The Bravados

One of the greatest revenge noirs also happens to be a western with a not-so-subtle Christian morality at its core. Henry King’s The Bravados stars Gregory Peck as the broody, inscrutable Jim Douglass, a rancher who’s been on the trail of four outlaws (“two white men, one half breed, and one Indian”) who he believes raped and murdered his wife six months earlier (“Still am,” he responds when someone says, “You must have been very much in love”). The vengeful Douglass shows up in the town of Rio Arriba to learn of four despicable, unrepentant men matching the description who are being held in the town jail for an unrelated murder; when they escape, flee town, and disperse, Douglass joins the posse to track them down dead or alive (he’s only interested in the former). Driven by revenge bordering on blood-lust, Douglass plans to find them and kill them one by one. Peck portrays Douglass as distrusting yet vulnerable, laconic yet full of rage, extracting dignity from this pain, while Joan Collins plays Josefa Velarded, a local woman who once rejected Douglass’ marriage proposal and has lived to regret it. King and cinematographer Shamroy make the most of DeLuxe color, painting with the muted, crepuscular colors of dusk to transform the town into a romantic dream during the evening church service. Rather than worshiping God, however, Douglass intends to play God, at least until his embittered faith comes face to face with the power of mercy (“Father, I need help”).