Rancho Notorious (1952)
Surprisingly both very classical western and ahead of its time. Maybe my brain is connecting things that aren’t there, but I see some spaghetti western elements here. From the rather hokey song to the dedicated revenge plot, though the aesthetics and - rather poor - set design is very much 50s American western. Noteworthy for a strong performance by Marlene Dietrich, who was over 50 at the time but still got a strong leading role this. That counts for something given the time this was released in. Her role reminded me of Joan Crawford’s in <a href=”https://letterboxd.com/jwldk/film/johnny-guitar/>Johnny Guitar</a> and Barbara Stanwyck in <a href=”https://letterboxd.com/jwldk/film/forty-guns/>Forty Guns</a>. The 50s westerns could produce quality female leading characters.
Arthur Kennedy is also convincing in his quest, his lust for revenge really breaks through the screen. The rape and murder of his fiancee is not just a plot vehicle, like it would probably be in many other westerns. It is more deep felt than usual. A really powerful scene when he finally discovers who the killer is.
Rating: 3.5