THE FURIES

This was a film whose existence I had inexplicably forgotten about, until I stumbled upon it on a streaming platform, and what an exciting discovery it was - a highly rated Western starring Barbara Stanwyck and directed by Anthony Mann.  Wow!

Mind you, to describe it as a Western is rather misleading;  it's really a moody psychological drama with a Western setting, specifically a ranch called (for some strange reason) The Furies, in Texas in the late nineteenth century.  It is owned by TC Jefford, an ebullient widower who has accumulated more land and cattle than he knows what to do with.

Now that he's getting on in years TC is prone to disappearing for long periods to California where his extravagances are threatening the financial viability of his empire.  The weakness of his finances are being obscured to by him issuing his own banknotes, which are essentially IOUs.  TC's relationship with the bank to whom he owes money plays a surprisingly important role in the story as it progresses.

TC is a widower, and the apple of his eye is his daughter Vance (Stanwyck) whose relationship with him seems a little closer than is healthy.  She's more than capable of running things in her father's absence, and he has promised her that she will inherit the ranch eventually.

It's a classic Stanwyck role, that of a strong woman whose tough exterior conceals some feminine vulnerability.  

She falls for a local banker, Rip Darrow, which is unfortunate given that TC killed Rip's father (in a fair fight) some time back, and that part of TC's land (known as the Darrow Strip) was acquired from Rip's father as the result of some legal dispute that went TC's way.

Rip is played by Wendell Corey who is an interesting choice for the part.  He doesn't have classic leading man looks and he doesn't bring a lot of energy to the role.  This being the sort of film that cries out for sub-Freudian analysis it is tempting to think that he represents an alternative father-figure for Vance, in which case it is good casting.  And I felt I detected enough sexual chemistry between the two of them to make their relationship interesting and believable. 

Act One ends with Rip revealing that his courtship of Vance was driven by his desire for revenge on TC rather than any strong feeling for Vance, and that he has no intention of marrying her.  For a weaker woman this might be a devastating blow but Vance takes it in her stride.

Much more of a problem for Vance is the appearance of a widow, Mrs Burnett, who TC brings home.  Vance doesn't welcome a rival for her father's affections, nor does she appreciate Mrs Burnett's efforts to pack her off to Europe on a Grand Tour.  

But the biggest worry is that Vance will be robbed of her inheritance, and when out of the blue she learns of their forthcoming marriage we get the first of two genuinely shocking moments in this film, when Vance in a fit of rage throws some scissors at Mrs Burnett’s face, who is left with a permanent scar.

There is one other character of significance, the handsome Juan Herrara, whose family live on TC's land, which is a source of annoyance to TC and the bank.  The relationship between Vance and Juan is a very close one, since they have been friends since childhood.  They openly acknowledge to each other that he is in love with her, whereas she feels a close bond which borders on love.  They have a ritual whereby when they part they break and share a piece of bread, and say to each other: "until our eyes meet again".  In other words it's an intense relationship in its own curious way.

It is natural for Vance after attacking Mrs Burnett to take refuge with Herrara and his mother and brothers, who live in a house on top of an imposing outcrop.  It's equally natural for TC to bring his men to try to storm the Herraras' property.  To avoid bloodshed Juan offers to leave the land for good, to which TC initially agrees.  But when he realises that Juan's horse once belonged to him TC changes his mind and has Juan hanged, the second shocking moment in this remarkable film.

Act Two thus ends with Vance declaring her undying hatred towards her father.

Act Three revolves around Vance wreaking revenge on her father through some financial shenanighans by which she ends up acquiring TC's ranch, land and cattle.  

In this she is helped by Rip, who it turns out does have feelings for her, so much so that they end up deciding to marry, an arrangement that mixes business and pleasure for both of them.  

TC takes his defeat magnanimously, and there is a sweet reconciliation between father and daughter, and it looks as though the film, against the odds, is going to end happily. 

But The Furies in Greek mythology are agents of vengeance, and so it is appropriate that the last act of the film is one of revenge, that by Juan's mother, shooting TC dead.

TC is played by Walter Huston who gives a typically memorable performance which is both larger-than-life but also at times nuanced enough to reveal the man beneath the legend. 

This was Huston's last film appearance before dying of a heart attack, so TC's dying moments in Vance's arms have an added poignancy.

If the film has any flaw it is that Act Three doesn't quite match up to what has gone before in terms of emotional intensity, but overall this is a terrific film.

Both Stanwyck and Huston are at the top of their game, in roles thst might have been written specifically for them. All the supporting cast do what they need to do, the black-and-white cinematography is splendid, and Franz Waxman provides a decent score, especially in the scene where Vance descends the stairs after her attack on Mrs Burnett.