Bad Day at Black Rock (1955); directed by John SturgesSpencer Tracy as John J. Macreedy
Best Actor Award- Cannes Film Festival
Nominated Best Actor- Academy Awards (Awarded to Ernest Borgnine for Marty)
Best Actor Award- New York Film Critics
John J. Macreedy: You're not only wrong. You're wrong at the top of your voice.Plot Synopsis- Arriving in the small desert town of Black Rock on a train that has not made the stop in 4 years, John J Macreedy creates an immediate stir with the locals by asking to visit the home of a naturilised Japanese farmer. The farmer’s present whereabouts are unknown and the aggressive attitude of the locals, particularly the men associated with a local landowner (Robert Ryan), suggests that they know more than they are prepared to tell about what happened to the Japanese man and his farm, which has been burnt to the ground.
John J. Macreedy: I don't care anything about Black Rock. Only it just seems to me that there aren't many towns like this in America. But... one town like it is enough. And because I think something kind of bad happened here, Miss Wirth, something I can't quite seem to find a handle to.General comments on the film- This a film that I have seen before and had fond memories of. It fits within that loose genre of thrillers where a lone stranger comes to town and by his actions unleashes deadly forces. Other examples are Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and Leone’s Man with No Name films, A Fistful of Dollars especially.
Where this film differs is that, even though the incident which leads to the farmer’s disappearance happened 4 years previously, the potential for trouble for anyone attempting to discover what happened still exists. Thanks to the cowardice and ineptitude of the local sheriff the crime behind the disappearance was never investigated. Macreedy acts as a catalyst for a lot of old fears to resurface, he does not attempt to clean up the town or divide and conquer for personal gain, his motives are tangential and much more straight-forward than the locals believe. His seeming vulnerability to the physical threats of the locals is emphasised by his war-inflicted disabiliity, he has only one arm. So he seems harmless. He acts more like the return of the missing conscience of the town as a whole. Once he realises he has stirred up potentially violent feelings he does his best to leave; not so easy in a one horse (car) town.
When Macreedy is provoked or threatened he does his best to back away from trouble, and only reacts when he is physically threatened. His use of karate chops to disable his attacker, resonates with the attempts to avoid violence, in line with martial arts philosophy. Another eastern association is Macreedy’s history with a Japanese colleague from the war in Europe.
This is a really strong cast. Tracy faces the villainous trio of Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine (both from The Wild Bunch) and Lee Marvin (from The Dirty Dozen). Borginine especially excels as the bully who Tracy eventually disarms with a couple of nasty chops to the neck. Ironically, Borgnine beats out Tracy for the Oscar that year. Borgnine was a highly underused actor too easy to cast as a heavy because of his physicality. It was also great to see Walter Brennan, who starred in many more straight up Westerns, like My darling Clementine. Here he is a Doctor who is mixed up in the affair but is most positively affected by Macreedy’s presence.
John J.Macreedy: You know, I know what your trouble is, son. You'd like me to die quickly, wouldn't you, without wasting too much of your time; or quietly, so I won't embarrass you too much; or even thankfully, so your memory of the occasion won't be too unpleasant.Comments on Tracy’s Performance- This film relies very heavily on Tracy’s presence and, perhaps his reputation in movies. By simply appearing in town, and asking to see the burnt out remains of the farmer’s house and if anyone knows where the guy went, he stirs up emotions very rapidly. It happens a little too quickly to be completely believable and even though Macreedy has only one arm he generates an awful lot of trepidation almost as soon as he steps off the train. However it gives Tracy the opportunity to calmly face up to the trouble he causes. His reaction when threatened is a laconic half-smile. He cocks his head to the side and talks from the corner of his mouth; when asking people difficult questions. He has a world-weary attitude even when the threats turn physical. He is playing a war veteran and displays a natural conviction in his ability to act correctly in the face of danger. There is a strong impression that he only needs one arm to beat these bullies.
However, when required to provide more substantial dialogue his delivery becomes less slurred and relaxed and becomes precise, with the effect that his words appear to be cutting away at the facade of the characters trying to lie to him. I expect as I look at some of his earlier films to see this natural style developing.
Film Star who may have been taking notes from Tracy’s performance- Robert DuVall. Tracy is invariably speaking to someone who he knows is trying to hide something from him in this film. He asks questions as if he expects to be lied to. He delivers his questions through a lop-sided smile to convey this assumption and also to let you know he finds the attempts to lie to him to be amusing and dull-headed. It reminded me of a lot of DuVall’s Seventies performances where that same kind of smile is invariably on his face when he is having an argument.
Overall impressions- I enjoyed seeing Bad Day at Black Rock again. I was struck by the load Spencer Tracy has to carry as the catalyst in the picture. Another actor may not have had the ability to convey so much with a look or a smile, and this would have left you wondering why the townspeople get so jumpy so quickly. Tracy is also putting himself in danger over a matter of honour and the character’s integrity is linked to Tracy’s own screen persona.
Grade- B+. A simple story elevated by a strong cast.