Customer Reviews

Pursued

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Looking at the other reviews for "Pursued", I don't think I have to repeat the plot summary for this dark, thoughtful 1947 western, directed by Raoul Walsh. While it may seem a bit dated in 2004, "Pursued" must have been considered very adult, compared to most westerns made in the 40s.

By 1947, Robert Mitchum was well on his way to stardom, just a few short years after "Bob" Mitchum was playing small roles in Hopalong Cassidy movies. This may not be one of his best acting performances, but he already had great presence and was to remain one of the most watchable actors in film. Teresa Wright, Judith Anderson and--as Mitchum's nemesis--Dean Jagger are all top-notch.

James Wong Howe's black and white photography is very effective, especially the scenes of Mitchum riding across the rugged New Mexico terrain. The film is often bleak and foreboding, a reflection of the main protagonist's tortured soul.

Except for a few lines here and there, I found the picture quality of the DVD to be excellent.

If you like westerns that are full of action, with clearly defined heroes and villains, "Pursued" may not be for you. If, on the other hand, you would like to own a more cerebral, expertly crafted piece of cinema than the average "shoot-em-up", this film has much to offer.

Jeb Rand (Robert Mitchum) can't understand why everybody hates him, or why so many people want to kill him, and he can't remember much of anything before Ma Callum (Judith Anderson) dragged him out of an orphan cellar and adopted him as one of her own. It's no wonder PURSUED is told as a flashback, this one is all about memory and remembering.
Ma Callum carries him to her home and throws her in a bed with his two new step-siblings, Thor (later played by Teresa Wright) and Adam (later John Rooney.) Ma Callum hurriedly bundles her charges together and they flee into the dark night - she too has inner demons to run from.
And so the stage is set for what has been called the first psychological western. You can safely throw in film noir and melodrama, as well. The psychological elements are a little too pronounced. Jeb suffers from nightmares - a pair of spurred boots moving about in the dark, flashes of light (gunfire?) Ma Callum could probably explain it all to him, but her only words of advice are "What you don't remember doesn't matter. Don't try to remember." The noir elements occur throughout, one of the most obvious is Forbidden Love - Jeb must have liked it when Ma Callum bounced him on that bed the first time; Jeb and Thor fall in love as adults. And then there are the claustrophobic deep shadows and dark corners in the Callum home and the sheer cliff walls of New Mexico. Veering back to the psychological aspects, brother Adam is jealous of Jeb and Thor's love, for more than one reason.
Add one-armed Grant Callum (Dean Jagger) as Jeb's nemesis and you've got a heady stew of melodrama.
This sounds like a recipe for a treacly mess, but it's not. Like everyone else in this one, Grant Callum has a herd of inner demons goading him on, and Jagger is at his oily best. Judith Anderson is superb as the strong frontier woman. Robert Mitchum is, well, the term sloe-eyed comes to mind. Since his character is focused on remembering the past I'll assume it was a conscious decision on his part to play Jeb Rand in such a subdued manner.
Sometimes it's unfair to judge old movies by today's standard. In 1947 PURSUED may have seemed the cutting edge of bold filmmaking. Today it seems a little contrived and predictable. But the location photography in and around Gallup, New Mexico by James Wong Howe is still impressive, and the direction of Raoul Walsh keep this one from going under.

A strange breed of western in that it has a mixed genre: western plus film noir. The psycological elements dominant. The main character, played by Robert Mitchum, experiences a recurring nightmare. Most of the film centers on coming to grips with the meaning behind that nightmare.

Excellent photography by James Wong Howe. The musical score by Max Steiner further enhances this film.

Strangely, this black and white film lovingly restored through the auspices of Mr Martin Scorsese, is not your typical "western". Yes, there are shots fired and men ride horses, but the film is more dominated by two women with the concerns of love, family and hate than it is by the men, even though Mr Mitchum has never looked so dashing, and Dean Jagger is utterly wonderful as the vengeful evil scheming lawyer Uncle. Nor can one possibly ignore the score by Max Steiner who is in full orchestral flight, signalling every sigh, every moment of anger, or anguish. Freud gets a run, as does the legend of Cain and Abel, not to mention revenge tragedy. But above all CHANCE is the central motif - who should go to war, let's toss a coin to decide!!! Who should get the farm - let's toss a coin for it !!! And hero, put upon stepson and one of the characters PURSUED, Mr Mitchum, becomes a professional gambler.
The photography too, gives visual expression to the haunted lives therein. Nevertheless, it is the wonderful Dame Judith Anderson and Teresa Wright who run away with the acting accolades. Every moment they are on, we cannot stop watching them.
In short, well written, beautifully directed work a pleasure to view.

