I get a kick out of looking at the way trends and perspectives develop and evolve. Anyone who has followed along on my journey through cinema over the last decade and more may have noted that I come back to this, and other matters besides, on a fairly regular basis. As I do so I can't avoid also observing changes that have taken place in my own perspective over the years. Films and filmmakers have alternately risen and fallen in my estimation, and what I find especially interesting is how certain individuals who only came to my attention relatively late in the game have become not only firm favorites but people whose artistic merits I now rate very highly and examples of whose work I I seek out with genuine enthusiasm. That's how it is with George Sherman and that's the frame of mind in which I approached Reprisal! (1956), and I can't say I was disappointed.
Drama thrives on conflict, in fact it's said to be one of the integral components. A good deal of conflict in art, and indeed in life itself, derives from the land. And land of course derives its own importance as much from what it represents as what it is. So what does it represent? Permanence, stability, belonging and, crucially, identity. The western as a cinematic art from draws heavily upon the myths nurtured on the American frontier, myths which had their roots in the notion of the land and all its associated ideals. There is something primal at work here, it is after all what we all spring from and, ultimately, what we return to. Allied to this is the feeling that ownership of land, although perhaps possession or stewardship would be more apt terms given our ephemeral or transitory nature in comparison, affords a strong sense of belonging.
This is all a slightly circuitous way of leading in to Sherman's Reprisal!, a film which confronts this eternal ambition existing at the very heart of the human condition. The theme crops up again and again in classic westerns and it plays a critical role in ensuring that the genre never really loses its relevance. Here, we follow Frank Madden (Guy Madison) as he struggles to establish himself as a new landowner. His desire (one of the characters speaks of a hunger for land) to literally put down roots is all-consuming for this man. It is his shot at permanence, his chance to attain a sense of identity that will define him. I don't want to go into too much detail concerning plot here as, in a movie like this, saying a little is so close to saying a lot and I'd like people to be able to come to the film fresh and without too much information that might color their perceptions. Let's just say that it's a pretty thorough examination of a man's gradual coming to terms with his real self, reaching an understanding with that self and perhaps finding a love worthy of him. The film's strength lies in both its frank appraisal of the core themes and its courage in refraining from providing pat or easy answers to the questions raised.
Sherman takes what I feel is a characteristically thoughtful approach to his story and there is a large measure of the type of optimism and positivism I've come to associate with a director like Delmer Daves on view. I'm always on the lookout for redemptive themes but that's not really the focus here; but it could, I suppose, be argued that a shade of that is to be seen in the arc followed by Felicia Farr's character. Instead, we're presented more with some near relatives, namely sacrifice, renewal and rebirth. Madden's quest to find his own spiritual equilibrium necessitates his sacrificing some of his most cherished dreams, part of himself in truth, in order to achieve some kind of internal rebirth. Sherman switches between some handsome Arizona locations and interiors and uses the landscape quite effectively. There is the image of the hanging tree casting its shadow over the movie at key moments and this - trees being typically symbolic of cycles of renewal as well as the concepts of nature and permanence - mirrors the use of similar imagery in such powerful films as Ride Lonesome and .
Felicia Farr made a number of film with Delmer Daves throughout the 1950s - , The Last Wagon and best of all 3:10 to Yuma - and would appear in , another strong movie for Sherman a few years later. If one stops a moment and considers this little group, it's hard not to come to the conclusion that Farr deserves to be rated as one of the most important actresses in westerns, her contribution to what are all quite major genre works cannot be overstated. As I mentioned above, Reprisal! doesn't attempt to present easy answers or to gloss over human weakness and ambiguous attitudes. Farr plays a woman who is superficially a standard western heroine but her character has layers and these are only slowly revealed as the story unfolds - it's a characteristically subtle and alluring performance.
In terms of actors featured on this site, there have been some notable absences and I've been trying to plug a few gaps in recent months. The focus of this place suggests that someone like Guy Madison ought to have made an appearance by now but, for no particular reason, he ended up being overlooked - no doubt his name will appear again in future though. Reprisal! offered him a very strong role and came along in the middle of his long run on TV playing Wild Bill Hickok. I think what stands out most about Madison's work on this movie is the restraint he displays. There are some very powerful emotional currents in this film and the fact he underplays lends them even greater potency. The way the lead, the director and the writers consistently sidestep the predictable options is another big plus for this production.
Felicia Farr got the top female billing but there is a worthwhile role for Kathryn Grant () as a potential rival for Madison's attention and affections. As the heavies, the ever reliable and versatile Michael Pate is cast as the impassioned yet confused one of a trio of brothers gunning for Madison. Edward Platt is a more straightforward proposition as the older and more clearly hate-fueled sibling while Madison's real-life younger brother Wayne Mallory appears as a slightly cliched hothead.
As far as I know, Reprisal! hasn't had any official release on disc in the US. However, there are DVDs available from France and Italy. As a 1956 production this movie would have been shot for widescreen projection (probably 1.85:1) but the current DVDs appear to be open-matte 1.33:1 presentations. Leaving aside the aspect ratio, the movie looks to have been well preserved and is colorful and sharp. Over time I have grown into a big fan of George Sherman and I think this is a very strong effort from the director. I'd like to think his reputation is being reassessed and upgraded, it most certainly ought to be. I still have a good number of his movies to catch up with and every time I come across a pleasure like Reprisal! I find myself looking forward to the next one all the more keenly.
