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Broken Lance
Broken Lance

Broken Lance

September 25, 1954· 1h 36m
Directed by
Cinemagraphs Score6.4

Tensions erupt within an Arizona cattle baron's household when his three sons vie for control of the ranch.

Critics Sentiment

Critics6.4
No audience data yet —
1 — Hated it5 — Neutral10 — Masterpiece
Critics
|
8+ Great
6-8 Good
<6 Poor
16 reviews·Last updated 28d ago
Peak Moment

Matt faces intense cross-examination during his trial for the raid

8.5at 46m
Lowest Moment

Ben ambushes Joe but is shot dead by Two Moons

4.0at 1h 28m
Biggest Swing

The film drops sharply from Joe's noble sacrifice (8.0) to the brothers' rebellion (5.0), a 3-point decline as the family drama becomes less compelling.

Critics consistently praised Spencer Tracy's commanding performance and the film's first two acts, particularly the environmental conflict and courtroom sequences. However, many found the final act's family confrontations overblown and unconvincing, with Widmark's character becoming too villainous and the climax lacking credibility.

16 reviews analyzed|Sources: Imdb, Tmdb
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15.510

Rate each story beat:

Joe Devereaux is released from prison after three years
5.0
Hated itNeutralLoved it
Matt Devereaux's vast cattle ranch and mining empire is established
5.0
Hated itNeutralLoved it
Matt discovers the copper mine has poisoned his cattle's water
5.0
Hated itNeutralLoved it
Matt faces intense cross-examination during his trial for the raid⬆ Peak moment
5.0
Hated itNeutralLoved it
Joe claims responsibility for the raid to spare his father prison
5.0
Hated itNeutralLoved it
Joe attends Matt's funeral and declares a blood feud with his brothers
5.0
Hated itNeutralLoved it
Ben ambushes Joe but is shot dead by Two Moons⬇ Lowest moment
5.0
Hated itNeutralLoved it
Joe breaks the blood feud lance at Matt's grave symbolically
5.0
Hated itNeutralLoved it

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