Western noir, and it's pretty good. Angular, shadowy black and white photography (by James Wong Howe), the story told in flashbacks and flashbacks within flashbacks with the resigned narration of Robert Mitchum, a relentless villian, a hidden family mystery that might contain hints of incest...plus gunfights and New Mexico scenery.

Mitchum and Theresa Wright are very good as the possibly doomed couple. Wright seems to me to always have had a "nice girl next door" air about her that, I think, obscured what an excellent actress she was. Not just in Best Years of Our Lives, but look at her in The Little Foxes (where in her first movie she holds up very well with Bette Davis), The Men and Shadow of a Doubt. She knew how to deliver a line. Dean Jagger was almost as ubiquitous a character actor in the late Forties and Fifties as Thomas Mitchell had been in the Thirties and Forties. Jagger usually, it seemed to me, mostly played decent good guys or well intentioned weakings, and with deliberate speech. It was good to see him play so effectively a decisive-spoken out-and-out bad guy.

The DVD transfer is very good, but no extras

As other reviewers have already mentioned , this underated classic is a brilliant combination of film noir & the Wild West. The photography is simply amazing. The flashbacks, dreamlike sequences, & one particularly memorable scene in which Mitchum's stepbrother is seen in the background slowly stalking Mitchum while planning to shoot him are what make this an incredible western. Robert Mitchum plays Jeb Rand, the lone Rand family survivor after a bloody feud. Rescued & raised by Ma Callum (Judith Anderson) he grows up with her two kids: Thor (Teresa Wright) & Adam (John Rodney). Jeb gets along with Thor just great, so great that they fall in love! This doesn't sit well with Adam who never accepts Jeb as a part of the family. Their rivalry only worsens as they grow older, eventually leading to tragic results which tear the family apart. Mitchum commands the screen so well with his amazing performance that he makes acting look easy. This is easily his best western & one of his greatest roles of his career. The chemestry between him & Teresa Wright is one of the best things about this classic. Add Max Steiner's music & you've got one awesome film! And let's not forget the underated Alan Hale, who has a small but memorable supporting role as a friend of Jeb's. Considered as the first psychological western, this is an unforgettable gem that you need to add to your dvd collection.

"Oh Jeb, what happened to us, where did everything go wrong?" -- Teresa Wright to Robert Mitchum


As much psychological mystery as western, this Raoul Walsh film has more in common with noir films of the 1940's than your typical shoot-em-up. Niven Busch's story of a deeply scarred man in love with the girl he grew up with but haunted by a forgotten childhood trauma that might destroy them both is played out against the stark black and white silhouettes of cinematographer James Wong Howe. The result is a film which might be the director's best from his sound period. Walsh made many solid films with great entertainment value during the sound era, and was a fine craftsman. His greatest achievements, however, and what his reputation hangs on, came during the silent era with What Price Glory and The Thief of Bagdad. Both are today considered silent masterpieces.

Max Steiner's dramatic score is already creating a moody atmosphere when we first meet Robert Mitchum and Teresa Wright. Jeb Rand and Thor Callum are in an old run-down shack waiting on danger to arrive. Jeb recalls his story in flashback, hoping to somehow grasp a truth which has been just out of reach his entire life. We see him in his youth, already hanging on to a last name hated so much by some they will even try to kill a child. Though Mrs. Callum (Judith Anderson) raises Jeb with her own daughter and son, his murky identity and different name remain a mystery. Thor will harbor a great love for him not as a sister, and it is that love which will eventually become the catalyst for the truth. But a brother who hates Jeb and a suitor too easily influenced by others will bring about events which leave Jeb wondering if the name Rand means something bad is inside him he can't do anything about.

Walsh twice shows Jeb's life turning on the flip of a coin, pondering whether it is fate or chance which rules our destiny. Mitchum is terrific as a man hoping to remember something which will give him some peace of mind, and bring about an understanding of the past. Lovely Teresa Wright is excellent as the would-be sister who loves him deeply, but at one point has plans for violent vengeance. To reveal anything further would mar the sequence of events for those who have yet to see this. Both mystery and western, love story and psychological suspense film, Pursued is a most unusual cinematic experience. John Rodney, Dean Jagger, Alan Hale, and Harry Carey, Jr. round out a fine cast of film veterans. Walsh knew how to end a film and this one has a good one I won't spoil.

