Set in Nevada in 1885, this movie is essentially a study of vigilante justice in the Old West, and how it can go terribly wrong. It revolves around the apparent murder of a local cattleman and the stealing of his cattle, for which three unfortunates are blamed by a posse illegally formed that nevertheless claims for itself the right to act as both judge and jury. Once the three accused are brought into the movie (about halfway through) this actually becomes a very interesting study of a rush to judgment, and there's ongoing suspense as to what is finally going to happen to the three. Will they be hanged, or will the sheriff arrive in time to make sure that justice is done? The aftermath of their hanging is also tense and sombre, as the posse (or mob?) comes to terms with what it has done.
Unfortunately, the movie is weighed down a bit by a first half that I thought was somewhat slow in developing and that had at least a couple of plot points that I found difficult to understand. One was the relationship of Gil and Art (Henry Fonda and Harry Morgan) to the rest of the town. As the movie opens they are described as strangers - and yet they seem to know everyone and everyone seems to know them. That seemed a bit odd. I also could not understand the point of Gil's apparently past relationship with Rose (Mary Beth Hughes). That relationship was apparently the reason for Gil appearing in the town, but Rose actually pops up in only one relatively brief scene (with her new husband in tow) and adds absolutely nothing to the movie. Why bother?
The performances here were OK. Fonda was his usual competent self as the actor who probably got the most screen time, and everyone else handled their parts well. It was interesting (and somewhat surprising) to see a black actor named Leigh Whipper playing a reasonably unstereotypical role as a local preacher who joins the posse (unarmed) and provides comfort to the three accused. "The Ox-Bow Incident" didn't blow me away to be honest, but the last half was enough to keep me interested through to the end. 6/10
Unfortunately, the movie is weighed down a bit by a first half that I thought was somewhat slow in developing and that had at least a couple of plot points that I found difficult to understand. One was the relationship of Gil and Art (Henry Fonda and Harry Morgan) to the rest of the town. As the movie opens they are described as strangers - and yet they seem to know everyone and everyone seems to know them. That seemed a bit odd. I also could not understand the point of Gil's apparently past relationship with Rose (Mary Beth Hughes). That relationship was apparently the reason for Gil appearing in the town, but Rose actually pops up in only one relatively brief scene (with her new husband in tow) and adds absolutely nothing to the movie. Why bother?
The performances here were OK. Fonda was his usual competent self as the actor who probably got the most screen time, and everyone else handled their parts well. It was interesting (and somewhat surprising) to see a black actor named Leigh Whipper playing a reasonably unstereotypical role as a local preacher who joins the posse (unarmed) and provides comfort to the three accused. "The Ox-Bow Incident" didn't blow me away to be honest, but the last half was enough to keep me interested through to the end. 6/10