One Of The Greatest Movies Ever Made - The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) Discussion

[–] surfrjack 20 years ago

I agree whoe-heartedly. I saw this film for the first time late at night on tele in Australia (before Pay Tv/cable) when they still showed great films on free-to-air TV. It had such a profound effect on me that I sat sobbing at the close of the film for some 1-2 hours!! It was SO not Holllywood - where the righteous are never dealt a bad hand. Most Hollywod films absorb themself in sacharine (sp?) endings that please the masses and placate their conscience that innocence will always triumph. Sorry - but this is not the real world. I cried because the film faithfully portrayed the ugliness of the lynch-mob mentality. I cried because it was SO true. I thought of this film for days & days after. I can TRULY say it is one of the BEST films (of any genre) ever made. I only wish they still made them like this!! Films that leave you angry and make you think - life is NOT a bed of roses, after all.

reply

[–] samsan_lee 20 years ago

Absolutely right! Who could forget the line (and I'm paraphrasing here"..but what is the law if not the conscience of god" and every bit of law is a bit of god's conscience in all of us."
Another film about Mob mentality is Fritz Lang's "Fury" with Spencer Tracy. Curiously, a hard film to find. Ox-Bow was buried, until it was unhearthed by Republic film's which released the DVD a year ago or so.
The more heralded westerns like Shane, High Noon, The Searchers, Rio Bravo or The Good the Bad and The Ugly tend to deal with revenge, redemption or action. Ox-Bow was just a different kind of film, and it was made in the 40's!?! There should be a list of old school films that leave you angry and make you think.
I'd put "The Boy with Green-Hair" (dir by Joseph Losey) in that list, too.

reply

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] csu16387 20 years ago

A short film (about 75 minutes) that delivers the good and gets its message across about mob mentality (Fury is another great film about mob violence). Dana Andrews is the standout, in my opinion. While Henry Fonda is terrific, Andrews' performance is one to remember. Excellent film, and so far it's the best William A. Wellman film I've seen (and he sure made some great ones).

"Dry your eyes baby, it's out of character."

reply

[–] bananapickinape 19 years ago

How on earth can you guys say that????
First of all, there is Rosie person who has absolutely nothing to do with anything, has one scene, and nothing else.
Secondly, they kill the guys mercilessly
Thirdly, the major shoots himself and then opens the door (ERROR!!!)
Fourthly, no dying man would write a letter to his wife about the law!!! He'd write a love letter!
THE MOVIE STUNK

reply

[–] Keatonics 19 years ago

That's the beauty of irony.

Oh, he didn't open the door. The door opened. Was it latched? Obviously not. Wellman made no mistake, the door opened--you know, like a new beginning.

That was a love letter. It may have had legal overtones, but it was very tender and sensuous.

Yes, killed without mercy. That's the central theme of the film--mob rule, and blind justice.

If you didn't like this film, may I suggest "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure?" You are sure to like that one!

reply

[–] ragreen259 19 years ago

"Oh, he didn't open the door. The door opened. Was it latched? Obviously not. Wellman made no mistake, the door opened--you know, like a new beginning."

Pretty hilarious how many people seem to overanalyze movies. It's a mistake, and has been recognized as such for sixty years.

reply

[–] beevee-1 14 years ago

Regarding the 60 YO mistake:
A man hesitant to shoot himself may have a hand on the door knob at the last second. He could involuntarily unlatch it as he fell. No big deal.

reply

[–] ragreen259 19 years ago

Clearly you have no idea of what a great movie is. Go rent a Vin Diesel movie and open another Bud Lite. I hear there's a new one coming out with twice the cgi explosions and car wrecks than the last one had.

reply

[–] DMERCER8 19 years ago

Dear ragreen259,
If this is your idea of entertainment then you have every right to watch it if want to .For this writer,I just can't get enthused about a film that is equated
to The Ox -Bow Incident(1943).They didn't have or need cgi explosions in that film.Give Ox-Bow Incident(1943)a chance sometime... you just might like it.
There's nothing like a vigilante lynch mob to get your blood up like this film has in it....as well as few lynchings that take place in this film.
To Better Days,
BRAD

reply

[–] westhamu 19 years ago

When I was 20 or so (and a fledgling film buff) I'd see landmark films about injustice and moral ambiguity and, in my naivety, think that the only reason they didn't change the world was that not enough people saw them. Now, 25 years later, I realise the world can never change because 80% of the people on this earth, if they even see films like this, will just never get it. I bought Ox-Bow for 10 bucks at Woolies in Australia on spec having never heard of it and was blown away. This film depicts what Australia has become now; a fear-mongered wastrel of a country where an enemy/villain must be found no matter what and the venal knuckleheads in power stoke that fear to the hilt. Bananapickinape, if not taking the piss, is one of those who is too blind to see. Anyone who sees this film and is not moved severely about injustice and it's consequences is either an idiot or an idealogue. The other point to make is that in the 50's, with McCarthyism in full swing, this film would not have been made. We're heading down that path now with Deputy-Dawg Howard's Australia and Sheriff Bush's USA.

reply

[–] rondine 19 years ago

Wow! what a well written reply by westhamu!

I agree completely about this movie being one of the best. I remember the first time I saw it and my complete disbelief that the 7 didn't try to do something to save these innocent men. But how often do we stand by every day & see injustice and do nothing? (another great movie about law/justice is Billy Budd with Peter Ustinov & Robert Ryan.)

