Pursued

Robert Mitchum, Teresa Wright, and Judith Anderson

The Freudian Western par excellence, Raoul Walsh's Pursued, from 1947, features Robert Mitchum as a man with hellhounds on his trail as a result of boyhood trauma. Walsh fashions this moody piece as a deterministic nightmare where the characters are dwarfed, in James Wong Howe's wonderous cinematography, by monumental rock formations and thunderous skies. Niven Busch's script baldly trumpets its morbid psychology whilst copping out with its ending. This is mitigated by Walsh's handling of his players. Mitchum was rarely better and the supporting players are all perfectly cast: including Teresa Wright (Mrs. Busch at the time). Judith Anderson, Alan Hale Sr., Dean Jagger, and Harry Carey Jr.