Duel in the Sun
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Movie Reviews of Duel in the Sun
Movie Review: Duality
Summary: 3 Stars
Q: What would happen if "Gone with the Wind" overdosed on Spanish Fly and wandered into the desert?
A: This movie, which is a Technicolor fever dream from David O. Selznick's speed-addled memo pad. Jennifer Jones comes between a wise but dull saint (Joseph Cotton) and his cruel but more exciting brother (Gregory Peck, eons from Atticus Finch). Jones is frequently shown scrubbing floors on all fours, boasting of her bareback prowess or literally writhing with sexual frustration. Her mind-boggling changes of, um, heart make this much more fun than it might've been, as does Lionel Barrymore's snickering, racist patriarch.
Movie Review: Technicolor Triumphs!
Summary: 3 Stars
Producer David O. Selznick's "Duel in the Sun" (1946) remains a classic among bad movies. Bathed in Glorious Technicolor, Selznick's attempt to outdo "Gone With the Wind" (1939) is evident in each frame of this psychosexual Western epic. Despite a ludicrous script, the film has a spellbinding visual power, a truly memorable cast and some bravura action sequences. "Duel in the Sun" represents the best and worst of Selznick in equal measure.
Movie Review: Duel in the sun
Summary: 3 Stars
This is a great love movie,expect for the control of Luke over this girl. It reminds me of some of these abusers around that think they own a woman,once they have a relationship. Other than that it is a great movie.great love scenes, even though their love is toxic.Movie Review: Dated and under-achieving
Summary: 2 Stars
"Duel in the Sun" (1947) was written and produced by David Selznick and stars Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotton, Gregory Peck, Lillian Gish, and Lionel Barrymore. It was to be Selznick's follow-up to "Gone with the Wind" (1939), the film he is most remembered for. Selznick was nominated for 8 other Oscars for films as diverse as "Viva Villa" (1934), "David Copperfield" (1935), "A Tale of Two Cities" (1936), "A Star is Born" (1937), "Rebecca" (1940) and "Spellbound" (1945). Beyond these, he was also involved in one capacity or another in such classics as "A Farewell to Arms" (1957) and "The Third Man" (1949) among the nearly 90 films he produced.
Selznick married Jennifer Jones in 1949, but their relationship started in 1944 on "Since You Went Away". "Duel" was their next film, and it was followed by "Portrait of Jennie" (1948) with Joseph Cotton, "Indiscretion of an American Wife" (1953) with Monty Clift, and "A Farewell to Arms" (1957) which was Selznick's last film. Jones was nominated for an Oscar 5 times and won once ("Song of Bernadette" in 1943) - a pretty good record for a woman who made only two dozen films.
In this film Jones plays a sexually charged half breed (part Native American) who has an ill fated relationship with Gregory Peck. Peck is a film icon, ranked #12 on the AFI list of Greatest Male Actors. He won an Oscar for "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962) and was nominated 4 more times ("Twelve O'clock High", "Gentleman's Agreement", "The Yearling", "The Keys of the Kingdom"). He was nominated for an Emmy in 1998 for the TV film "Moby Dick" for which he won the Golden Globe. He had two other Golden Globe nominations ("The Boys from Brazil", "Macarthur"). He made 57 films, starting in 1944. This was Peck's first western and he would make several more - "Yellow Sky" (1948), "The Bravados" (1958), "The Big Country" (1958), "How the West Was Won" (1962), Mackenna's Gold" (1969), "Shoot Out" (1971) and "Old Gringo" (1989). Jones and Peck worked together again in "The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit" (1956)
Joseph Cotton plays Peck's good brother. Cotton was a close friend of Orson Welles and appeared in "Citizen Kane" (1941), "Journey into Fear" (1943), "The Third Man" (1949) and "Touch of Evil (1958). He went on to star in such memorable films as "Gaslight" (1944) and "Portrait of Jennie" (1948), for which he won the Best Actor award at the Venice Film festival. He worked with Jennifer Jones and Selznick on this film.
