MovieChat Forums > Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) Discussion > A guy flick for the thinking guy.

A guy flick for the thinking guy.

posted 20 years ago by mercutio-8
7 replies | jump to latest

With action movies of today so full of car chases, explosions, and special effects galore, this neat, short film has genuine tension and excitement and - daresay - a STORY(!)
Reluctant hero Spencer Tracy is threatened by the intimidating personalities of local bully Robert Ryan and his two flunkies, Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin - as opposed to state of the art, slick weaponry. Tension builds at a slow and suspenseful (but never lagging) pace and two main action scenes (a fight in a diner and a final showdown at a deserted hill at night) rival anything that techno trickery of today's action films have to offer.
Truly one to see.

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] neverthereever 19 years ago

Funnily enough when it was released this was the modern day version of the good ol' Western.... A one armed stranger gets off the train in a lonesome town.

[–] terrythomas 18 years ago

I agree totally. This is one of the great underrated thrillers ever made; Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Walter Brennan, Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin are all perfect. ("You want to register a complaint, you got to have evidence. You got evidence, boy?") And the "karate fight" between Spencer Tracy and Ernest Borgnine is, in my humble opinion, one of the great movie fight scenes.

[–] ScottishFilmFan 18 years ago

Just watching it on TCM, had forgotten all about it.

What a classic movie. Real stars, tight plot, great acting.

[–] pdmh48 18 years ago

I'm not a guy,(why be so sexist?) but I love this movie.

[–] daedalus1337 18 years ago

Jesus christ, how is that sexist? People abuse that term and 'racism' SO MUCH. He was being realistic. Look at the demographics for this film:

http://imdb.com/title/tt0047849/ratings#reports

Not only do male voters outnumber female voters nearly 10 to 1, but they also gave it a slightly higher rating on average. So don't be stupid.

[–] pdmh48 16 years ago

I'm not stupid. Either gender can enjoy this great movie. So why call it a "GUY" flick?