DVD/BluRay review: Backlash (1956)

Kino Lorber has been releasing some particularly great movies in the western genre, notably "Backlash," which is as much a psychological mystery.

Richard Widmark is Jim Slater, a gunfighter who is searching for the man responsible for his father's death. His father perished in an Apache attack with four other men. Jim believes there was another man who went for help but instead absconded with the gold they had stolen. Getting involved with a woman (Donna Reed) who has similar intentions, Jim tries to unravel the mystery as he is met by a series of obstacles while on his journey.

John Sturges usually directs more conventional westerns like "The Magnificent Seven" and "Gunfight at the OK Corral," but it is he who helmed this drama that centers around Jim's attempt to clear his father's name, not believing he was involved in the robbery. The woman, whose husband was killed in the attack, has her own motives. A further complication is that Jim has never known his father -- he left the family when Jim was born. Sturges approaches Borden Chase's script (from a novel by Frank Gruber) in the same manner as his "Bad day at Black Rock;" building tension with the characters and the story.

Along with the layers to the narrative, and to the central characters, Irving Glassberg's beautiful Technicolor cinematography enhances the visual presentation. Sturges uses the widescreen image to fill the negative space with striking scenery framing the characters and the action. The supporting cast includes Harry Morgan, William Campbell, John McIntire, Barton MacLane, and Jack Lambert.

This atmospheric western might not be quite as well-known as other films featuring Widmark, or Reed, or directed by Sturges, or penned by Chase. But it is highly recommended.

Kino Lorber's blu ray features optional commentary by the always interesting and informative Samm Deighan.

The blu ray can be ordered at this link: Backlash/Kino