The Ox-Bow Incident is a 1943 American Western film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, and Mary Beth Hughes. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Walter Van Tilburg Clark. The story is set in Nevada in the 1870s and focuses on a group of cowboys who form a lynch mob to hang a man they believe is guilty of cattle rustling and murder. The film explores themes of justice, mob mentality, and the dangers of vigilante justice.
Henry Fonda plays the lead role of Gil Carter, a cowboy who tries to stop the lynching, while Dana Andrews plays Major Tetley, the lynch mob leader. The film received critical acclaim and was a commercial success. It was nominated for three Academy Awards and is considered a classic of the Western film genre.
The film’s cinematography, score, and performances were highly praised, with Henry Fonda’s performance as Gil Carter being especially noted for its subtlety and nuance. The film also has a solid anti-lynching message, making it an important historical document and a classic Western film.
