Station West

Dick Powell, a favorite actor of the Noir genre, stars as military intelligence officer Haven, a smart aleck undercover investigator looking into the deaths of two soldiers. Everything appears, on the surface, to be fairly cut and dried, but a good script and excellent acting creates the moody atmosphere necessary to turn this unassuming western town into a darker place where things are not always as they seem. The plot is tight and the viewer should be prepared to pay attention lest she or he miss important plot points. Greer's performance is flawless, and even the actors who have few lines or quick cameos (Burr's performance comes to mind here), fully invest in their characters.

The filming is rather innovative for the time, with realistic hand-held shots peeking through tree branches, at saddle level, or in the case of the aforementioned fight scene, employing angles that join Powell and Williams as they brawl on the dusty bar-lit road. Lanfield invites the viewer into the scene, creating a first person viewpoint that is entirely intimate.

There are a few flaws in the writing, but on the whole, viewing Stations West is an excellent way to spend 80 minutes. Very entertaining!