Pursued


I watched this a couple weeks before the Hall of Fame started, when I randomly picked it off the top 100 westerns list. My feelings toward it haven't changed.
Possible Spoilers Ahead
I like the story, but the way it's told seems a bit odd. I understand what the killer's motivation is, but I don't totally buy into it. Besides trying to murder an innocent kid, Grant isn't much of a villain. It's not as if he's an obvious bad guy who goes around terrorizing people. It just seems strange that he would have this mission. Still, the early scene in which he takes a shot at a young Jeb is a great one, and it sets a sinister tone for the movie. The way that Thor's feelings changed back and forth also struck me as odd. There's other little things as well, but there's also a few great scenes. Robert Mitchum puts forth a pretty interesting performance. He does come off as a little out of it, but I look at him as a haunted man who's all alone in the world with nothing to lose. It may very well be a fine restrained performance, although I'm not sure. My favorite performances came from the mother and the brother. The mother was a good portrait of a strong woman with a secret, while the brother did well to come off as a less than stellar guy, even though he didn't cement his character until his last moments. I thought all of the performances were pretty good, with the exception of the three children. The movie looks good and has a good musical score. I didn't feel that any part of the movie was exceptional or memorable, but it's a good movie that I enjoy watching.
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