Bad Day at Black Rock

 Bad Day at Black Rock is a 1955 drama film directed by John Sturges that combines elements of Westerns and film noir. 

John Macreedy (Spencer Tracy) arrives by train to the small town of Black Rock. After four years,the train has stopped in that station.  Macreedy is in search  of a Japanese man named Komoko who lived nearby in Adobe flat.   The town has a dark secret and leader Reno Smith (Robert Ryan) tries to prevent  Macreedy from discovering the information about Komoko.  Macreedy meets the town sheriff but the alcoholic sheriff is afraid of Smith.   Doc Velie (Walter Brennan), advises Macreedy to leave town soon. 

Macreedy is an interesting character , superbly portrayed by Spencer Tracy.  Injured in the war, he keeps one hand in his pocket always , giving him a harmless appearance.  At the same time, he is a confident man. Robert Ryan is cool but a bit inhuman for my tastes.  

One great aspect of the film is it's cinematography. Director John Sturges uses plenty of wide shots here. The camera is almost devoid of close-ups. The widescreen views make the town more isolated from the rest of world.

The film has plenty of suspense , but at times almost drags out too long. The background music score fails to add intensity in this film. Still, Bad Day at Black Rock is a tense  drama with sincere character studies and an exemplary lead protagonist.