Watched: Yellow Sky

Very much what, I think, people think of when they refer to the "classic Western". Wikipedia says this was supposedly based on The Tempest, although I have never seen nor read that so I can't attest. But it does have kind of the feel that it's taking elements from something else (I was getting a heavy blend of High Noon and Treasure of the Sierra Madre from the plot mechanics). And also, the romantic story between Anne Baxter's 'Mike/Constance Mae' and Gregory Peck's 'Stretch' (two stupid name demerits there, guys) is just shy of non-consensual, which I really wish classic Westerns did less of. Hear me, William A. Wellman? Less of that, please. On the one hand, I understand the entire group of men acting like complete pigs to this girl and her decrepit grandfather, the only people left in an otherwise ghost town. On the other hand, it gets pretty gross.

That being said, DAMN, did the man (or whoever was working for him) know how to frame shot or what? There are some epic, gorgeous, totally iconic shots in this thing. I'd never watched the movie before yet I recognized them the minute I saw them from years of imitation in other Westerns, Looney Tunes, and various other media. Well done there, everyone involved in that aspect.

Also, I love Anne Baxter. She continually plays batshit crazy characters who are either spit-nails tough or vulnerable in an extremely dangerous and deceitful way. I'm think specifically of All About Eve, where she plays the young sycophant who drives Bette Davis' prima donna into a drunken, paranoid frenzy, but she's also great in The Magnificent Ambersons and The Blue Gardenia. Wikipedia lists her as being in the 1956 The Ten Commandments as well although I only vaguely remember her, mostly that voice. It seemed like she was always speaking several registers deeper than what you would expect her to sound like, and she was always just a little bit out of breath. Helped with the whole slightly crazy character she did so well.

Also, Gregory Peck is in this. He is both square-jawed and handsome, so well done there. Okay fine his performance is good. But it's no Atticus Finch.