MovieChat Forums > Yellow Sky (1948) Discussion > The 'love' story part of this (SPOILERS)

The 'love' story part of this (SPOILERS)

posted 13 years ago by zuzupetal_99
4 replies | jump to latest

I know this movie is dated, but I still had a hard time with the match up of Peck's character and the girl. Yes, Gregory Peck was devestatingly handsome, but I didn't find him so in this movie, I guess b/c of his character. He keeps the men away from her, but it's only b/c he wants her for himself. She saves their lives by showing them water, they provide food for these 6 men, and in return they leer at her & try forcing themselves on her - Peck included, shoot her grandpa, make them prisoners in their own home, and take their gold. I guess the "deal" they made w/ the old man was noble if you can call it that b/c they let him keep some of what they were stealing from him! Then after terrorizing the grandfather & his granddaughter, the girl & the leader of this gang fall in love - ??? The movie was okay; the cinematography & acting were well-done, and I even thought the ending was kinda cute, but I didn't really enjoy the movie overall.

"Are you going to your grave with unlived lives in your veins?" ~ The Good Girl

[–] turtletommy 13 years ago

Peck was just miscast as a leader of tough outlaws, to begin with, but I didn't find it that strange or unusual that these rough men would bite the hand that fed them so to speak, regarding leering after the pretty gal in their situation. Or that Peck or his men showed inconsistent behavior in the circumstance they were in. As for the woman falling for the leader of the gang it's a Hollywood cliche and besides, some women are supposedly attracted to "bad" men.
I enjoyed this film it's a minor classic and I didn't find it that "dated". Peck did a better turn as a bad guy (which let's be honest is generally against type for him) as the lead in The Gunfighter, a great western classic.

[–] Jason_Radley 11 years ago

I'm not sure how tough the gang really are when you consider the individual members. More a bunch of strays than The Wild Bunch.

What slightly troubled me was that an important plot point, pertinent to Stretch's character, was left unresolved. Was the story he told the old man and the girl about his childhood and swearing on the Bible genuine, or was it, as he implied the gang, just a ploy to make them go along with him?

[–] turtletommy 11 years ago

I don't recall what Stretch said about his childhood but I do remember him swearing on a Bible to Mike and Grandpa that he would honor what he promised them about sharing the gold. Dude (Widmark) was eavesdropping in on the conversation- again I can't recall what was said later to the gang about it. At any rate I'm inclined to believe that the swearing on the Bible was genuine to show the good in his character, which was further illustrated when the loot was returned to the bank they had earlier robbed. I realize that this is all a tad far-fetched scenario but it may have had something to do with the screenwriter & filmmakers having to stay within the confines of the production code, which didn't allow bad guys "getting away with it" at story's end.

[–] Prismark10 10 years ago

The way they leered at her actually looked uncomforting and Peck looked miscast.

Its that man again!!