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Poster for The Hanging Tree

The Hanging Tree

1959 · 107 min

A somber, slow-burning western that lingers on guilt and redemption, with moments of raw tension and a hard-won tenderness.

Tagline
From The Prize Novel -- A Picture Of Thundering Power!
Overview
Joseph "Doc" Frail is a doctor with a past he's trying to outrun. While in Montana, he comes across a mining camp with a hanging tree and rescues a man named Rune from the noose. With Rune as his servant, Frail decides to settle down, and he takes over as town doctor. He meets Elizabeth, who is suffering from shock, and the two soon fall in love. But when Elizabeth is attacked, Frail's attempt to help her lands them both in trouble.

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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • guilt
  • isolation
  • redemption
  • love
  • justice
Places
  • small town
  • countryside
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
None
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language none
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action4
Horror1
Humour2
Realism7
Romance5
Tension6
Darkness6
Complexity5
Emotional weight7

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Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
western
Directed by
Delmer Daves
Written by
Wendell Mayes, Halsted Welles
Starring
Gary Cooper, Maria Schell, Karl Malden, George C. Scott, Karl Swenson, Virginia Gregg, John Dierkes, King Donovan
Music
Max Steiner
Cinematography
Ted D. McCord
Runtime
107 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

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