Black command
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Black command |
| Original title | Dark Command |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1940 |
| length | 96 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Raoul Walsh |
| script |
Grover Jones Lionel Hauser F. Hugh Herbert |
| music | Victor Young |
| camera | Jack A. Marta |
| cut | William Morgan |
| occupation | |
| |
Dark Command is an American Western built in 1940 by Raoul Walsh with John Wayne in the lead role. The script was based on the novel of the same name by WR Burnett .
action
The teacher William Cantrell lost the election of Marshall of Lawrence in Kansas to the uneducated but honest cowboy Bob Seton in 1861 . Although his mother asks him to remain honorable, the embittered William turns to the arms and slave trade in the neighboring states. William's mother works as his housekeeper Mrs. Adams, his father and brother were criminals, which no one in town should know. William and Bob are both in love with Mary McCloud, the daughter of Angus McCloud, a banker who sympathizes with the southern states.
When Mary's brother Fletch kills a man who insults his father, Bob arrests him. Fletch, who had previously admired Bob, is now beginning to hate him. Mary offers Bob to marry him if he releases Fletch. But Bob takes his job seriously and declines the offer. William now appears as Fletch's attorney in the process to win Mary's goodwill. At night he and his men attack the members of the jury in order to extort an acquittal for Fletch. Williams' tactic succeeds, Fletch is acquitted and fired.
When the Civil War breaks out, Williams' men dress up as southern soldiers and carry out looting. William is getting richer and more powerful, but people are starting to become suspicious. In particular, the fact that Lawrence was spared the looting puzzles people. The war continues, the political fronts are hardening in the city as well. Since Mary's father is an avowed supporter of the southern states, he loses the customers who support the union states. McCloud tries to negotiate with the angry crowd, but the situation escalates and the banker is killed.
Mary feels lonely and sees in William not only a good person, but also a good southern soldier. She agrees to marry him. Shortly after the wedding, William breaks up with his men, whom Mary takes for regular soldiers. Soon everyone but Mary realized the wrong game William was playing. Lawrence residents begin to hate Mary. The allegations against Mary bring up Bob, who resigns as Marshall and wants to leave Lawrence. When he learns that a group of angry residents want to sue them for Williams' crimes, he comes to her aid. He asks her to leave William, but Mary still believes there is a great mistake. She insists that Bob take her to Williams camp. Before arriving at the camp, Bob asks Mary if she would go to Texas with him, but she remains loyal to her husband and refuses, although she now realizes that she loves Bob.
At the camp, Mary realizes that Williams' men are really a gang of savage and rampant criminals. William's wealth makes her sure the stories about him are true. Mary and Fletch, who joined William's men, learn that Bob has been captured and sentenced to death. The town of Lawrence is set to be pillaged next. Fletch helps Bob escape, and both ride to Lawrence to warn the residents. Lawrence goes up in flames. Will's mother is killed trying to stop her son. William is shot dead by Bob at the end of the fight.
criticism
The lexicon of international films considers the film to be a halfway historical western, well staged and played.
Bosley Crowthers of the New York Times wrote that a lot of experience and talent went into the film. The result is a rousing and colorful horse opera.
Awards
John Victor Mackay received an Oscar nomination in the category Best Production Design (b / w) in 1941 , Victor Young was nominated in the category Best Film Music.
background
The film premiered on April 4, 1940. In Germany it was released on August 31, 1951.
The plot of the film is based on real events during the American Civil War. The city was the site of a massacre in 1863 , in which Confederate guerrilla forces under William Clark Quantrill attacked the city, murdered 183 residents and burned the city to the ground. The historic Quantrill did not die in the massacre, but two years later after a shooting with Union troops.
For the production company Republic , the film was one of the most expensive productions at around 700,000 US dollars. The film was an ambitious attempt by the studio to capitalize on Wayne's new stardom brought about by Ringo .
Web links
- Dark Command in Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Black Command. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ Review of the New York Times (English)
- ↑ Paul Tatara on TCM (English)