The Gunfighter (B or 3/4 stars)
'The Gunfighter' (a Western directed by Henry King) centers on legendary Jimmy Ringo (baritoned-voiced Gregory Peck), 'the fastest gun who ever lived'. This title makes him a hot target for every young man (or "squirt") who wants to prove himself. After Jimmy Ringo kills a silly, naive young man in self-defense, the dead man's brothers pursue him to all the way to Cayenne for vengeance. In Cayenne, Sheriff Mark Strett (Millard Mitchell), Jimmy Ringo's friend from the old days, tells him that he will have to leave immediately because he wants no trouble in his peaceful town & there are way too many young men who would love to risk everything to be able to claim credit for killing the infamous Jimmy Ringo. The entire town becomes privy to his presence.
But all Jimmy wants to do is see his estranged wife Peggy & his young boy who he's never met ... but his enemies are closing in on him fast. Peggy lets her guard down & tells Jimmy that if he can actually settle down in one place for 1 year without any trouble whatsoever, then she (and their son) will re-join him to be a family. Ringo then spends 5 cherished minutes with his son & prepares to leave town; happy enough at the thought of his life 1 yr. from then. But a local hot shot (wanting to be renowned as the man who shot Ringo) is waiting for him in the shadows outside. And for Jimmy Ringo, a future with his family suddenly seems uncertain.
This is a decent Western, though, somewhat overpraised (by critics) in my estimation. I mean, the performances are fine, just not amazing. The writing is stellar, but action in the script is fairly static (I actually think this would have worked better as a stage play). And the black-&white cinematography by legend Arthur C. Miller is super; hands down the best attribute of this movie. I loved his mise-en-scene, rich tones of blacks, whites, & greys, and the depth he gives each shot. But yeah, I just couldn't go wild about this one. I didn't care about the ending, either. It felt a bit anti-climactic & too self-reverential.
All that said, I do appreciate how this Western brings up notions of courage & manhood (what it means to be a man). Jimmy Ringo would likely trade all of his fame (as a gunfighter) for the chance to live with his family. And really, though he's a "killer", he's actually a decent man with a sense of justice. This is also a good film about the consequences of one's choices. Knowing he is a good man, but also someone who has done an awful lot of 'bad' ... Jimmy Ringo chooses to tarnish his legend in the film's final minutes; perhaps, tarnishing himself to give young 'squirts' (as he calls them) a lesson: don't be like me. So yeah, good film. A solid B/B- for me. I just don't get the ebullient praise it's received in the past. Nothing blew me away; except for the beautiful photography.
But all Jimmy wants to do is see his estranged wife Peggy & his young boy who he's never met ... but his enemies are closing in on him fast. Peggy lets her guard down & tells Jimmy that if he can actually settle down in one place for 1 year without any trouble whatsoever, then she (and their son) will re-join him to be a family. Ringo then spends 5 cherished minutes with his son & prepares to leave town; happy enough at the thought of his life 1 yr. from then. But a local hot shot (wanting to be renowned as the man who shot Ringo) is waiting for him in the shadows outside. And for Jimmy Ringo, a future with his family suddenly seems uncertain.
This is a decent Western, though, somewhat overpraised (by critics) in my estimation. I mean, the performances are fine, just not amazing. The writing is stellar, but action in the script is fairly static (I actually think this would have worked better as a stage play). And the black-&white cinematography by legend Arthur C. Miller is super; hands down the best attribute of this movie. I loved his mise-en-scene, rich tones of blacks, whites, & greys, and the depth he gives each shot. But yeah, I just couldn't go wild about this one. I didn't care about the ending, either. It felt a bit anti-climactic & too self-reverential.
All that said, I do appreciate how this Western brings up notions of courage & manhood (what it means to be a man). Jimmy Ringo would likely trade all of his fame (as a gunfighter) for the chance to live with his family. And really, though he's a "killer", he's actually a decent man with a sense of justice. This is also a good film about the consequences of one's choices. Knowing he is a good man, but also someone who has done an awful lot of 'bad' ... Jimmy Ringo chooses to tarnish his legend in the film's final minutes; perhaps, tarnishing himself to give young 'squirts' (as he calls them) a lesson: don't be like me. So yeah, good film. A solid B/B- for me. I just don't get the ebullient praise it's received in the past. Nothing blew me away; except for the beautiful photography.