DVD Review: Fritz Lang’s WESTERN UNION (1941)

WESTERN UNION

Directed by Fritz Lang. Starring Randolph Scott, Virginia Gilmore, John Carradine, Robert Young, Dean Jagger, Slim Summerville, Chill Wills, Barton MacLane.

Released February 21, 1941. Technicolor. Kino Lorber blu ray.

Fritz Lang had a real respect for the western genre, even if his own work didn’t correspond as well with it. Still, as a director he makes great use of the vastness of the negative space that frames each sequence, the Technicolor image allowing for the bluest blues and the deepest browns in the outdoor footage. The fact that Kino Lorber’s restoration creates a sharpness that even Lang might not have realized makes WESTERN UNION an outstanding blu ray release.

Lang’s vision behind the camera doesn’t take away from the fact that WESTERN UNION really is a rather conventional Hollywood western about the laying of the first coast-to-coast telegraph wire, based on a story by Zane Grey. It features top Hollywood actors who were quite popular at the time, including the anchoring presence of Randolph Scott, a western actor who rivaled John Wayne throughout his career.

The conventionality does not negate the cinematic impact of this movie. WESTERN UNION is one of the stronger westerns of its time (in a period review, The New York Times called it “spectacular entertainment”). It deftly balances action sequences with plot exposition, offers well drawn characters played by a talented cast of veteran actors, and its Technicolor imagery is striking. The vibrance of the color is made even more effective by Kino Lorber’s restoration, using the best available source material.

Lang seems most comfortable with character development than with action sequences, although much has been said about his 180 degree shot that sets up the initial Indian attack. Most of Lang’s best known work (i.e. his silents films that helped define German Expressionist cinema) focused more on the specifics of entrapment, so his exploring wide open spaces is a neat touch. But the way he lights his more intimate scenes, such as cross-cutting between two closeups of actors talking, are even more striking in their uses of shadows that dull the brightness of the Technicolor image for a greater dramatic effect.

WESTERN UNION is a top drawer example of the genre, Randolph Scott appearing more closely inspired by the intense William S. Hart approach to the western hero than the more stylish Tom Mix. His presence stands out among a very strong cast featuring many top supporting actors of the time, many who were staples of the western genre.

The blu ray or DVD can be purchased here.