DUEL IN THE SUN

US, 1946, 129 minutes, Colour.
Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Gregory Peck, Lionel Barrymore, Herbert Marshall, Lillian Gish, Walter Huston, Charles Bickford, Harry Carey, Joan Tetzel, Butterfly Mc Queen, Otto Kruger, Sidney Blackmer.
Directed by King Vidor.

Duel in the Sun is a particularly lurid western from 1946. It probably outdid Forever Amber in the sex and salacious stakes of the mid-1940s. Some critics took a dim view of the film as did religious authorities.

The film was produced by David O. Selznick who produced Gone With The Wind. He cast his future wife Jennifer Jones in the lead after she had appeared so wholesomely in The Song of Bernadette, Portrait of Jenny and Since You Went Away. Joseph Cotten was a solid, sometimes stolid hero (Citizen Kane, Portrait of Jenny) but the surprise casting is Gregory Peck as the younger violent brother. He had stepped onto the screen only three years earlier and appeared in such high-profile films as The Keys of the Kingdom, Spellbound and The Valley of Decision. Veterans from the silent era, Lionel Barrymore and Lillian Gish are the parents. There are many character actors including Herbert Marshall, Walter Huston and Charles Bickford.

Jennifer Jones is a part-Indian woman, former mistress of the owner of a station who transfers with the whole family to Texas. The older brother, Joseph Cotten, is attracted to her but she is attracted to the rather worthless younger brother, Peck. While there are the usual scenes of family tensions, especially from the wheelchair-bound but womanising senator, the film offers a mountain-top confrontation between the two men over Jennifer Jones. All done in highly garish and stylised colour. In fact, many commentators at the time used the phrase “lust in the dust”.

The film was directed by King Vidor who made a number of very significant silent films including The Big Parade and The Crowd. At this time he made the biography of the former president, Wilson. He was to direct Jennifer Jones, again in a flamboyant performance, in Ruby Gentry. King Vidor was also to make the Henry Fonda- Audrey Hepburn version of War and Peace in the mid-50s.

1. An ambitious large-scale Western of the forties? David O. Selznick and his production style, the featuring of Jennifer Jones? The film was called a passionate Western melodrama. Its impact now?

2. The film has been severely criticized as being far too melodramatic. The defence was the style of the director and presenting things loudly, largely and somewhat luridly. It was said that the patterns were Greek tragedy. Does this come across now?

3. The colourful nature of the film, the impact of the violence, passionate melodrama in the American Western situation? Its appeal?

4. The impact of the stars in their times, their particular qualities? Now?

5. The use of colour photography, the particularly bright colours and the reds and yellows for example in the credits? The musical score? The impact of the melodramatic opening and the dark and lurid West? The picture of the homestead? The American West and the world of the saloons and the ranches? The film's use of light and darkness? Atmosphere?

6. The significance of the narration, Orson Welles’ style, his introduction of themes, the background of melodrama and tragedy, tragic characters going to their doom? Fate? How well were the aspects of Greek tragedy transferred to America to the American West?

7. The film's focus on Pearl Chavez? the particular vivacity that Jennifer Jones brought to the role? How convincing was she in the West, as half-white half-Mexican? The filling in of her background, her mother and her dancing, men, violence? Pearl's father and his tragedy? The basis for racial themes? Pearl as victim and being despised? The corresponding ambitions and this ruling her passionate nature? The crushing of genuine feeling?

8. The contrast with the Mc Canles family: the Senator with his political background, his wealth, his being a cripple but yet wielding enormous power? His taken for granted attitudes of power and ruling in the West? His hold over his property, cattle, his style of ranching? His hold over his family? His wife's subjection to him? His sons and his spoiling them? His reaction against Jesse’s standing on principle, his support of Lewt? His attitude towards Pearl and despising her? His being a law unto himself? His confrontation with the Railways, the other cattlemen? His capacity for hatred and his communication of this?

9. The contrast with the portrait of his wife? her being long suffering and devoted, her patience with her husband and her sons, her kindness towards Pearl especially for the dress and the dance? Her confining herself to her room? The doom of the American wife in the West? The pathos of the reactions of her sons, her death?

10. The contrast between Jesse and Lewt? How well did the film bring this out? The contrast of styles with Joseph Cotton and Gregory Peck? Seeing them in their home, spoilt by their father, working the ranch? Their differing views? The differing attitudes of the men of the West? The irony that they should both love Pearl? The qualities of their love and its effect on her?

11. Jesse as the man of principle, his response to his parents, the train sequence and his being sent away from home? The love for Pearl and yet his having to leave her and her bitterness? the final vindication of Jesse?

12. The contrast with Lewt as the evil son, self-willed and spoilt, loving Pearl but using her, meeting her in secret and in darkness, the love-hate relationship between the two? his attitude towards Sam and Sam’s death? Hostility towards Jose? His not contributing to the ranch? His father's attitude, his mother's disappointment? The build-up to the conflict with Pearl? What was the basis of their antagonism leading to the duel in the sun?

13. The portrait of Sam as different, a tender man on the Western ranch, the dance sequence, his love for Pearl, the offer of marriage, the inevitability of his death at Lewt’s hand?

14. The background of religion in the American West especially with the impact of Sinkiller? His overwhelming personality, preaching, influence on the family?

15. Black racial themes with the character of Vashti? her relationship with Mrs McCanles?, her place as a servant in the house? The contrast with the attitudes towards blacks and to half-breeds?

16. The conventional use of the Western themes of the ranch, the way of life, the homestead, dances?

17. The impact of the outdoor themes especially the confrontation with the cattlemen, the battles, the train sequences etc.? What did they contribute to the atmosphere and significance of the film?

18. The narrowing down of the issues to love and hate? Sam's love as a contrast with that of Jesse and of Lewt? Jealousy and hurt and the consequences? Pearl’s bitterness and remembering her past?

19. Comment on the impact of the climax, its length, the nature of the duel, the terrain, the growing expressions of hatred, the melodramatic deaths and the final sights of Lewt and Pearl? the overtones of Greek tragedy and their effect?

20. The Freudian and psychological overtones of the film and their impact in their day, now? The appropriateness of using Greek drama and contemporary psychology in the Western setting? Themes of good and evil, inner torment and frustration, urges and passion? Their place in the American heritage?