Movie

The Badlanders

1958 · 85 min

A steady, old-fashioned western caper that mixes revenge and romance with a slow-burning heist, feeling earnest and occasionally tense.

Tagline: A treasure to steal...a woman to win...a past to forget...
Overview: Two men are released from the Arizona Territorial Prison at Yuma in 1898. One, The Dutchman, is out to get both gold and revenge from certain people in a small mining town who had him imprisoned unjustly. The other, McBain, is just trying to go straight, but that is easier said than done once The Dutchman involves him in his gold theft scheme. Based on the 1949 novel The Asphalt Jungle by W. R. Burnett, the story is given an 1898 setting. It is the second film adaptation of the novel following 1950's noir classic The Asphalt Jungle.
How it feels: Earnest, tense, melancholic and romantic. Measured and needs your attention.
About: Revenge, justice, betrayal, redemption
Content: Mild violence and sexual content. No gore or swearing.
Note: Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Full breakdown

Tone: earneststrength 2 of 3
tensestrength 2 of 3
melancholicstrength 1 of 3
romanticstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: revenge
justice
betrayal
redemption
love
Places: small town
countryside
Era: period
Audience: adult
Form: single location
Content intensity: Gore none
Language none
Violence mild
Sex mild