Duel in the Sun (1946)

This lavish film focuses a passionate drama between a half-breed Indian girl named Pearl Chavez and Lewt , son of a powerful baron land . Gorgeous Mestiza Pearl Chavez (Jennifer Jones who had Academy Award nomination) becomes the ward of her dead daddy (Herbert Marshall)'s first love (Lillian Gish) and finds herself torn between her sons, one good guy (Joseph Cotten) and the other bad guy ( untypically cast as baddie , Gregory Peck). Living on a powerful dynastic ranch in Spanish Bit , Texas , and ruled by racist Senator McCanles (Lionel Barrymore) ; she incites the two brothers to conflict . The picture is full of largest-of-life characters as vivacious Perla Chavez built by the devil to drive men crazy ; Lewt McCanles (Gregory Peck) violent as the wind-swept prairie with blood-spilled on his hands ; Jesse (Joseph Cotten) , rebelling against the tyranny of his father ; Senator McCanles (Lionel Barrymore), rich , proud , master of a million of acres ; Raoul Chavez (Herbert Marshall) , ill-fated son of Creole aristocracy ; Laura Belle (Lillian Gish) as martyred mother of a strange brood ; , the pastor (Walter Huston) as the Sinkiller , lusty philosopher of the far-flying prairie .

This stirring drama Western plenty of lyric images deals with victory of civilization and defeat of feudal spirit represented by the proud Senator .Selznick's last lusty effort at outdoing his big hit ¨Gone with the wind¨ , he spend almost 5 million of this epic Western and over-budgeted the classic film of the 30s . Sensational main cast as a beautiful spitfire Jennifer Jones at her best , Gregory Peck as rebellious and violent son and Josep Cotten as fine lawyer ; all of them backed by extraordinary secondary cast as Lionel Barrymore as the magnate owner , Walter Huston as fanatic pastor and Lillian Gish who win Oscar nomination , among others .

Impressive scenes on the raid with lots of riders towards railway and cavalry arrival . The movie had quite a few problems with censorship caused for frank loving relations between Pearl and Lewt ; it aroused great controversy , US religious organizations protested about the lack ethic and morals and the lots of bloodletting , however it ensured success at box-office and awesome critics . Passionate screenplay by the same producer , David O'Selznick suggested by Niven Busch's novel . Filmed nearly Tucson , Arizona and California , including spectacular landscapes photographed by three cameramen , Lee Garmes , Roy Rennahan ,and Hal Rosson . The motion picture is very well realized by King Vidor , though he was missed by David O'Selznick (Jennifer Jones's husband) , being completed by six directors as Otto Brower (2ª unit) ,William Dieterle , Breezy Reeves Eason (second unit), and minor collaboration from Joseph Von Stenberg and William Cameron Menzies . Rating : Better than average . Essential and indispensable seeing .