Review of The Furies (1950) by Tonypolito — 16 Oct 2010

Barbara Stanwyck's star shines bright as desert daylight in this 1950 B&W Western, now Criterion resto-discovery.

Stanwyck's the incredibly strong-willed woman that rides herd rough-shod over the family's 1870ish sprawling New Mexico cattle ranch - as well as running her own father (Huston) through an incestuous relationship (veiled just enough to rattlesnake past mid-Century censors) built upon his eerie pining for his dead wife.

Meanwhile, Stanwyck has to corral Huston's gold-digging suitor (Anderson) to keep Daddy well roped. On the side, Stanwyck's romping with her childhood sweetheart, the leader of the ranch's Mexican squatters/rustlers (also implied, due to its untimely racial content) who are positioning for clear gunshot at Huston.

And Stanwyck's also wooing the dapper saloon-owner (Corey) who's scheming to steal away the ranch for his own - and who happens to be the only man who can turn Stanwyck into a whimpering, submissive school-girl with a mere rap across the face - or so it seems.

All Stanwyck's juggling and scheming is toward ensuring the family keeps tight rein over the future that Dad once carved for them out of the scrub-brush.

Taken together, it's as much Shakespearean tempest as celluloid can likely hold - and more than enough to fill an entire volume of Freudian analysis. Sourced from a 1948 Niven Busch novel, visionary in its casting of a strong female protagonist within a Western.

Stanwyck's stellar dramatic performance - and all the suspenseful twists surrounding who's going to catch lead and who's going to get the deed to the ranch - add up to a solid, smart, top-tier Western only now finding its due, thanks to the efforts of Criterion. Naturally, Criterion has stuffed the disc full with extras.

RECOMMENDATION: Worthy viewing.