FightingWesterner Pride, resentment, jealousy, and prejudice boil over in this complex grown-up western, featuring hard boiled performances by Spencer Tracy, as a tightly-wound cattle baron, and Richard Widmark as his hate-filled eldest son. Contrasting them are Robert Wagner and Katy Jurado as Tracy's virtuous (and favorite) youngest son and loyal Indian wife.Right on target from start to finish, Broken Lance manages to squeeze three hours worth of epic drama into a lean ninety-six minutes. There's enough material here to have made a TV-miniseries.As good as it was, in the end there were still a few unanswered questions. Did Wagner regain his birthright? How did he deal with his other two brothers and the governor? The film should have been fifteen minutes longer!

Luis Guillermo Cardona Edward Dmytryk was a skilled director. He showed plenty of memorable titles as in "Murder My Sweet" "The Caine Mutiny," "Warlock", "Raintree County"... where he showed narrative skill, a most correct direction of actors and impressive staging.The one that concerns us: "Broken Lance" is, for our taste, one of his best films. Told from a long flashback that begins after Joe Devereaux returns to his old home after spending three years in prison, the narrative focuses on the eventful life of the landlord Matthew Devereaux (a superb and brilliant Spencer Tracy) and his difficult relationship with his children and unhappy with the environment that surrounds it. Matt is a man who loves nature and respects animals. It is also a just and loving husband with his Indian wife (Katy Jurado's always accurate Oscar nominee for this role), loves much the son she had with her (Joe), but the children of his former wife, now deceased, is intolerant and demanding. Their conflict develops into a crescendo that prevents us from a storm that seems inevitable. Dmytryk will recreate every nuance of arrogance and the film emerges as a psychological portrait of great importance. Matt is contrasting as day. Defend the Indians and some even work for him. Your home is an earthly paradise and think, clearly, a man of privilege.But as in all light is usually a shade to Matthew is impossible to get along with their children and this makes the paradise into an inferno. The river that crosses his land is a symbol of the flow of life: sometimes calm... sometimes with rocks impeding the flow. Sometimes of course... and sometimes murky. Remake of "House of Strangers" by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, the story of "Broken Lance" refers to "King Lear" by William Shakespeare and even "The Brothers Karamazov" by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Materials, all of these, essential in the cultural baggage of any human being. "Broken Lance" can also be made in any list of classic western movies.

ianlouisiana Irish - American rancher Matt Deveraux hands over control of his empire to his sons,two young no ' count wasters and a hard working older sibling who actually has the nous to improve the business.A fourth son,from his second wife,an Indian,is not well regarded by his brothers.He is the western equivalent of the child born on the wrong side of the blanket. Devraux dies when his youngest is in prison,and his release triggers the tale told in flashback. Mr S.Tracy is first class as Deveraux,waspish,emotional,ruthless yet vulnerable.His almost bi - polar qualities are well captured and Tracy's portrait is quite sympathetic although you wouldn't want to cross him. Back in the 50s it was acceptable to equate an Irish background with hot - tempered passion without falling foul of the "stereotype police" and references are made to Tracy's father emigrating to escape the potato famine just in case we hadn't got the message. Mr Holliman and Mr O'Brian are fine as the no - good sons, as weak and cowardly as Mr Widmark is ambitious and visionary. As the fourth son,a "half =- breed" as he refers to himself(what were we thinking of?)Mr Robert Wagner,bronzed up like an Essex Girl after two weeks in Marbella,glowers and displays what looks suspiciously like eye - liner. Mr E.G. Marshall plays the Indian - hating Governor with a certain deluded integrity. But really "Broken Lance" is mainly notable for Mr Tracy and the splendid direction by the redoubtable Mr Edward Dmytryk. They combine to raise it well above the bar set for adequate but enjoyable Westerns and to the next level where the real giants gather.

kenjha In this remake of the excellent 1949 film "House of Strangers," the genre is shifted from Film Noir to Western. Unfortunately, it turns into a rather routine oater about a feuding family that falls far short of the original. Tracy is fine as the patriarch, a role played by Edward G. Robinson in the earlier film. Widmark, O'Brian, Holliman, and Wagner play the sons with the last being Tracy's favorite, leading to family friction. Peters plays Wagner's love interest but their relationship lacks the spark and snappy dialog of Richard Conte and Susan Hayward in the first film. Jurado, as Tracy's Indian wife, has little to do except say, "my hose-bund."