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The Violent Men

The Violent Men

Western · 1955

A former Union Army officer plans to sell out to Anchor Ranch and move east with his fiancée, but the low price offered by Anchor's crippled owner and the outfit's bullying tactics make him reconsider. When one of his hands is murdered he decides to stay and fight, utilizing his war experience. Not all is well at Anchor with the owner's wife carrying on with his brother who also has a Mexican woman in town.

Movie details

The Violent Men

“VOLCANIC! VALIANT! VICIOUS! Violence and Passion the Screen Has Seldom Seen!”

1955 Western 1h 36m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.5 / 10

Community rating

A former Union Army officer plans to sell out to Anchor Ranch and move east with his fiancée, but the low price offered by Anchor's crippled owner and the outfit's bullying tactics make him reconsider. When one of his hands is murdered he decides to stay and fight, utilizing his war experience. Not all is well at Anchor with the owner's wife carrying on with his brother who also has a Mexican woman in town.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Violent Men?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Rudolph Maté

Written by

Harry Kleiner

Glenn Ford

Glenn Ford

John Parrish

Barbara Stanwyck

Barbara Stanwyck

Martha Wilkison

Edward G. Robinson

Edward G. Robinson

Lee Wilkison

Dianne Foster

Dianne Foster

Judith Wilkison

Brian Keith

Brian Keith

Cole Wilkison

May Wynn

May Wynn

Caroline Vail

Warner Anderson

Warner Anderson

Jim McCloud

Court is in session

Put The Violent Men on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Patience is part of the point.”

Duration becomes texture. The film asks you to inhabit its world instead of merely processing its plot.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“A test of endurance, your honour.”

Stillness keeps submitting itself as meaning. At some point, contemplation needs something worth contemplating.