama and Western blend. Beautiful cinematography showcases the sweeping desert vistas in California and veteran actor Spencer Tracy demonstrates his top-notch acting talents. A multifaceted tale of revenge, redemption and stirring courage, Bad Day at Black Rock was a good day for cinema.

John Macreedy (Spencer Tracy) arrives by train to the small town of Black Rock, and is immediately met with antipathy. Mysterious, yet straightforward, he is in search of an old acquaintance, a Japanese man named Komoko who lived nearby in Adobe Flat. The town of Black Rock holds a dark secret, however, and leader Reno Smith (Robert Ryan) will stop at nothing to prevent Macreedy from discovering the whereabouts of Komoko and what happened years ago to force the town into hostility and silence toward all outsiders.

Perhaps the most unique aspect of the film is its cinematography. Director John Sturges uses plenty of wide shots that allow the audience to see the grand mountainscapes and the bright blue sky in the background. An expert eye for scenery and framing, the camera is also almost completely devoid of close-ups. We see from the hat to the boot on every character, in nearly every scene, and we definitely feel voyeuristic and as much of an outsider to Black Rock as Tracy must feel receiving the cold shoulder from the townsfolk. These widescreen views make the town even more isolated from the world around it.

The film follows a very Western feel, with a rugged cowboy look complete with dust, sand and deserts. But it is oddly modernized with the use of cars instead of horses, set right after World War II. In a particularly exciting scene, Macreedy is chased through a forlorn and dusty road by the henchman Coley (Ernest Borgnine). Intense and explosive, this is not your standard car chase; it feels like an Old West chase on horseback with mechanical beasts substituting the standard Western animals.

Macreedy is a unique character, magnificently portrayed by Spencer Tracy. Maimed in the war, he keeps one hand in his pocket at all times, giving him a harmless appearance. However, he has a confident, stern gaze, and while he gives in at times to avoid unnecessary battles, he's seemingly unafraid of anything. Though he uses his intelligence to avoid physical fighting, in an unavoidable confrontation, he is surprisingly able to coolly defend himself one-handed with skillful combat expertise. He chooses most often to use his wits over brute force, but he clearly has control over both. Almost single-handedly cleaning up the fearful town, he uses guilt and conscience to persuade the town to do the right thing, despite the stranglehold Reno Smith has over all of them.

Bad Day at Black Rock has plenty of suspense, but at times almost drags out too long. Carefully but perhaps too slowly, it fills the audience in on the town's dark secret. Early on it is fairly obvious as to what has happened - so all the anticipation that is built up overshadows the actual revealing of truths. It's enough for us to witness Macreedy's survival and his brandishing justice.

A noirish Western with suspense and drama, Bad Day at Black Rock is very much a classic, with careful character studies, an exemplary lead protagonist and excellent action. Nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Director, Screenplay and Actor, this is Spencer Tracy at his best.

- Mike Massie
February 26, 2008

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