"The Furies" (1950) with Barbara Stanwyck, Wendell Corey, and Walter Huston (his last film) is a loud and brash, semi-Freudian, drama/western/romance definitely rooted in the old Hollywood, directed by Anthony Mann, with interesting, sometimes rather dark outlining cinematography by Victor Milner and Lee Garmes. There is absolutely nothing subtle about "The Furies"; rather, it not only faces you face-to-face, but pokes your eyes out! Some will absolutely love it; some will hate it. I doubt if there are many who will find it in-between. Well, I do... It's a movie that lasts too long - 109 minutes. It should have been an hour and a half. It's a movie that's too brash; it would have been better to soften the Freudian Stanwyck (daughter) versus Huston (father): it nearly appears Oedipal, though its intent is to be less that and more competitive. Still, Stanwyck as female plays the part NOT that way, but instead as if she's a male or androgynous. Perhaps that's the way Niven Busch wrote his novel, but it plays on screen as too much to believe. All of this said, it's a grand film in a grand, old-fashioned presentation that seems to be the kind of movie that's actually coming back in vogue, only nowadays the characters aren't necessarily human, but super-human.
Stanwyck wants to inherit "The Furies", her father's ranch, a very huge, sprawling spread that includes one part that once was owned by the Darrow family, Wendell Corey's family. Corey's father was killed by Huston at one time or another in the past, evidently in competition for the ownership. Corey wants it back. He'll stop at nothing to revenge his father and get the property back. He then meets Stanwyck. Their relationship is a very curious one all the way through, and, frankly, the best part of the film: well-written and well-acted on the front of both actor and actress. The show also has squatters on the ranch, a group of evidently Hispanic native dwellers who've been on the property seemingly forever. Led by matriarch Blanche Yurka, her oldest son, Gilbert Roland, and younger ones who are now a sort of live-in coterie on the top of a high cliff area, they are forced off the land with several other families - eventually. The other families were forced off first; now this last family, originally allowed to remain, are forced off. They resist. Roland is eventually hanged by Huston. Roland had admitted his love for Stanwyck since childhood. Stanwyck certainly loves him, but not romantically, more in an agape way. She now is forced into ultimate hate for her father. What's a family to do? Where does the film need to go?
The end is tragic but grand; solemn but governed by toughness and genuine respect. It's not very real, but it's overly so, in a Hollywoodish way. Hard to summarize... Definitely worth the watch, but once is enough for this decade. Perhaps I'll try again in my middle 80s: by then I'll have enough wisdom or enough senility to enjoy this all over again and not look for critical faults.
Bought this recently from Criterion. Nice Blu-Ray print! Also comes with Niven Busch's novel: nice package! There's a commentary on the Blu-Ray if you wish. There are other extras, too. The only one I cared for was an interview of Huston made in 1931 which was cute. Enjoyed all less than 10 minutes of it.
Stanwyck wants to inherit "The Furies", her father's ranch, a very huge, sprawling spread that includes one part that once was owned by the Darrow family, Wendell Corey's family. Corey's father was killed by Huston at one time or another in the past, evidently in competition for the ownership. Corey wants it back. He'll stop at nothing to revenge his father and get the property back. He then meets Stanwyck. Their relationship is a very curious one all the way through, and, frankly, the best part of the film: well-written and well-acted on the front of both actor and actress. The show also has squatters on the ranch, a group of evidently Hispanic native dwellers who've been on the property seemingly forever. Led by matriarch Blanche Yurka, her oldest son, Gilbert Roland, and younger ones who are now a sort of live-in coterie on the top of a high cliff area, they are forced off the land with several other families - eventually. The other families were forced off first; now this last family, originally allowed to remain, are forced off. They resist. Roland is eventually hanged by Huston. Roland had admitted his love for Stanwyck since childhood. Stanwyck certainly loves him, but not romantically, more in an agape way. She now is forced into ultimate hate for her father. What's a family to do? Where does the film need to go?
The end is tragic but grand; solemn but governed by toughness and genuine respect. It's not very real, but it's overly so, in a Hollywoodish way. Hard to summarize... Definitely worth the watch, but once is enough for this decade. Perhaps I'll try again in my middle 80s: by then I'll have enough wisdom or enough senility to enjoy this all over again and not look for critical faults.
Bought this recently from Criterion. Nice Blu-Ray print! Also comes with Niven Busch's novel: nice package! There's a commentary on the Blu-Ray if you wish. There are other extras, too. The only one I cared for was an interview of Huston made in 1931 which was cute. Enjoyed all less than 10 minutes of it.