Who payed the critics

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Taking a look at the BBC listings,I spotted a Western double bill.Recording the movies,I found details on Fritz Lang's Rancho Notorious to make it sound a more complex plot to Robert Mitchum's gunslinger,which led to me deciding,that for the first of this Western fest,I would walk to the salon with Big Bob.The plot:Bringing up his son Davy on his own after the tragic death of his wife, David Harvey decides that he and his son need a women round the house. Going to get a servant woman from settlement head Parson Jackson,Harvey gets pushed to accept Rachel as his servant,and to get married to her! Unwilling to accept Rachel as a new women in their lives,the Harvey's live Rachel as a farmhand. Believing that she will never be accepted,Rachel and the Harvey's are woken up by the Harvey's old friend Jim Fairways arriving in town.View on the film:Rushed out when Mitchum was arrested for possessing marijuana,director Norman Foster & cinematographer Maury Gertsman avoid any sign of rebellion, emphasised by Roy Webb whimsical score,soaked up in the stilted shots Foster uses to breath in the superb rural location. Firing an arrow to end the film on a Western battle with the Indians, Waldo Salt's adaptation of Howard Fast's story loads up the Melodrama's "Women's Picture."Entering the Harvey's farm with Rachel,Salt wonderfully shows no fears in highlighting the harsher side of Davy and David,with the memory of their wife/mother leading to them wearing their Melodrama hats,until the arrival of Fairways,leads to them finally becoming aware of who Rachel truly is. Despite some of the dialogue being dry,the cast make the movie sing,thanks to an irresistible chemistry.Pushed around,the elegant Loretta Young gives a charming performance as Rachel,who despite being pushed away by everyone,is given a firm determination by Young.Changing the way the Harvey's (played by a great William Holden and Gary Gray) see Rachel in a new light,Big Bob (who also sings!) gives a terrific performance as Fairways who is given a Folk music glow by Bob's reunion with the family,with Mitchum given Fairways a glint of rebellion in his eyes,as Rachel meets the stranger.

Still a fine little favorite. I always thought her look was on purpose and improved as the film progressed. Rachel was not only a little worn- looking, but darker complected.As Ur000 said, "Robert Mitchum plays the "bad boy" like it should be played. Nice looking with a bit of danger and a lot of charm."Their relationship grows as they learn about each other. Until Dave (Pa)see in Rachel the real person she is and is ready to open his heart and be her husband. At the end,says ur2671227 (kid says that he is all "tuckered out", to which Big Davey (Mr. Holden) finally acknowledges Rachel as his wife, and responds, "Davey, do as your Ma says" - the boy looks at Holden and smiles, Holden turns his head to Young and smiles, and moves to her and kisses and embraces her. Fade to black with the Rachel theme turned up a notch.)More soon,

After the death of his wife, pioneer farmer David Harvey (William Holden) decides to take a new bride. What he's really after is less a wife than a housekeeper who will do chores and take care of his son. He finds that in indentured servant Rachel (Loretta Young), whom he purchases and then marries at the urging of the local parson. David shows no affection towards Rachel, treating her just like a servant. This changes when traveling fur trapper Jim Fairways (Robert Mitchum) shows up. Jim's an old friend of David's and loved his late wife though she chose David over him. When Jim starts paying Rachel attention, it stirs feelings of jealousy in David and he starts to see Rachel in a new light.Charming western love story with top stars at their best. Holden and Mitchum are superb but Young really shines, carrying most of the picture just through her facial expressions. What a lovely face it was, too. Young and Mitchum both sing in this, as well. I should also mention Gary Gray is good as the son. A simple story but wonderfully told with that old Hollywood magic.

This film plays out as a sort of western Rebecca (1940. Rachel (Lorreta Young) lives in the shadow of Big Davy's (William Holden)first wife when she is 'bought' to keep house and educate the young son. The film essentially follows Rachel's efforts to gain acceptance and prove herself a worthy acquisition.Young is good in her role, adequately conveying Rachel's disappointment with married life and her relationships with two men, Holden and Mitchum. Holden and Mitchum in a sense both occupy the stranger tag of the title. Young marries Holden as a stranger, and he remains a stranger even in marriage. Mitchum is the stranger who appears and seems to offer Rachel a chance at salvation. Both men suit their roles. Holden, at first a grief-stricken widower, cold and unwelcoming, begins to open up to Rachel and appreciate her as a wife and companion, not a slave. Mitchum sings and provides a lighter presence. Gary Gray gives strong support as the child who learns to love Rachel as a mother figure after his initial mistreatment of her.There are some interesting themes here, particularly the idea of female servitude. 'Rachel And The Stranger' poignantly questions the role of women in society and also the portrayal of women in western films. It looks at the gun myth in western films- guns allow Rachel to assert herself in a 'male' aspect. It hints at Rachel's dissatisfaction with the lack of sexual relations in her marriage. the Both central male figures are worth close analysis- Mitchum claims to love and appreciate Rachel more than Holden's character, yet he too only thinks of Rachel in monetary terms when he offers to 'buy' Rachel from Holden.'Rachel And The Stranger', in haunting black-and-white cinematography, is a real little gem of a film. It's simple, yet powerful themes and efficient running length mean that the film does not stray into long-winded sequences that detract from the original premise of Rachel's struggle as a 'replacement bride'.