Decision at Sundown

There's hardly anyone to root for in this mature and intriguing western, Budd Boetticher's finest. Most of the main characters are morally ambiguous at best but at least a little bit sympathetic. The text and delivery are no better than average for a western but I thought the plot and characters were generally excellent (better than the Boetticher westerns penned by Burt Kennedy). The only character whose development arc rang false was that of Lucy Summerton.

Simple but well made western benefits greatly from its restricted setting, which Boetticher takes full advantage of. The characters are quite ambiguous--both the 'hero' and 'villain' have skeletons--and while the budgetary contraints are obvious at times, Boetticher directs at a brisk and steady pace, which really helps set the stage for the final showdown. Scott is stronger here than he was in The Tall T, and Carroll is also fine as his mortal adversary.

This movie very interesting and successfully plays with the trope of the rightful protagonist bent on revenge for the loss of his lover not being so rightful after all. The moral ambiguity of the characters make this a fine mature Western.

What a surprising film. It's very closed in, largely taking place inside a couple of key buildings. And the interiority speaks to the narrowed vision of some of the key players in the story, people who act before understanding, who look to their own way of being more than looking out for their neighbors.

Boetticher some very interesting things with story and characters, including the supporting ones. Boetticher's characters are always interesting, but here he really does a good job of meshing them with the story. The roles were cast well, too. Watching this unfold and evolve was truly a delight.

Vengeance at last! Didn't expect a drama set in basically a saloon and couple of rooms. The interactions of the townspeople was a nice angle in contrast to usual duel at sundown type westerns. Interesting gray areas for good/bad guys. Fav scene: arguing with his crew about how they gave up a lot in the last few years chasing this guy as well.

Viewed April 28, 2021.

I really like this film, and the ending is so surprising and moving that I would like to rate it higher, but--in spite of good Boetticher direction and a fine Scott performance--it is still too talky and too much confined to one set (the saloon.)

These satisfy my needs in the context of the generic western in the most sublime way. Not too formulaic, not too innovative. Just right on the money.

Not bad. I actually like a little older Randolph Scott. He was nice and gritty in this one.

Star Rating: ★★★1/2

Curious western in which the "hero" spurns all opportunities to learn from his mistakes and leaves town less of a man than when he entered. Unfortunately, while the film has plenty of substance, there's little in the way of style, with bland cinematography, wooden acting from the supporting cast and a general lack of tension.