Broken Lance is a 1954 Western film directed by Edward Dmytryk and starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner, Jean Peters, and Richard Widmark. The movie is a remake of the 1949 film House of Strangers and is loosely based on events surrounding the Johnson County War in Wyoming in 1892.
The story is set in the late 19th century and focuses on Matt Devereaux, a wealthy rancher who built his fortune by killing Indians and exploiting land. He is a proud and stubborn man, who rules his family with an iron fist and regards his sons as mere pawns in his game of power. However, his authority is undermined by the conflicts between him and his sons, especially his youngest son Joe, whom he despises for his mixed-race heritage and his rebellious nature.
The story opens with Matt launching a raid on a copper smelter that is polluting his water and killing his cattle. The raid results in violence and destruction, and Joe is blamed for leading the attack. He is sentenced to three years in prison and spends his time in isolation, reflecting on his life and his relationship with his father. Meanwhile, Matt becomes increasingly isolated and paranoid, haunted by his past and his fear of losing control over his land.
When Joe is released from prison, he finds his family in disarray. Matt has suffered a stroke and is bedridden, and his other sons are fighting over the land. Joe realizes that his father's legacy has been destroyed by his own stubbornness and inability to change, and he decides to take matters into his own hands. He merges his father's land with the neighboring Indian reservation, creating a new community where the white settlers and the Indians can live in harmony.
However, Joe's efforts are met with resistance from his brothers and the local authorities, who see him as a traitor and a threat to their power. The conflict comes to a head when Joe is framed and accused of murder, and he is forced to defend himself in a violent showdown with his brothers. In the end, Joe emerges victorious, but at a heavy cost. The movie ends with Joe standing alone on his father's land, looking out over the horizon, symbolizing the new direction that his family and his legacy are taking.
