Between the hard-hitting film noir classics T-Men and Raw Deal and the acclaimed cycle of James Stewart Westerns for which he is best known, director Anthony Mann made The Furies, a previously underrated melodrama that is now considered among Mann's finest films. In many respects, this vivid b&w production bears more resemblance to noir than conventional Westerns. Set in the New Mexico Territory of the 1870s, the film revolves around the curiously intimate (almost incestuous) relationship between Vance Jeffords (Barbara Stanwyck) and her headstrong father T.C. (Walter Huston, in his final role), which sets the stage for volatile conflict when Vance falls for Rip Darrow (Wendell Corey), who covets the titular Jeffords ranch more than he does Vance. Based on the novel by Niven Busch, this twisted love triangle tale provides rich terrain for psychological game-playing, with Vance playing off her father's protective jealousies, and Darrow playing father and daughter against each other. DVD extras on this superb Criterion Collection release include expert audio commentary by Jim Kitses (author of the definitive Western study Horizons West), a 1967 British TV interview with Mann, a 1931 film interview with Huston, a new video interview with Mann's daughter Nina, a stills gallery, a trailer, and a booklet (with essays by filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier and critic Robin Wood, and a 1957 interview with Mann). Also packaged with the DVD is an exclusive quality paperback edition of Busch's 1948 novel. Highly recommended. (J. Shannon)
[Blu-ray Review—April 26, 2021—Criterion, 109 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its Blu-ray debut, 1950’s The Furies is presented with an excellent high-def digital restoration. Extras include a 2008 audio commentary by film historian Jim Kitses, a featurette with critic Imogen Sara Smith, archival interviews with director Anthony Mann, Nina Mann (the directors daughter), and actor Walter Huston. Also included are a booklet with an essay by critic Robin Wood and a 1957 Cahiers du cinéma interview with Mann, and a new printing of the 1948 novel by Niven Busch on which the film is based. Bottom line: a classic Western makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray in this handsomely packaged Criterion release.]