Lillian Gish was probably the biggest female star of the silent era, appearing in "The Musketeers of Pig Alley" (1912), "Birth of a Nation" (1915), and "Intolerance" (1916). Her talkies include several memorable roles, including Mother Mary in "Portrait of Jennie" (1948) and Rachel in "The Night of the Hunter" (1955). Her TV films include "Trip to Bountiful" (1953) and "Whales of August" (1987). For her role as the matriarch in this film she was nominated for an Oscar but lost to Anne Baxter in "The Razor's Edge."
The great Lionel Barrymore appeared in more than 200 films between 1908 and 1956, and was twice nominated for an Oscar, winning once ("A Free Soul" ) in 1931 Though he's probably best known as the evil banker in "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946) and from his recurring roles in the Dr. Kildare and the Dr. Gillepsie films, he gave us many memorable performances - as the innkeeper in "Key Largo" (1948), Thaddeus Stevens in "Tennessee Johnson" (1942), Grandpa in "You Can't Take it With You" (1938), and Billy Bones in "Treasure Island" (1934). Barrymore plays Peck's father.
Other members of the cast include Butterfly McQueen, Sidney Blackmer, Harry Carey, Charles Bickford, and Walter Huston.
Butterfly McQueen is best remembered as the quarrelsome Prissy from "GWTW" (1939) and this typecast her as a maid in several films (e.g., "Flame of the Barberry Coast", "Mildred Pierce"). She was upset with the typecasting and retired in 1947, then transitioned to TV and appeared on "Beulah" (1950-2) with fellow GWTW alumni Hattie McDaniel where she played a maid.
Suave Sidney Blackmer appeared in nearly 200 films between 1914 and 1971, He's best remembered for his role as a satanic worshiper in "Rosemary's Baby" (1968). Blackmer was not only busy in front of the camera, he had a distinguished Broadway career and won a Tony in 1950 for "Come Back Little Sheba". He had the distinction of playing Teddy Roosevelt more times than any other actor (8). Blackmer plays Jones' mother's lover, who is killed by Jones' father (played by Herbert Marshall) when he catches the two together. It's a small part and in some versions of the film he doesn't appear at all.
Harry Carey Sr. was one of the first western stars of the silent film era, and we have him to thank for getting John Ford his first few jobs. Over a 40 year career he appeared in more than 200 films and was nominated once for "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939). "Duel" was one of his last films, - he died in 1948. But he lived long enough to launch the career of his son Harry Carey Jr. in "Red River" (1948). Carey plays a friend of Barrymore.
Crusty Charles Bickford appeared in nearly 100 films. He was nominated for an Oscar three times ("Song of Bernadette" in 1943, "The Farmer's Daughter" in 1947, and "Johnny Belinda" in 1949), and each time, the actress who played opposite him won the Oscar for Best Actress - Jennifer Jones, Loretta Young, and Jane Wyman. Bickford plays a neighbor and the man Jones runs to on the re-bound.
At one point in his career, Walter Huston was churning out 4 to 8 films a year. His performances are relatively undistinguished, even if some of the films (e.g., "Gabriel Over the White House") were hits. Huston got better as he got older, and he was nominated for an Oscar in 1937 ("Dodsworth"), 1942 ("Devil and Daniel Webster") and 1943 ("Yankee Doodle Dandy") and won in 1949 for "Treasure of the Sierra Madre". Huston plays a preacher.
The film is directed by King Vidor (with William Dieterle completing the film after Vidor walked out). Vidor was nominated for an Oscar in 1928 ("The Crowd"), 1929 ("Hallelujah"), 1931 ("The Champ"), 1938 ("Citadel") and 1956 ("War and Peace"). He never won. He is listed in the Guinness Book as having the longest career as a film director (67 years). Vidor and Jones worked together again in "Ruby Gentry" (1952).
Sexuality in films in the 40s was generally limited to film noir (e.g., "Double Indemnity", "Laura", "Gilda"), but nothing equated with "Lust in the Dust" which is what this film became known as. Usually, sexuality was associated with death (e.g., "The Postman Always Rings Twice", "Laura", "Double Indemnity"). The Catholic League of Decency condemned the film, even though the ending was re-written to prove that lust doesn't pay. The Protestants condemned the film because the preacher (Huston) was made to look ridiculous.
