The Violent Men (1955)
Cracking western in which Glenn Ford plays a rancher who is drawn into conflict with a nearby wealthy land grabbing family headed by Edward G Robinson and his wife Barbara Stanwyck.
One of those films that doesn't quite play by the rules. You usually expect the rancher to be persecuted until the last ten minutes when he finally snaps and there's a showdown but The Violent Men is different.
Ford was a former cavalry officer and very quickly rounds up other persecuted locals and starts fighting back immediately. Think a 1950's Rambo film and you won't be far wrong. They shoot a man, Ford and co ambush them in the hills, they burn his ranch, he stampedes their cattle through their home before burning it to the ground. And so it goes.
As well as all the action there's a smouldering sub plot with Stanwyck having an affair with Edward G's brother which leads to betrayal and murder.
So all in all a really enjoyable genre piece that's not as predictable as you may imagine.
Pity there's no Blu-ray available anywhere. The Cinemascope picture would look stunning.
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