Although the plot of Ride the Pink Horse may be a familiar one to film noir enthusiasts (disillusioned World War II vet seeks revenge) , the setting is not. This classic tale of blackmail and revenge takes place amidst the setting of small town on the border between the United States and Mexico. Noir cliches suddenly seem fresh when played out in dusty backstreets of a town on the start of a religious festival. The Pink Horse of the title is on the carousel at the center of the town, and serves as a set piece to a visual portrayal of a desert town that is as hallucinatory and nightmarish as any urban center in the history of noir.