Review of Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) by Joel W — 07 Aug 2011

The intensity of this slow burning drama is almost unbearable at times, such is the powerfully taut dialogue between the eternally cool Spencer Tracy and a small isolated town filled with anxiety and suspicion.

Tracy plays J.J MacReedy, a stranger who comes to the small township in the middle of the desert with an unknown motive other than to find a Japanese farmer called Komoko. He is met with hostility and harassment as the constituents try to decipher what his reasons for coming to town are, all the while trying to maintain a dark secret of their own.

As the aggression and suspense escalates to a frantic pace I found myself holding my breath with anticipation, eager to discover what it is all about and terrified of the outcome of such information. Sturges deserve great respect for commanding such tension with a cast filled with quality, while Tracy provides a calm to Borgnine and Marvin's brutish bullies.

And these were the major strengths of the movie, as although the acting and direction are spot on, at times the racial message seemed a little forced and the narrative a little sparse (not to mention no explanation whatsoever as to why the township consists of only one female!).

However, these are minor flaws in a movie which was driven with suspense from start to finish, and one which highlights some great acting talent on show.