Highly Overrated But Still Good

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Almost Forgotten, this Underseen and Barely Acknowledge Western, Directed by Anthony Mann, was Overshadowed, Barely Released from the Cowards at MGM, by "Broken Arrow" (1950).This is one of the Best Westerns of All Time. It Comfortably Fits in the Film-Noir Genre (few Westerns have that distinction). Robert Taylor is given a chance to Display what Limited Acting Talent He Possessed and comes through Admirably. Helped by the Decidedly Downbeat Story, a Sharp "Take No Prisoners" Script, the Splendid Cinematography by John Alton, and the Rough, Realistic, and Brutal Violence of Auteur Mann.It's a Near Perfect Movie Considering. Another Notch on Anthony Mann's Penetrating Gun Belt. The Cast is Fine and the Characters are anything but Stereotypical. The Sheep as Metaphor is a Sharp Inclusion.No Compromises, Telling it Like it Was, and Mounted in a Western Template that is as Breathtaking as Anything from John Ford. What Mann Lacked in Budgets He made up for with Insight and Talent. Always Ahead of His Time, He Treated Audiences with Respect, Never Condescended, with Entertainment of Conscience and Artistry.A Must See for Historians, Western Fans, and Anyone who Appreciates Cinema at its Best. A Tale Told Unfettered and Atypical of Hollywood and the Culture of the Time. This is a Story for All Time for All to See and Appreciate.

Robert Taylor plays an unconvincing Indian in this film as he sounds the same and wears dark make-up and dresses in traditional Indian costume. He has strength of character in confrontations which is why he is interesting watching, although I think the scriptwriter is on his side writing situations that are in his favour.Louis Calhern is interesting as an antagonist, but he's all talk and no substance. He talks at Taylor rather than to him.It's interesting seeing Taylor subjected to prejudices against Indians, especially as he has his own prejudice against women at the beginning. The prejudice against Indians could be used in any context in any time period which has crossover appeal.

Civil War hero Robert Taylor returns to his people to Wyoming, only to find his valley ranch fair game for white homesteaders and himself, as an Indian, ineligible to claim his own land, leading to a violent confrontation.An unusual (and unusually grim) western, here the Indians are the cowboys and the villains sheep-farmers, the nemesis of cowboys everywhere. Although the ending is painfully obvious early on, getting there is compelling and heartbreaking, with the film perfectly capturing the anger and despair of not just native people, but anyone who plays by the rules and finds himself ground under the wheels of progress.Although not as well known as Anthony Mann's western collaborations with star James Stewart, this one also knows what buttons to push and delivers an action-packed climax, as well as good performances from Taylor and Paula Raymond, as a lady attorney who takes up his case.

Devil's Doorway is directed by Anthony Mann. It stars Robert Taylor as Lance Poole, a Shoshone Indian who returns home to Medicine-Bow from the American Civil War after a three year stint, and a veteran of three major conflicts. Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor he rightfully expects to be able to retire to a peaceful life back on the family land. However, all his hopes and dreams are shattered by bigotry and greed as new laws are ushered in to deprive the Native Indians land rights.Biting and cutting, Devil's Doorway is a Civil Rights Western that, boldly for its time, looks at the injustices done to Native Americans. Very much grim in texture, it's no surprise to see Anthony Mann at the helm for this material. Mann of course would go on to become a Western genre darling for his run of "Adult Westerns" he would do with James Stewart. Prior to this Mann had showed himself to have a keen eye for tough pieces with dark themes in a few well regarded film noir movies. So this was right up his street, in fact a glance at his output shows him to be something of a master when it comes to showing minority groups sympathetically. MGM were nervous tho, unsure as if taking the Western in this direction was the way to go, they pulled it from release in 1949. But after the impact that Delmer Daves' similar themed Broken Arrow made the following year, they ushered it out and the film promptly got lost amongst the plaudits for the James Stewart starrer. That's a shame because this is fit to sit alongside the best work Mann has done. Filmed in black & white, the film has beautiful landscapes that belie the bleak road the movie ultimately turns down. Shot on location at Aspen and Grand Junction in Colorado (the talented John Alton on cinematography), the film also manages to rise above its obvious eyebrow raising piece of casting. Robert Taylor always had his critics, hell I'm sometimes one of them, but here as he is cast against type as a Shoshone Indian, he gives the character conviction and a stoic nobility that really makes it work. Some of his scenes with the beautiful Paula Raymond (playing his lawyer Orrie Masters) are a lesson in maximum impact garnered from emotional restraint. You will be aware of the fluctuating skin pigmentation he has throughout the movie, but honestly look into his eyes and feel the confliction and loyalty and you really will not care.Scripted by Guy Trosper (Birdman of Alcatraz), the screenplay is unflinching in showing how badly the Native Americans were treated. Throw that in with Alton's other gift, that of the dusty barren land shot, and you got a very film noir feel to the movie. Something which not only is unique, but something that also showed a shift in the Hollywood Oater. We now get brains to match the action and aesthetics of the Western movie. Not that this is found wanting for action, Mann doesn't short change here either, with a dynamite led offensive purely adrenaline pumping. A fine fine movie, an important movie in fact. One that is in desperate need of more exposure. Still awaiting a widespread home format disc release, I quote Orrie Masters from the movie..."It would be too bad if we ever forget".... that applies to both the theme of the piece and the actual movie itself. 9/10