Film vs Film
Select two cult films to compare side by side.
The Stranger Synopsis
Searching for the murderer of his brother, the Stranger rides into a small Western town. There he becomes friends with Jose, a half-breed sheepherder who has a score to settle with Tyke, the town doctor. Tyke covets Betty Lugo, who lives with her crazy old father on the outskirts of town and resists Tyke's efforts to make her a dancing girl at his saloon. When Tyke fails to drive the Stranger out of town, he abducts Betty, to whom the Stranger is attracted, and locks her in his closet. In the midst of his rescue of Betty, the Stranger overhears Jean, Tyke's lover, threaten to expose Tyke as the murderer of the Stranger's brother. After beating Tyke in a fistfight, the Stranger takes Betty across the Mexican border to marry her, leaving Tyke to the vengeance of Jose.
The Great Shadow Synopsis
Jim McDonald, the foreman of a shipbuilding plant and head of the labor union, strives to combat the anarchistic propaganda being put forth by Klimoff, the leader of a Bolshevik gang whose goal is to disrupt the country with strikes and anarchy. Despite McDonald's efforts, a strike is called, resulting in chaos. McDonald's child is knocked down by runaway horses abandoned by their striking driver, and dies. Mob scenes take place in America, as well as in Russia. Eventually, the unrest is quelled with an armistice called between Capital and Labor for a year, during which time wages are to be increased to reflect the cost of living, and leaders are to work out a common plan for their mutual advantage. The strikers now realize that they have been pawns of the Bolsheviks and call off the strike, agreeing to the plan.
"The Stranger" holds a slight edge in general audience appreciation, but "The Great Shadow" offers its own unique cult appeal.
Suggested Watch:
The StrangerBoth films share