The Naked Dawn

King of the cheapies Edgar Ullmer directed this modern west saga set in Mexico with something he normally didn't have at his disposal, technicolor. Even with that it's certainly one parsimonious production, but not bad.

Although why he cast Arthur Kennedy replete with dyed black hair and a greasy beard as a Mexican bandit who knows. This was a role so right for Gilbert Roland. I guess he wasn't available.

Nevertheless Kennedy gives it his best as the charismatic bandit who after losing one partner doing a job is ready for another. He takes refuge in the house of farmer Eugene Iglesias and wife Betta St.John. In one way or another he seduces both of them with what they see as a romantic life style. Both want to go off with him and leave the other.

The Naked Dawn is a curious little film, deep in character rather than plot. But I think it would have been a classic with a Gilbert Roland or a Fernando Lamas in the lead.

A low budget gives this western its strength : almost all the action takes place in Manuel's seedy farm and do not expect an action-packed yarn ;it's almost a crepuscular western for the automobiles appear .In its own special way ,it's also a parable desguised as western .

The great character actor Arthur Kennedy rarely got top billing ,and considering his talent,it was totally unfair.Made up as a Mexican ,with a fake accent , you hardly know him;his character is colorful: before his pal dies , he imposes an interminable religious solace upon him , justifying their dirty deeds by the Holy Scripts.

However, Santiago may embody the Devil ,coming to tempt a couple of innocent peasants ,resigned to their modest fate; when one meets him, Manuel hopes for a better future ,but through his hard work ;the lure of gain appears later when he accompanies his new friend who calls on his boss to recover his wage ;in parallel, the wife is sexually attracted by the bandit and his depiction of an idealized Vera Cruz makes her dream of a storylike life,far from the lousy life she leads with a rather indolent hubby :when one meets her by the river ,she 's daydreaming ,humming a melody , perhaps waiting for something which never happens ...Relatively speaking ,religion plays an almost Bunuelesque role.

By and large , the intimate scenes are much more successful than the (rare ) eventful moments: the hanging of the boss, the rumble,the final settlement of scores .

This movie provides the viewer with an opportunity to see a truly gifted,if unsung actor, in a role that he owns. Arthur Kennedy played many supporting roles in the 40's and 50's and was nominated five times for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor. During that time he acted for most of the outstanding directors of the period and with actors like Mitchum,Sinatra,Douglas,to name a few. Long overdue for a memorable starring role, he finally has the lead in this movie. As Santiago he demonstrates how callousness and gentleness of spirit can reside believably in the same person. His contact with th peasant couple ultimately changes forever their views of the future as well as his own and final redemption. This is a movie one can see only on TV late shows. A pity, but if you're lucky enough to catch it, you'll be rewarded. Guaranteed.

A compelling movie of a different kind. When a low budget movie that was filmed in 10 days with very few characters, markedly rivets ones attention, that is a telltale sign of a a good and unusual production. The attire and settings were very convincing. The three leading characters all portrayed Hispanics extremely unusual for a 1950s western. The acting/directing was very good. The movie discusses female servitude/abuse; and the lure of money and its impact on ones loyalty, profession, and romantic decisions. With few characters and a low budget, the movie project took the very little and turned into quite an interesting and believable flick, of a different kind, that found time to examine core aspects of human behavior. In the same general genre as For Whom the Bell Tolls, but yet so different. Wow!!

There is something very likable about this low budget, "poetic" story of an aging outlaw who comes upon the small farm of an ambitious peon and his willful wife. The atmosphere is a bit thick perhaps, constant philosophizing in a "poetic" Spanish accent, with a guitar playing in the background. But Kennedy is particularly good as the outlaw, worldly-wise and mellow with flashes of toughness, anger and cynicism. The other players carry their weight well enough, though Iglesias sometimes goes a bit overboard with his characterization of the naive, greedy young man. There's not much to the story, but it's well told. Here, certainly, is a film that, whatever its ultimate virtues, is unique. Though the subject makes it a Western, the style (as well as the Mexican setting and the apparent thirties time-frame) makes it something completely different. This is the sort of film one expects from Ulmer's reputation; small but personal. I really did like it, but I don't know if I would go as far as Francois Truffaut: "Poetic and violent, tender and droll, moving and subtle, joyously energetic and wholesome... reminds us inevitably of Renoir and Ophuls."