{"id":1401,"date":"2006-09-08T11:54:33","date_gmt":"2006-09-08T18:54:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=1401"},"modified":"2021-02-05T15:50:21","modified_gmt":"2021-02-05T22:50:21","slug":"decision-at-sundown-1957","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=1401","title":{"rendered":"Decision at Sundown (1957)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;A man&#8217;s gotta draw the line somewhere if he&#8217;s going to go on living with himself.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-at-Sundown-Poster-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-at-Sundown-Poster-1-195x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"195\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-54842\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-at-Sundown-Poster-1-195x300.jpg 195w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-at-Sundown-Poster-1-83x128.jpg 83w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-at-Sundown-Poster-1-176x270.jpg 176w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-at-Sundown-Poster-1.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA man (Randolph Scott) obsessed with avenging his wife&#8217;s death rides into the town of Sundown and threatens to kill the local head honcho, Tate Kimbrough (John Carroll). <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Budd Boetticher Films<\/li>\n<li>Catalysts<\/li>\n<li>Randolph Scott Films<\/li>\n<li>Revenge<\/li>\n<li>Western<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nThis surprisingly tense and effective western about a man (Scott) &#8220;obsessed with killing [a] conceited dandy&#8221; (John Carroll) who &#8220;had an affair with [his] wife prior to her suicide&#8221; adds a new twist to the trope of vengeance in the old West. Although the protagonist (Scott) stubbornly refuses to recognize the irrationality of his obsession, his visit serves as a catalyst for the inhabitants of Sundown, who suddenly realize the folly of their subservience to Carroll. As Peary notes, the film is &#8220;well directed, offbeat, and psychologically complex,&#8221; with an &#8220;effective but downbeat script&#8221; by Charles Lang, Jr. However, Peary adds he has &#8220;a hard time enjoying [the] film because Scott&#8217;s character is too crazed by revenge to admire&#8221;; like &#8220;all Boetticher heroes, he must come to terms with his own flaws, obsessions, and blindness.&#8221; Lang&#8217;s screenplay moves along at a fast clip, and makes excellent use of a surprise revelation, a stalled wedding, a daylong stand-off, and a &#8220;satisfying, unusual ending.&#8221; This one remains well worth a viewing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Randolph Scott as a man nearly blinded by obsessive vengeance<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Scott.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Scott.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-54848\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Scott.jpg 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Scott-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Scott-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Scott-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>John Carroll&#8217;s surprisingly nuanced characterization as the womanizing Tate Kimbrough<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Kimbrough.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Kimbrough.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-54846\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Kimbrough.jpg 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Kimbrough-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Kimbrough-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Kimbrough-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Exciting use of claustrophobic locales<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Locale.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Locale.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-54847\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Locale.jpg 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Locale-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Locale-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Locale-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>A surprising ending<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Standoff.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Standoff.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-54844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Standoff.jpg 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Standoff-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Standoff-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Decision-Sundown-Standoff-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes. This remains one of Boetticher&#8217;s finest and most unusual westerns. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0050296\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.combustiblecelluloid.com\/classic\/decsun.shtml\">Combustible Celluloid Review <\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;A man&#8217;s gotta draw the line somewhere if he&#8217;s going to go on living with himself.&#8221; Synopsis: A man (Randolph Scott) obsessed with avenging his wife&#8217;s death rides into the town of Sundown and threatens to kill the local head honcho, Tate Kimbrough (John Carroll). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Budd Boetticher Films Catalysts Randolph Scott Films Revenge Western Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: This surprisingly tense and effective western about a man (Scott) &#8220;obsessed with killing [a] conceited dandy&#8221; (John&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=1401\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1401","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1401"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1401\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68991,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1401\/revisions\/68991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}