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Duel in the Sun
1946 144 min United States of America 16+
★7.3
Western, Drama, Romance
Director: King Vidor, Otto Brower, William Dieterle
Trailers
Description
Beautiful half-breed Pearl Chavez becomes the ward of her dead father's first love and finds herself torn between her sons, one good and the other bad.
Budget:
$6M
US Gross:
$20.41M
Worldwide:
$20.4M
Starring
Jennifer Jones
Actor
Joseph Cotten
Actor
Gregory Peck
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 1947
— Best Actress
Academy Awards 1947
— Best Supporting Actress
Key opinion
Duel in the Sun is an ambitious, visually grand epic that functions as a bold Western-melodrama, aiming to replicate the massive scale of Gone with the Wind. While critics and audiences remain divided on its narrative cohesion and pacing, the film is widely recognized for its powerful performances, particularly the chemistry between Jennifer Jones and Gregory Peck.
| Acting | Jennifer Jones delivers a compelling, Oscar-nominated performance that anchors the film's emotional intensity. | |
| Acting | Gregory Peck successfully breaks from his traditional heroic persona to deliver a menacing and convincing villainous turn. | |
| Cinematography | The film features breathtaking cinematography that captures the vast, rugged beauty of the Texas landscape. | |
| Score | Dimitri Tiomkin’s score provides an immersive and grand musical backdrop that elevates the film's scope. | |
| Pacing | The sprawling production is plagued by uneven pacing, with the excessive runtime leading to a disjointed narrative experience for many viewers. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay divides opinion; some praise its dramatic themes of rivalry and prejudice, while others find the plotting predictable or overly melodramatic. |