History YMMV / TheOxBowIncident

* AwardSnub: It received an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination for Best Picture...and nothing else. To this day its the only film that has ever done such.

* AwardSnub: It received an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination for Best Picture...and nothing else.

** That said, he gets a moment of seriousness and solemnity when he takes Juan's confession as the only one among the posse who could understand Spanish.

** Even Pancho gets a moment of seriousness and solemnity when he takes Juan's confession as the only one among the posse who could understand Spanish.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: Vigilantism is a ''bad thing''. The law is there for a reason, and without due process, one cannot know for sure who is guilty and who is actually innocent.

** Even Pancho gets a moment of seriousness when he takes Juan's confession as the only one who could understand Spanish.

* EthnicScrappy: Pancho, the none-too-bright Mexican peasant. On the other hand...

** Sparks is subservient to the white men, but is also a positive, non-stereotypical African-American character, who joins with the posse out of a desire to see the law enacted ''fairly'' and goes out of his way to comfort the three accused men. He even gets a speech to Carter explaining how his own brother was lynched without anyone bothering to find out whether he was guilty or not. The film adds to this even more, depicting him as a preacher who comes along to pray for the men's souls, and implicitly the posse's as well.

* FairForItsDay: Juan is a comparatively positive portrayal of Mexicans. Although he may or may not be an outlaw on the run, he is presented as brave, noble, intelligent, and the most mature of the three accused men.
** Sparks is subservient to the white men, but is also a positive, non-stereotypical African-American character, who joins with the posse out of a desire to see the law enacted ''fairly'' and goes out of his way to comfort the three accused men. He even gets a speech to Carter explaining how his own brother was lynched without anyone bothering to find out whether he was guilty or not.
* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: Vigilantism is a ''bad thing''. The law is there for a reason, and without due process, one cannot know for sure who is guilty and who is actually innocent.

** Sparks is subservient to the white men, but is a also positive, non-stereotypical African-American character, who joins with the posse out of a desire to see the law enacted ''fairly'' and goes out of his way to comfort the three accused men. He even gets a speech to Carter explaining how his own brother was lynched without anyone bothering to find out whether he was guilty or not.

** Sparks is subservient to the white men, but is also positive, non-stereotypical African-American character, who joins with the posse out of a desire to see the law enacted ''fairly'' and goes out of his way to comfort the three accused men. He even gets a speech to Carter explaining how his own brother was lynched without anyone bothering to find out whether he was guilty or not.

* FairForItsDay: Although Juan may or may not be an outlaw on the run, he is presented as brave, noble, intelligent, and the most mature of the three men.

* FairForItsDay: A strange case in its portrayal of Mexicans. One one hand, there is Pancho, who is a none-too-bright peasant. On the other hand, we have Juan, one of the three accused men. Although Juan may or may not be an outlaw on the run, he is presented as the bravest and most mature of the three men.

* FairForItsDay: Although the film does have a Mexican member of the mob, Pancho, who is thinly and embarrassingly characterized, one of the three homesteaders the posse comes across is Juan, and although Juan may or may not be an outlaw on the run, he is presented as brave, noble and intelligent.

* FairForItsDay: Although the film does have a Mexican member of the mob, Pancho, who is thinly and embarrassingly characterized, the three homesteaders the posse come across is Juan, and although Juan may or may not be an outlaw on the run, he is presented as brave, noble and intelligent.

* AnvilsThatNeededToBeDropped: Vigilantism is a ''bad thing''. The law is there for a reason, and without due process, one cannot know for sure who is guilty and who is actually innocent.

* AnvilsThatNeededToBeDropped: Vigilantism is a ''bad thing''. The law is there for a reason, and without due process, one cannot know for sure who is guilty and who is actually innocent.
* CompleteMonster: Major Tetley, a vicious, pitiless man who is the most vocal among the people who want to see the three men hanged, even though he knew they were actually innocent. As his own son points out in his [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech scathing calling-out to him]] after the horrific deed is done, the only things he cares about are power and cruelty, and his nature is that of a depraved, murderous beast. It doesn't help that he constantly belittled the poor kid for not being on board with his murderous agenda ("I'll have no female boys bearing my name!"), or [[ForcedToWatch made him watch]] as the men were hanged.

* CompleteMonster: Major Tetley, a vicious, pitiless man who is the most vocal among the people who want to see the three men hanged, even though he knew they were actually innocent. As his own son points out in his [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech scathing calling-out to him]], the only things he cares about are power and cruelty.

* AnvilsThatNeededToBeDropped: Vigilantism is a ''bad thing''. The law is there for a reason, and without due process, one cannot know for sure who is guilty and who is actually innocent.

* AnvilsThatNeededToBeDropped: Vigilantism is a ''bad thing''. The law is there for a reason, and without due process, how can you know who is guilty and who is actually innocent?

* AnvilsThatNeededToBeDropped: Vigilantism, taking the law into your own hands, is a ''bad thing''. The law is there for a reason, and without due process, how can you know who is guilty and who is actually innocent?