IGX

Track of the Cat (1954)

This is a Western, but only kind of. It's mostly a biting character study, with the members of a ranch family dissecting each other, with the arrival of the youngest brother's prospective bride serving as the catalyst for the family to reveal things to her, and to each other. If I were to critique this movie in film class, there are flaws, including the rushed and disappointing ending and the badly done scenes involving the title cat, a panther which we never see. There's also the implausible unraveling of the heavy, the second son who they all fear and are angry at, but who makes the ranch run better than any of the others could, even if they were inclined to try, which they aren't. But it's still compelling watching. For me It was hard to watch, because of how accurate and damning their criticisms are of each other. These are the kinds of things that happen in real families, and in real people's lives. I don't want to say more about that here -- you're either into those kinds of movies or you aren't, but it's worthwhile if you are.