Vengeance Valley

"Vengeance Valley" has a lot going on, greed, loyalty, resentment and a baby born out of wedlock. However, it feels like we are joining the film after intermission with half the story already told.

Rather dull. What could have been a tense examination of fraternal resentment and envy is instead a lifeless melodrama with stiff acting and poor character development. Why does Robert Walker even hate Burt Lancaster so much? He just does and we're supposed to take it for granted. What happens to the girl with the baby? She disappears halfway through the film despite being a key part of the story! The cattle round-up scenes are nicely photographed, but that's about it.

Weakest Burt Lancaster film up to that point. Sadly, it's in a western. Plays his character too straight to make him interesting. Instead it's only Robert Walker excelling in a rare sleazy asshole role for him. If only they'd more scheming things for him to do, because the script lacked thrills. At least Walker manage to keep a certain slippery mood alive during half-assed attempt at a big western.