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Apache (1954, USA, Aldrich)

It’s amazing how well westerns can be used to make sociological statements, even silly ones.  Here, the last Apache warrior and his woman are radical revolutionaries whose eyes burn in anger at the limits “civilized” society place on their untamed way of life.  Watched it all.  The happy ending was forced, and it shows – none of the actors believe a word they’re saying.  In its honest first half, the message is: Go underground, terrorize the Man, and die young and proud, you glorious rebel you!

The High and the Mighty (1954, USA, Wellmann)

A bunch of people are stuck together on a failing airplane, and Character Drama ensues.  Watched: 15 minutes.  Wasn’t this concept used in a poorly received Norwegian movie recently?  They should have recycled Wellmann’s other movie from that year instead:

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Track of the Cat (1954, USA, Wellmann)

When you watch movies chronologically like this, what happens is that one day you start up yet another movie and discover that someone has just invented a whole new way of making movies.  Just the colors here take my breath away – an entire movie made with the palette of a blood-splattered cow.  It’s like they took one of those dense, dark movies that felt like stage plays and added color and sound along the same lines, and got something so intense that it’s frightening to watch.  Watched it all.  And yes, I guess it’s a failure, but – what an experience.