Director
David Miller
Leading Actors/Actresses
Kirk Douglas
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Gena Rowlands, Walter Matthau, Michael Kane
Genre
Drama, Western
Language
English
Awards
n/a
Date of Release
1962
Producer
Edward Lewis
Setting and Context
New Mexico post WWII
Narrator and Point of View
POV is that of Jack.
Tone and Mood
Dramatic, Serious
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist is Jack. Antagonists are Gutierrez and the new fast-paced world
Major Conflict
Jack breaks into prison to break Paul out, but Paul won't go. Jack escapes and is hunted down by the cops.
Climax
Jack escapes the police but he and his horse are hit by a tractor trailer trying to cross the road to freedom.
Foreshadowing
The airplanes in the opening scene foreshadow that Jack's opposition to the new world will eventually lead to a clash with it.
Understatement
The romantic relationship between Jack and Jerry and how it was formed is understated.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
N/A
Allusions
The film is an allusion to the clash between the old west and the new world that is fast-paced and driven by the machine advancing society.
Paradox
Jack is a free man but paradoxically commits a crime in order to break into jail.
Parallelism
Jack and his horse crossing the street in the beginning of the film is paralleled in the final road crossing scene.
