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Released By: Twilight Time
Released On: November 10, 2015
Director: Edward Dmytryk
Cast: Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner, Jean Peters, Richard Widmark
Year: 1954
Purchase From Screen Archives
The Movie:
Matthew Devereaux (Spencer Tracy) is a man who knows the value of hard work. Coming to America from Ireland with nothing, he's built himself a legacy in the form of the Devereaux Ranch on a massive, sprawling piece of land that boasts somewhere in the neighbourhood of fifty thousand cattle. With three sons courtesy of a late wife, and another son courtesy of his current wife, the patriarch of the Devereaux family certainly has no complaints in life.
Until, that is, a copper mining company upstream dumps a load of toxins into his stream, poisoning a number of his cattle. Taking his sons up to the site of the mine to raise hell with those responsible yields some violent results with shots fired, beatings received, and a good portion of the mining company being burned to the ground. With charges and a court date pending, Matt turns to his friend the Governor to get a friendly judge drawn for the case, but finds that government interests in the mine have soured his influence. Despite some clever courtroom bravado and fiery oration, the judge finds in favour of the mining company. A deal is worked out involving a payout for damages; but Devereaux's youngest and favourite son Joe will have to serve a few years in jail for drawing first blood.
With Joe in jail, Matt finds himself at the mercy of his entitled, selfish sons from his first marriage, who realize that the land that they're sitting on can make them very wealthy men. A series of events unfold in which the elder Devereaux's health becomes critical, and when Joe gets out of jail, there will be hell to pay. Will the bond of family and brotherhood overcome a deadly feud, or will everything Matthew Devereaux fought so hard to build be destroyed out of greed?
There are a few other things going on in Broken Lance, but that's pretty much the driving force behind the film. Being a Hollywood film of that era, there's of course a love interest and a few other predictable things happening, but nothing worth noting. All in all, Broken Lance is a pretty boring flick. There's nothing bad to be said about the performances....Spencer Tracy is decent, as is expected, and Robert Wagner and Richard Widmark turn in solid roles as Devereaux's opposing sons. The sets are also nice, if not indicative of the time; a little too clean and convenient. Broken Lance is not going to be mistaken for a spaghetti western.
Despite the apparent attraction of it's source novel...Jerome Weidman's "I'll Never Go Home Anymore"...which was previously adapted to screen as House of Strangers, Broken Lance is just not an interesting story. It's pedestrian, uncomplicated, and only the non-linearity of the narrative found in the film helps to make it in any way thought provoking, even if that's more out of confusion. It's not a bad film; it's just not entertaining. But then again, it did win an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, so what do I know, anyway.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Borken Lance comes to Twilight Time blu-ray in a 2.35:1 AVC-encoded transfer that looks perfectly acceptable. A speck of dirt here and there is about the only issue with an otherwise pristine transfer, and the detail is striking for a 60+ year-old film. The 5.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track (a lossless stereo track is also available) is more than adequate for the film, and it's as nicely done as the transfer with none of the audio weirdness that sometimes accompanies older films. The lack of an LFE track is not noticeable, as the film is mostly dialogue driven.
English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing are also included.
Twilight Time includes their usual Isolated Score treatment on the disc, as well as the Twilight Time Catalogue, and liner notes by Julie Kirgo. Fans of the film will also be interested in the commentary track with Nick Redman and acto Earl Holliman, who plays one of the Devereaux sons; outside of discussing just the film, they also talk about Holliman's career and Hollywood back in the early days.
The Final Word:
For a film deemed worthy of the Twilight Time treatment, Broken Lance is surprisingly underwhelming.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
