On O List of Movie Reviews
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The Ox-Bow Incident (1942)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
8/06, 5/19
8/06:
Short and simple, The Ox-Bow Incident is among the best movies of 1942.
The biggest strength lies in the story. Hitting right at the core for the need of a properly administered criminal justice
system, the injustice shown in the film is daring. What makes it memorable is how involving and engrossing the issue is. The
acting is outstanding, and most of the credit goes to William A. Wellman for his masterly direction.
All in all, The Ox-Bow Incident hits the truth of what mob injustice is about.
5/19:
Fritz Lang couldn't have pulled this off without being hokey.
The Ox-Bow Incident is mob injustice at its finest. Stupid white men get together, think they possess all the
facts, and go kill others only to find out later they've been dead wrong by failing to gather evidence.
Calling the movie one of his favorites along with The Grapes of Wrath and
12 Angry Men, Henry Fonda is great.
Everybody else is also the same, but the story is much bigger than all of them, successfully turning The Ox-Bow Incident
into a message film. As nice as the deceased man's letter is, it's too good and thus not believable.
All in all, The Ox-Bow Incident illustrates why a properly administered criminal justice system is necessary.