Despite some story shortcomings, this film holds up well due to the direction of William Wellman. It is the origin story, really, of Joaquin Murrieta (Warner Baxter), Mexican outlaw. He starts out a humble farmer, but some Californians treat him and his family with brutality, making him a changed man. By the end of the film, even his friend Bill Warren (played well by Bruce Cabot) can no longer tolerate Murrieta's actions.
Murrieta is a man of principle, but he makes some bad decisions that have bad consequences. This is an interesting story about a man who tries to do what is right, but circumstances---and some unscrupulous gold prospectors---conspire to force him into flawed choices. Murrieta is sympathetic till the end, despite his anti-social ways. He is never a "Robin Hood", but he does try to be a man of morals.
Murrieta is a man of principle, but he makes some bad decisions that have bad consequences. This is an interesting story about a man who tries to do what is right, but circumstances---and some unscrupulous gold prospectors---conspire to force him into flawed choices. Murrieta is sympathetic till the end, despite his anti-social ways. He is never a "Robin Hood", but he does try to be a man of morals.