Pursued is a “western melodrama film noir” starring Robert Mitchum and Teresa Wright. And while the genre description might sound ridiculous, maybe even headache-inducing, it is actually on point.
The film begins with Teresa Wright arriving at a desolate hut where she meets Robert Mitchum (in a very elegant shirt). It becomes clear immediately that Mitchum is in hiding. The two talk about escaping together. Next, Mitchum starts sharing his life story with her, which is all great, not that unusual for a movie to consist of flashbacks — but what is a bit odd about Pursued is that Teresa Wright’s character was actually a participant in all the events told because she and Mitchum’s character grew up as siblings. The story is long and twisted and includes a plot of what could easily be a hundred episodes of a soap opera — if not more.
And yes, this is one of those stories in which two people are raised together, in the same house, from childhood but end up falling in love which is okay because they’re not blood-related. Oh boy.
Pursued is all drama, traumatic memories repressed, killers pursuing (hey!) children, silver spurs, brothers fighting, war, New Mexico deserts, secrets… In other words, the part of the description most prominent in the movie itself is the “melodrama” section. And that is not a problem in itself, I enjoy a juicy story and Pursued is never boring. It can be a bit exhausting, though. You need to be in a very particular mood to appreciate what is going on.
If you’re not, at least Robert Mitchum is very hot in this film.
Swingin' at the Seance 