This movie will remain eternally a classic in the truest sense of the word. There's really nothing more I can say that hasn't already been said, just wanted to add my "nod of approval" as well. (Don't know about Australia, but as for Bush... I'm convinced *he's* the antichrist.... well, maybe not literally, but he defintely doesn't care about anyone but him. I could go on, but don't want to get started down that long road here.)

reply

[–] westhamu 19 years ago

Cheers, Rondine! A kindred spirit.
I appreciate your Billy Budd recommendation. I read the book in school 30 years ago or so and loved it. However I never knew there was a film and after fruitless investigation I've found it's not available over here (as yet, hopefully). But when it comes out I'll spend good money. Of course, if it's no good I'll be chasing you for a rebate.
Directed by Peter Ustinov and 7.7 on iMDB. That sounds pretty cool! I saw Peter Ustinov on stage in Chicago in 1992; a superb raconteur of the old school if ever there was one. Hairs on the back of the neck stuff.

reply

[–] laurence_dang 18 years ago

Very wise words Westhamu. I somehow still believe that such movies can teach people to be moved against injustice, but more than ever people prefer to be blinded by the Tetleys and Tylers of our world.

reply

[–] westhamu 17 years ago

Who's Tetley and Tyler Laurence?

reply

[–] srklondie 15 years ago

Everyone's entitled to his/her opinion. Looks like you're in the minority, though.
Why don't you try giving it another chance,say, when you get out of high school.You may change your mind.

reply

[–] drystyx 19 years ago

I'll second that. Great movie. Wonder its not shown more often? Maybe its too liberal minded like the other great anti-violence anti-vengance movies that are rarely shown during the Iraq War-Jungle Fighters, Platoon, Southern Comfort, Hang Em High (Eastwood's best movie in my opinion). Think there's a connection to these movies not being aired and the war?

reply

[–] tonygumbrell 18 years ago

Indeed, consider the finale;
the posse of cowboys returns to town to find that: They didn't just hang the wrong rustlers by mistake. There were no rustlers, and no rustled cattle to boot. How does that compare with the rush to invade Iraq. Go back, if you will, and look at the hype leading up to and preceeding the invasion. Compare the response to any opposition to, or even to any mild skeptisism of, the need for the invasion of Iraq to treatment any skeptisism on the part of posse memebers or the kangaroo court they convened in haste received. Those who counseled caution were treated like traitors or criminals or at least like cowards and fools themselves. The bullies won out. Bill O'Reilly as a cheerleader for the war with his aggressive demands for action on Fox news used the same sort of bullying scare tactics that the more sanctimonious and aggresive posse members used to the same effect. The story (and the novella is a great read too) makes for a terrific psychoanalysis of macho bullying, intimidation, and mindless conformity. Note, that the bullies characterize those who stand up to them as weak, and those who conform to their demands and follow like sheep as strong (vicariously strong, so to speak, in as much as they glom on to the coatails of the bullies and ring leaders). O'Reilly and other Fox commentators do this for their poorly educated and insecure listeners. His followers receive from O'Reilly a vicarious feeling of power and strength as he confidently confirms their fears, insecurities, inadequecies, gut-reactions, and ignorance, and then affords a facile remedy (join the ranks, and bellow, and bray, and posture [and kow-tow]).

reply

[–] sean_mcg 18 years ago

Excellent analogy, tonygumbrell. I'm guessing in 1943 an analogy between this movie and the rise of Nazi-ism would have been the appropriate one, but it is equally analogous (in fact probably a better analogy) to the current socio-political climate in the USA as you outlined.

This kind of movie is timeless.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

reply

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ghz123-1 17 years ago

beautifully written tony,to some extent we are all complicite in this war , if your not voicing your objection then you too have blood on your hands.

reply

[–] fanaticita 15 years ago

I've been on a film noir spree, and while this is not classic film noir, it is "noirish" as someone else noted. I agree, this is one of the best films of the era I've seen, and I've seen a lot. Fonda was at his best, and yes it was great ensemble acting.

reply

[–] dbb79 15 years ago

I don't think so, it was good, but not one of the greatest at all.

reply

[–] edalweber 15 years ago

The praise heaped on this movie certainly demonstrates that if something is "politically correct" enough,everyone will turn a blind eye to even the most glaring holes in the plot.The victims are caught under incredibly incriminating circumstances, and the evidence is explained away very implausibly,and some of it never explained away.

reply

[–] ghz123-1 15 years ago

yes the evidence was strong , but they were not asking to be released they were just asking that b/4 u kill them take a breath and do a proper investigation , then if u determine them to be guilty by a jury of ones peers then do what the law allows , hey wait a minute , that wasn't guantonamo was it ?

reply

[–] Skinman82 15 years ago

Does it have to be wrapped neatly with a ribbon and a bow? The evidence was circumstantial - no bill of sale as the cattle were sold away from the ranch, the gun was presumably found on the road near where Kincaid was shot, the old fool started rambling about who "did it" and the other member was an outlaw of some kind. Besides that, the evidence becomes moot because it turns out that Kincaid isn't dead and the Sheriff caught the ones who shot him. Point is that once the mob wanted to lynch them, they couldn't be stopped despite the reasoning of Davies and co. for a fair hearing. Hardly warrants being labelled PC.

reply

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]