Derrick Gibbons An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Josephina Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

jarrodmcdonald-1 Critically lauded for years, the film seems to be neglected by some. The performances are all top-notch. Indeed, Judith Anderson's work is terrific in this picture (the scene with the scissors is truly terrifying). Anderson previously played the cold aunt of Stanwyck's character (as a child) in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, though the actresses did not share screen time in that earlier movie. Fans of Anderson will also want to check out Pursued, another noir western where once again she gives an outstanding performance. I think The Furies works mainly because of the dynamic between Stanwyck's character and Huston's character. The Freudian subtext between daughter and father suggests incest in a few places, and that makes their scenes more tense than usual.The heinous acts committed earlier in the film, as well as the interracial aspects of the story, are somewhat muted and that is to the film's detriment. I am sure that director Anthony Mann intended to depict the most unflinching account possible. It occurs to me that The Furies would have been a perfect candidate for a spaghetti western remake in the late 1960s or early 1970s. I think Quentin Tarantino could remake it today for modern audiences, and no doubt he would be unsparing in his use of violence and sex to convey the abuses of a frontier world that Mann's work only hints at.

madcardinal One of the best Westerns ever made. Superior to other films of its time because it possesses more realism and authenticity and shuns the silly, false and simplistic moralizing which was almost a requirement for American films of this period. This is a film about real, complex people involved is realistic, complex events. Film-maker Anthony Mann hailed from Great Britain - perhaps this had something to do with the unusual realism. Positives are: 1 - The beautiful cinematography alone is enough reason to rent. The lighting is superb, there is sumptuous use of darkness, and the twilight and night scenes are ravishingly beautiful. 2 - Strong, resourceful female characters instead of the usual phony, helpless, wilting flowers. These women are people in their own right, not merely appendages of some male character. 3 - The characters are an honest mix of good and bad qualities - not artificial cardboard cut-outs simplistically meant to serve as types. 4 - Minorities are portrayed as real people. The Mexicans are portrayed with sensitivity and understanding, instead of the usual condescending caricatures. 5 - Walter Huston, Barbara Stanwyck & Wendell Corey do an excellent job of bringing their characters to life. The other actors are solidly top drawer. 6 - Excellent story-telling at its finest. With repeated viewing, you see more deeply into the complex and surprisingly subtle motivations of the characters. The only negative is that the sensuality of real life was artificially pre-filtered out of the film; but in full fairness to "The Furies," this is true of all American films of this period, due to the de facto censorship which held sway at the time. In sum, a complex, vivid depiction of love, hate, greed, loyalty, betrayal, devotion, affirmation of life and the inexorability of death, as they course through the lives of real, breathing people. Anthony Mann was far ahead of his time in crafting this truthful gem. What a special achievement!

zetes This Antony Mann Western is little-known compared to his collaborations with James Stewart or Man of the West or a good number of other Mann films, but it's an equal to his best work. Barbara Stanwyck and Walter Huston (in his final performance) star as a daughter and her father, powerful ranchers who own the titular land. Their relationship, much as the title suggests, has a psycho-sexual tinge. When men call on Stanwyck, her father balks. And when hoochies cling to Huston, well, then things get real ugly! The Furies shows Mann bringing a lot of his noir skills to the Western genre. One can easily see how that genre influenced Mann's characterizations, but, in terms of film-making, he had largely moved on. The Furies is just dark and often nasty. I have to wonder why the film is so little known. My thought is that almost all Westerns feature male protagonists, with the most notably exception being Johnny Guitar. I'm not going to rag too much on that film, because I do like it, but The Furies is far superior. Stanwyck was rarely better. I might actually rate this as her best. Huston went out on one of his best performances. It's hard to believe he died before the film was even released with as much energy as he shows. My only real complaint with the movie is that it peaks too early. The standoff at the Herrera's fort is one of the greatest sequences in the history of the genre, and it's so good that the remainder of the film drags a bit. Still, a masterpiece. Thanks again, Criterion!

alexandre michel liberman (tmwest) This is the second western made by Anthony Mann, he was destined to become one of the great masters of the genre. Even though a film is a joint effort, there is always an element that prevails, in this case the story by Niven Busch. As in Pursued and Duel in the Sun it is about love and hate.There are three magnificent performances here: Walter Huston, Barbara Stanwyck and Judith Anderson. Huston is a megalomaniac rancher who makes his payments with his own currency, T.C.s. He is so in love with his own image that to maintain it he will go to extreme cruelty. Stanwyck is his daughter, who administers the ranch when he is away and counts on being the future owner. When her power is threatened by Judith Anderson the woman Huston wants to marry, she becomes wild. Gilbert Roland is a squatter friendly with Stanwick, but hated by Huston. Wendell Corey is a gambler and Stanwyck's love interest. Worth seeing.