UCLA cleaned this film up and it looks good. If you have a DVD/VCR combo, however, I recommend picking up a less expensive used VHS version. I didn't find the DVD print quality to be spectacular, and both are from the same source. And though I enjoyed it greatly, it is a very unusual film in the genre that others who simply want to see a good western might not find as appealing. If you've seen Mitchum in Robert Wise's Blood on the Moon and liked it, you're probably more likely to go for this one. That being said, it's a must for film buffs.

Interesting camera-work is the main attribute of this late 1940s western. It plays and looks more like a film noir than a western, but there is nothing wrong with that. I enjoyed that aspect, especially the noir-like cinematography. I say the latter because of all the stark black-and-white contrasts, night scenes and facial closeups.

At the same time, it reminded me of a John Ford western with the expansive skies and big rock formations.

I can't say the story is anything special. It's almost frustrating, seeing everyone chase after Robert Mitchum even though the man has done nothing wrong! Yes, it's a paranoid viewer's delight but it got to be a little much of a downe after awhile. However, Mitchum, Teresa Wright, Judith Anderson, Dean Jagger and company all acted well, and I appreciated their talents.

I wanted to watch this movie for one reason--Teresa Wright. I think she's one of the more pleasant actresses from the 40's, and when I saw she was in a thriller I was, well, thrilled!

I guess this would be classified as a western but only because it takes place in the west. It lacks all of the other markers of a traditional western. While I do like westerns, a break from the norm is very refreshing to me.

The premise is that Robert Mitchum is being "pursued" by a man out to kill him for revenge. WHY he is being pursued is the bigger question, though, and a question I will not answer lest I spoil the film. Just resign yourself to the fact that there is action and suspense throughout.

While I liked this film, it was not overwhelming to me, and that is why I am rating it only 4 stars. Wright is her typical pleasant self, Mitchum is a good hero, and Dean Jagger rounds out the stars as the sleazy bad guy. Had the cast been less with the same story this probably would have bombed. Fortunately for us, they picked the right folks!

If you like suspense, westerns or Teresa Wright you will like this film!

Warner Bros.-First National Pictures presents "PERSUED" (1947) (101 min/B&W) -- Starring: Robert Mitchum, Teresa Wright, Judith Anderson, Dean Jagger & Alan Hale

Directed by Raoul Walsh

Chased by a posse to a remote cabin, Jeb (Robert Mitchum) is joined by his fearful wife Thorley (Teresa Wright), awaiting the arrival of the men tracking them, as they try to reason out what has gone wrong in their lives. Jeb can't remember anything about his early childhood except for a horrible incident in which the people around him were killed by a mysterious stranger, whose flashing spurs were all the boy saw. He was raised by Ma Callum (Judith Anderson), alongside her two children, Thorley and Adam, as one of her own. But every time Jeb seemed poised to find peace, or even simple stability in his life, lurking nearby was Grant (Dean Jagger), a one-armed stranger who seemed bent on tormenting him.

Jeb doesn't know who he really is, much less who Grant is, but Grant knows enough about him and is good enough at manipulating human nature to make Jeb a target for jealousy and murder. Making Jeb's life even more complicated is the fact that he and his adopted sister Thorley fell in love with each other, while Adam (John Rodney), his adopted brother, has come to hate him. The machinations around Jeb and Thorley come home to roost in multiple shootings and murder, a deadly chase and a long-planned lynching.

A true western 'noir', one of Mitchum's best.

Fans of Robert Mitchum's noir will be aware that this western noir has a "companion piece" namely Blood on the Moon (1948)

Director Raoul Walsh opens the door to a new expressionism in the western, eventually taken over by Mann and Boetticher.

BIOS:
1. Raoul Walsh (Director)
Date of Birth: 11 March 1887 - New York, New York
Date of Death: 31 December 1980 - Simi Valley, California

2. Robert Mitchum
Date of Birth: 6 August 1917 - Bridgeport, Connecticut
Date of Death: 1 July 1997 - Santa Barbara, California

3. Teresa Wright
Date of Birth: 27 October 1918 - Manhattan, New York City, New York
Date of Death: 6 March 2005 - New Haven, Connecticut

3. Judith Anderson
Date of Birth: 10 February 1897 - Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Date of Death: 3 January 1992 - Santa Barbara, California

4. Dean Jagger
Date of Birth: 7 November 1903 - Columbus Grove, Ohio
Date of Death: 5 February 1991 - Santa Monica, California

5. Alan Hale [aka: Rufus Alan MacKahan]
Date of Birth: 10 February 1892 - Washington, District of Columbia
Date of Death: 22 January 1950 - Hollywood, California

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 4 Stars
Performance: 4 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 101 min on DVD ~ Warner Bros.-First National Pictures ~ (January 21, 2003)