"Rage" is a highly unusual film for Glenn Ford. Heck, it's a highly unusual film...period. The story is set in rural Mexico and finds Dr. Reuben (Ford) working with the local villagers...and drinking himself half to death. Through the course of the film you realize why he's there and why he's drinking. Years before, his actions resulted in his wife's death...and he seems to be doing pennance for this by working so far from the States. But he's also angry, sullen and altogether unpleasant in many ways.
Into this town comes a truck load of prostitutes bound for someplace nicer and less grubby. One of those women, Perla (Stella Stevens) takes a liking for the doctor...but eventually she moves on to another town.
Dr. Reuben is bitten by his dog...and the dog has rabies. Earlier in the film you see a man going mad with the illness...and the Doc knows he must get treatment soon or he'll die the same way. But there's a dying woman about to give birth to attend to first. And then, it's a long, long way to the nearest large city where he can get treatment. Can he get there in time?
The prostitute plot in the film seemed like filler...though Stevens' character actually became important late in the story when she helps the Doctor get to town. Still, her rowdy friends seemed more like a distraction than anything and a bit of a re-write would have helped. Without that unnecessary plot, I would have given the film a 7.
FYI--I noticed one review says that the movie was set in rural New Mexico, but when I looked at IMDB to see where the movie was filmed it was set in Mexico...not in the United States.
