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From Amazon.com
One of the first Hollywood films to deal openly with white racism toward Japanese Americans during World War II, this drama directed by 1950s action maestro John Sturges (The Great Escape) stars Spencer Tracy as a one-armed stranger named MacReedy, who arrives in the tiny town of Black Rock on a hot day in 1945. Seeking a hotel room and the whereabouts of an ethnic Japanese farmer named Komoko, MacReedy runs smack into a wall of hostility that escalates into serious threats. In time it becomes apparent that Komoko has been murdered by a local, racist chieftain, Reno Smith (Robert Ryan), who also plans on dispensing with MacReedy. Tracy's hero is forced to fight his way past Smith's goons (among them Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin) and sundry allies (Anne Francis) to keep alive, setting the stage for memorable suspense crisply orchestrated by Sturges. Casting is the film's principal strength, however: Tracy, the indispensable icon of integrity, and Ryan, the indispensable noir image of spiritual blight, are as creatively unlikely a pairing as Sturges's shotgun marriage of Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen in The Magnificent Seven. --Tom Keogh
Amazon.com Essential Video
One of the first Hollywood films to deal openly with white racism toward Japanese Americans during World War II, this drama directed by 1950s action maestro John Sturges (The Great Escape) stars Spencer Tracy as a one-armed stranger named MacReedy, who arrives in the tiny town of Black Rock on a hot day in 1945. Seeking a hotel room and the whereabouts of an ethnic Japanese farmer named Komoko, MacReedy runs smack into a wall of hostility that escalates into serious threats. In time it becomes apparent that Komoko has been murdered by a local, racist chieftain, Reno Smith (Robert Ryan), who also plans on dispensing with MacReedy. Tracy's hero is forced to fight his way past Smith's goons (among them Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin) and sundry allies (Anne Francis) to keep alive, setting the stage for memorable suspense crisply orchestrated by Sturges. Casting is the film's principal strength, however: Tracy, the indispensable icon of integrity, and Ryan, the indispensable noir image of spiritual blight, are as creatively unlikely a pairing as Sturges's shotgun marriage of Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen in The Magnificent Seven. --Tom Keogh
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Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Where is McReedy when we really need him?,
By Marjorie S. Stewart (Lantzville, British Columbia Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Bad Day at Black Rock (VHS Tape)
This is a movie which doesn't "date" because it deals with archetypal (representing oft-repeated types) characters and situations which resonate in our consciousnesses for all time. It's not the fight scenes which move me, in fact, the superhero aspects of Tracy's character detract somewhat from the realities of racism, corruption and guilt over which he somewhat magically triumphs.When I look at this movie today, it speaks to me of the corruption surrounding us in media, politics and business. For the evil, greedy villain, substitute the global corporation. For the sorry townspeople, substitute all of us who put up with today's culture of greed and violence. It's as if the bad guys are still winning. But everybody knows that the appeal of westerns is that the good guys in the white hats always win. The tension of this movie is almost unbearable because the bad guys look unbeatable. I agree that the casting is impeccable, but great casting can't fix a bad movie, as "Gosford Park" demonstrates. The greatness of this particular movie is that it presents the eternal struggle for justice as a 20th century classic western beautifully crafted. I disagree with the reviewer who said tennagers won't understand it. The ones who participate in the "anti-globalisation" movement will know exactly what it's about and there are millions of them. Where is McReedy when we really need him?
5.0 out of 5 stars
Where's the DVD?,
By A Customer
This review is from: Bad Day at Black Rock (VHS Tape)
I saw this film a couple of times as a kid and never forgot it. It still has the same effect on me. I have a widescreen copy on vhs and recently played it to a friend who is an up and coming film maker. He said it was one of the best movies he'd ever seen and is easily as good, if not better, than anything similar of its type produced today. Personally, I think it would even make a great stage play. It HAS to be seen in widescreen which brings me to the big question for MGM: WHERE IS THE DVD? C'mon, MGM! I hope you guys read these reviews!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Small towns are like icebergs...,
By
This review is from: Bad Day at Black Rock (VHS Tape)
There is a lot more to this movie than most people give it credit for. First and foremost, we have the opening sequence of a train stopping at a very small town [we see no more than a dozen buildings]. Throughout the movie the main character John MacReedy played by Spencer Tracy, is trying to navigate the cold-shouldered xenophobia of an isolated desert town. If youï¿ve ever read ï¿Winesburg, Ohioï¿ by Sherwood Anderson, youï¿ll know that things are different in small towns, theyï¿re much more like families. So you have this social psychological factor of the members of the small town avoiding their darker past, along with a deeper mob mentality when dealing with MacReedy. To use a cliché, small towns are icebergs, you see less than there is.Now that there is some basic foundation to the broader issues touched on in the movieï¿s structure, we can move on to the storyline. It is expertly played out in the movie, we are given the small town, MacReedy, and his search for a Japanese man. We see but donï¿t understand the threatening behavior of the town folk; slowly it dawns on us and we are left with one man against a town and its secret. I have never encountered a movie quite like this in both execution and style. It moves quickly, but without the glitz and glam of modern explosion-thons. There is some action, but it is used expertly, and with purpose. The acting is superb, with everyone playing their characters believably. My favorite scene is when MacReedy gets into a fight with a local townsperson played by Ernest Borgnine. Noting that Tracyï¿s character only has one arm, watching him beat the blazes out of Borgnine is entertaining and pleasing. Borgnine played so many idiotic characters in so many movies, all I could think of as Tracy hit him repeatedly was ï¿That was for being the idiot in ï¿Blackhole!ï¿ï¿ ï¿That was for playing the arrogant fool in ï¿The Poseidon Adventureï¿ï¿. All in all, Iï¿d recommend this movie to all except teenagers that wouldnï¿t understand it.
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