A BULLET IS WAITING
US, 1954, 90 minutes, Colour.
Jean Simmons, Rory Calhoun, Stephen Mc Nally, Brian Aherne.
Directed by John Farrow.
A Bullet Is Waiting is a rather sensational title for a modest action western. In fact, the film is rather talkative and has a great deal of moralising about good and evil, appearances and reality.
Jean Simmons is attractive in the central role. Rory Calhoun has a role that suits him and Brian Aherne and Stephen Mc Nally give conventional support . The film is colourful and attractive.. It is also melodramatic and at times the moralizing borders on the pretentious. The screenplay was co-written by Casey Robinson and was directed by John Farrow.
1. An enjoyable action and adventure? The western of the fifties? Its contemporary settings and characters? A moralizing and reflecting action film? How well did action and reflection blend?
2. The brevity of the film, the small cast, the English background of the heroine and her father, the American man of the law and the American man on the run? Locations and photography, action sequences? Dimitri Tiomkin's music?
3. The creating of atmosphere: the plane crash, the tracks on the sand, the fight, and the audience's judging the ten men, the atmosphere of the coast, the farm? The two men and their values? Their being seen by the heroine and judged by her? The heroine as the anchor of the screenplay: her beauty, her background, her work on the farm, the secluded life, her father being the professor, his knowledge of principles and law and order? Her being sheltered from the world? Her response to the man on the run, harsh judgement and yet attraction? respect for the law man but hesitation? her being torn between the two as persons, for what they represented? her ability to cope, listening? taking sides, making the gun available?
5. Jean Simmons’ presence in a western? age, inexperience, losing the gun, trying to be fair, her reaction to the violence, the escape attempts? Falling in love, believing?
6. Rory Calhoun as the man on the run? the initial fight, the handcuffs, tough manner, the gun, the escape attempts? Antagonism towards the law man? The opportunities for violence? His return, telling the truth, the shift of the heroine’s sympathy towards him and the audiences sympathy? Falling in love?
7. The law man and his representing the law, his vindictive attitudes, his becoming less admirable throughout the film, violent attitudes and behaviour, his injury in coping, his pretence, gaining the fun and control? The truth about his brother and his attitudes towards the law and its application?
8. The father as the English professor, the philosopher? his return? Understanding the situation? The texts from his writings and the comments made on these throughout the film? Fifties anticipation of nuclear protest and nuclear madness? Themes of right and wrong? His judging the two men , testing, reacting? being objective, but playing his hunches ? His listening to the two men, his providing the opportunity for the hero with car and gun?
9. The violence throughout the film, the physical impact, the final shootout and the tense waiting? The hero not killing the lawman? His going for trial, justice prevailing?
10. The short time span of the action, the emphasis on time at the passing of the days and nights, alertness and vigilance, the changes in the weather, the range of crises? The isolation and yet the group as a microcosm? The quality of the reflections about good and evil and about human nature? A pessimistic attitude towards the world? A satisfying blend of thought and action?
