The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)

There can’t be any such thing as civilization unless people have a conscience…

Gil (Fonda) and Art (Morgan) are two cowboys that have made their way back to a familiar Nevada town after being gone for months. News begins to spread of the murder of local rancher named Kincaid. The two quickly find themselves caught up in lynch mob out to capture three murder suspects. With the sheriff out, the mob is led by the vengeful deputy, Mapes (Rich). The lynch mob forces themselves into a situation where they must carry out their intended duty or surrender themselves to doubt.

The Lynch Mob

How it starts.

Gil and Art meander into small town in Nevada in the late 19th century. The town is small, but represents the same old small town one would see in any other western. The town is weary of strangers, however Gil and Art are simply returning from months of being away. The townsfolk are a tight knit community that are currently strangled by boredom. As Darby (Kilian), the bartender, tells Gil and Art, “The only other unmarried woman I know is 82, blind and a Paiute. That leaves you five choices: eat, sleep, drink, play poker, or fight. Or you can shoot some pool. I got a new table in the back room.”

The town is restless, ready for action, and unified as a community. It is clear that the town is stands behind one another and is ready to do what it takes avenge a follow member of the community. However, they diverge on the right path to take. Most are bloodthirsty and ready to kill, others push for justice and the rule of law. Kincaid’s death sparks action in the restless horde. Many seem to fear the legal process will result in a leniency and a delayed response towards a proven murderer. Others insist that ignoring the legal process must not be entertained.

The mob leaves to hunt down the murderers. A mob that is made up of those trying to avenge the death of Kincaid and those trying to ensure justice is upheld. The initial protagonists, Gil and Art, tag along to ensure justice is upheld, but they also don’t want to appear suspicious for staying behind.

Camaraderie.

The townsfolk are quick to band together. The solidarity strengthens their zeal for justice, as well as their mob mentality. For the citizens that band together, the only goal is to avenge the death of their friend. Anyone that questions that crime is an enemy of the posse and guilty of an immoral character.

For Gil and Art, their initial goal is to join so as to not stand out. Once they are underway, however, they see the importance of looking at the situation from an outside perspective. It becomes clear that there is mud in the water and the motives for everyone is unclear. Most of the townsfolk are not out for blood for the sake of it, but that is not true for all.

Major Tetley (Conroy) uses the incident as a way to indoctrinate his son, Gerald (Eythe), in the ways of being “man”. Major Tetley’s clear struggles with inadequacy, and falling short in his own adventures, is transferred to the rearing of his son. The primary rationale behind his involvement with the posse stems from his desire to force his kid to get his hands dirty in front of him. Casualties along the way is not his concern.

When they find the “rustlers”, Donald (Andrews), Hardwicke (Ford), and Martinez (Quinn), that are accused of the death of Kincaid, they are quick to sentence them to death. Donald’s crew has a story fraught with holes and corrections. It is not in their favor that their story doesn’t add up and they don’t have the evidence to back it up. This only strengthens the case of the posse and sets the stage for the impromptu hanging.

Donald resolves to write a letter to his wife and young children once he see’s where the kangaroo court is headed. The letter is read by a select few that believe that he is either innocent or that the proceedings need to wait until the sheriff arrives. These pleadings fall on deaf ears as the posse mobilizes to erect their gallows.

Patience.

The most important virtue not practiced by the characters within the story is, Patience. Every one is righteous and willing to do what it takes to ensure justice is upheld. However, no one is patient enough to ensure they are on the right path.

The theme of patience comes up several times. Gil and Art are treated as outsiders because they have been gone for awhile, yet no one takes the time to talk to them about what they have done. Kincaid’s death is announced and everyone is eager to hunt down the first clue they get without the authorities around. Gil’s sweetheart, Rose (Hughes) doesn’t wait for his return and gets married while he is gone. This fact might be an implied thread in the film, but I don’t fault Rose for not waiting an unknown amount of time for Gil.

Everyone wants resolution and they want it on their time. Those that hold the power control the speed and those in greater numbers tend to control the power. The mob checks the boxes needed for them to condemn strangers to death. It is at this point that a handful challenge this and demand that the posse at least wait for the sheriff in order to ensure that “true” justice is carried out.

The “thick-skinned” members of the posse are ready to carry out the dutiful act of hanging the strange trio. Those that oppose are shamed and the accused become the hanged.

Chivalry & Justice.

While the posse celebrates the successful revenge killing of their compatriot, the Sheriff arrives. Once he arrives, he answers the question that none thought to ask. Is Kincaid still alive? The answer changes the posse’s tone from celebratory to one of deep sorrow.

The posse makes their way back to their origin, the local saloon, to come down from their vengeful high with some cowboy cocktails, straight whiskey. The somber tone amongst the crew is interrupted by Gil. He reads the final letter of Donald to the, now willing, posse. The letter’s powerful message summarizes the importance of justice and law in society. It emphasizes the requirement that conscious lead the way and people do what is right.

The Ox-Bow Incident highlights more than true justice and how not to kill people without evidence. It draws a line between the characters that are typically seen as the “good guys” in westerns. It is typically the obvious bad guys v the obvious good guys. The townsfolk get trapped in the middle or are encompassed by the good guys. Here, the good guys are split between those that are willing to let society facilitate the justice and those that are stuck in the old ways and can’t trust the new way of doing things.

Differences in the book

An interesting difference between the film and the novel is the response from the sheriff while at the scene of the hanging. The film has the sheriff condemn their actions and warn them of the justice to come for their actions. The book version of the sheriff instead has him initially condemn the men, then he announces that he will instead look the other way and attest that no one was there when he arrived.

Western set 12 Angry Men

It is easy to compare The Ox-Bow Incident with 12 Angry Men (1957). Both films star Henry Fonda, put a jury together to debate a case, struggle with determining definitive guilt. A primary difference between them is that The Ox-Bow Incident stands up against vigilantism during the transitioning period of the west and the 12 Angry Men challenges those unwilling to accept reasonable doubt and their internal biases.

The Ox-bow Canyon, the Noose.

The imagery associated with an Ox-Bow was lost on me going into the film. I went into the film with zero understanding of what was to come. That led me to think that the Ox-Bow would relate to a harness worn by an Ox. Instead, the reference is to the shape that a river makes that resembles an Ox-Bow. A common term used describe a river that bends and curves in such a way that it would cause someone to be trapped, as well as resemble a noose.

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Directed by: William A. Wellman

Cinematography: Arthur C. Miller

Written by: Lamar Trotti

Based on “The Ox-Bow Incident” by: Walter Van Tilburg Clark

Editing By: Allen McNeil

Starring: Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, Harry Morgan, Frank Conroy, Harry Davenport, Anthony Quinn, Jane Darwell, Mary Beth Hughes, Dick Rich, Victor Kilian, & Margaret Hamilton.

Runtime: 1h 15m

Genre: Drama, Psychological Western

Distributed by: 20th Century Fox