Rent Rancho Notorious (1952)

Western Noir. - Rancho Notorious review by Steve

Strange, eerie low budget western shot entirely on studio sets. The lack of realism gives the film a unique atmosphere. The painted rural exteriors look like landscapes by Salvador Dali. And the narration is provided by a melodramatic country ballad. Lang's direction is way classier and more visually striking than is usual for a B film.

Though a western, and in Technicolor, it feels like film noir. It looks so dark. The blackness of the shadows seeps into the inky, nocturnal colours. Like noir it is full of flashbacks, mainly into the backstory of Marlene Dietrich, the impassive femme fatale who runs a refuge for outlaws.

Arthur Kennedy is the relentless, borderline crazy cowboy searching among these gunfighters for the killer of his girl. His obsession eventually makes him seem a lot like the fugitives who hide from the law at the Spanish colonial ranch, particularly the saturnine Mel Ferrer, a kind of alter-ego for Kennedy, and Marlene's top gun.

 The action scenes are well staged, particularly a convincing punch up in a saloon and a climactic shootout. The performances are all enjoyably intense, especially Kennedy in a rare starring role. There's some good terse, bleak dialogue and Marlene has a song. But it's the pessimistic noirish theme of compulsion that makes it so memorable.