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Reviews
The Mountain (1956)
another great great movie
Although some criticisms of this movie seem fair on the surface such as the vast age difference between the two brothers portrayed by Spencer Tracy and Robert Wagner, most of the criticisms even as fair as they may be fall by the wayside when you start watching the film. This is basically a tale of two brothers, one good and one evil. The story just sucks you in to it and the characters and it doesn't let go even if the characters are much too simply drawn.
The whole thing starts when a plane crashes on top of an Alpine peak.
SPOILER ALERT! The first rescue attempt fails and ends in disaster. But then Wagner coerces his older brother Tracy into taking him up the mountain in order to rob the passengers of their money and jewelry. Tracy at first refuses these demands from Wagner until Wagner turns completely nasty to get his way.
The climbing sequences are especially well done and certainly among the best mountain climbing sequences ever filmed.
I certainly appreciated the high moral tone the film took in showing the stark difference between good and evil. Few films ever do that especially the modern ones which is one reason why I much prefer older films and classic films made during the golden age of Hollywood.
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
one of the all time greats
I wish they would come out with a Spencer Tracy DVD collection that would include INHERIT THE WIND, THE MOUNTAIN, SAN FRANCISCO, IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD, JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG and this movie, BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK.
This is one terrific movie.
SPOILER ALERT! Tracy plays a one armed man, a veteran wounded in the war, on a personal mission to a small desert town in the middle of nowhere. As soon as he arrives, he runs into a brick wall of silence by almost all the townspeople. The town harbors a deep dark secret and they are all afraid that this newcomer may uncover the ugly truth. Which he does but not before being insulted many times and almost killed any number of times. The main villains feature a veritable three musketeers of experienced heavies, namely Robert Ryan, Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine. They mercilessly taunt the stranger until the final straw is broken when Tracy wipes out the very nasty Borgnine using judo and karate, This is the best scene in the movie. The denouement and climax is especially effective. If you have not seen this truly great movie, do yourself a favor and see it! You will not be sorry you did!