At the beginning of the film Juan Hernandez (Lucas) is taken from a police car and put into a small town jail. His fate is sealed - he's going to get lynched and it's only a matter of time. There is a crowd who are ready to be led by the brother of the man he is accused of killing. That man is Charles Kemper (Crawford) and he is not a nice person. Hernandez asks young man Claude Jarman (Chick) to help him out by getting a specific lawyer - David Brian (Stevens) - to defend him. Luckily, he has been arrested on a Sunday and the townsfolk like to respect a bit of religion so Hernandez only has 24 hours before the mob gets to him.
It's a film that depicts the racism of the times. I thought the film was set in a previous era but no, it is set currently in a real town in the present. The story keeps you watching as snippets of information are gradually revealed and we learn the back-story through flashbacks. The cast do well, and thankfully, Hernandez isn't portrayed as a mightier than thou type who acts smugly and holier than everyone else. He's an awkward so-and-so and is stubborn. He has flaws.
I did find the lawyer's character rather irritating in parts and this is a combination of both the crass dialogue he is given to narrate and his delivery. He gets preachy and is obviously making points for the viewer to go away and think about. Only trouble is, these points are so blatantly obvious that it's like being sat in a class being lectured to by an idiot teacher.
The film is enjoyable and contains dialogue that probably wouldn't be allowed today due to the politically correct brigade who seem to be currently holding back any kind of progression for mankind. It's interesting to see how the film ends with people just going about their business as usual - this incident hasn't really affected anyone's behaviour. That is up to the next generation and Jarman to do something about.
It's a film that depicts the racism of the times. I thought the film was set in a previous era but no, it is set currently in a real town in the present. The story keeps you watching as snippets of information are gradually revealed and we learn the back-story through flashbacks. The cast do well, and thankfully, Hernandez isn't portrayed as a mightier than thou type who acts smugly and holier than everyone else. He's an awkward so-and-so and is stubborn. He has flaws.
I did find the lawyer's character rather irritating in parts and this is a combination of both the crass dialogue he is given to narrate and his delivery. He gets preachy and is obviously making points for the viewer to go away and think about. Only trouble is, these points are so blatantly obvious that it's like being sat in a class being lectured to by an idiot teacher.
The film is enjoyable and contains dialogue that probably wouldn't be allowed today due to the politically correct brigade who seem to be currently holding back any kind of progression for mankind. It's interesting to see how the film ends with people just going about their business as usual - this incident hasn't really affected anyone's behaviour. That is up to the next generation and Jarman to do something about.