For reasons of his own, Selznick hoped to have another "GWTW." In his new version, Tara was replaced by Spanish Bit and Scarlett by Pearl. He even brought in Butterfly McQueen who had been Scarlett's maid. He tried to match Gable with Peck and he threw in the Union army to boot. But to no avail. "Duel" was a pale comparison to "GWTW." Jones and Peck overact, but worse than this, they fail to establish any real sympathy for their characters. People are either weak and good (Gish, Cotton) or strong and bad (Peck, Barrymore). It's cardboard cutout time on the range, and the result is not compelling.
The film was nominated for two Oscars (Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress) but didn't win. Selznick spent more than $2 million to promote the film, and the total costs for the film were $8 million- it took many years for the film to make back its costs.
Movie Review: POINTLESS REISSUE OF ALREADY AVAILABLE DVD
Summary: 2 Stars
Producer David O. Selznick never thought small. Dreaming of a magnum opus on the same grand scale as "Gone with the Wind" and, perhaps a little bit self-conscious of the fact that his recent affair with Jennifer Jones had yielded only one stellar performance from the starlet - and not even in a film he had produced - Selznick's driving ambition to make Jones a star on par with the likes of Vivien Leigh, led him to handcraft "Duel in the Sun." This was to be an extravagant Technicolor epic about a doomed mulatto, Pearl Chavez (Jones) and her rabid lust for, Lewton McCanles (Gregory Peck, in the uncharacteristic part as the villain), the ruthless son and roguish playboy of retired senator and bigoted rancher, Jackson McCanles (Lionel Barrymore). After Pearl?s father, Scott (Herbert Marshall) murders her mother, Pearl is sent to live with Jackson and his wife, Laura Bell (Lillian Gish) on their sprawling ranch, Spanish Bit. Pearl is determined to live purely and plainly, but her incendiary disposition leads into the arms of Lewton. Jesse McCanles (Joseph Cotten), the good son, is forced to leave Spanish Bit, returning years later to find that his brother has become a ruthless tyrant and outlaw. Buttressed by a fiery backdrop about the colliding sensibilities of old West morality and the true Northern ambitions to tame it, ?Duel In The Sun? ultimately became an overblown melodrama that seemed almost a garish lampoon of "Gone With The Wind" rather than its successor. It did respectable box office at the time but very little to advance Jennifer Jones? career into the echelons of super stardom. Prior to its release a sensual dance sequence that Pearl performs around a tree stump for Lewton was deleted because the censorship of the period found its sexual implications?well, shocking. Selznick?s usual attention to craftsmanship and story design also seem to be absent from this occasion. He repositions Butterfly McQueen (Prissy from ?Gone With The Wind) as the Prissy-esque house maid, Vashti, who is even dumber than Prissy and, Selznick muddles the supporting cast with oddities of all sorts, including Walter Huston as a religious zealot, determined to rid Pearl of her sexual demons, and Charles Bickford, as an over-the-hill farmer who offers Pearl his hand in a loveless marriage. Because of its sexually charged subject matter (there is, after all, a rape, a murder and the prospect of lovers committing suicide in the mountains) ?Duel In The Sun? acquired the rather unflattering moniker of ?Lust In The Dust.??Duel In The Sun? had previously been made available from Anchor Bay in a stunning road show edition. MGM's reissue is the truncated theatrical version ? also made previously available through Anchor Bay. On all three DVD incarnations, colors are well balanced, though on this new version they seem a tad more dated from the rich and vibrant colors on the Anchor Bay version. Black levels are good but fine detail is lost in many darkly lit scenes. There's also more noticeable film grain on this version than the Anchor Bay edition. The audio is remixed to stereo but only marginally appealing, sounding rather forced and re-channeled. There are NO extras.
There's nothing to stand up and cheer about here. If you are a die hard fan of this film, or westerns, then you will definitely want to look up the out of print copy from Anchor Bay, rather than this reissue. Aside from being longer, the Anchor Bay version also tends to be a better visual presentation overall.