Aging gunfighter Jimmy Ringo is feeling his age, he is tired of looking over his shoulder and just wants to get to a nearby town to be reunited with his son. Before he sets off on his journey he is partaking in a drink at a saloon, a hot young tough guy picks a fight with him purely because of his reputation. Despite repeated attempts for someone to calm the youth down, Ringo is forced to kill the kid after being drawn upon first, all the patrons in the bar agree that Ringo had no choice in the matter, but he is advised to leave town quickly because the kid has three older brothers who will not care who drew first. Ringo sets off to find his son knowing that his past, along with the stricken kid's gunslinging brothers, are catching him up.
Downbeat and downright grim in texture, The Gunfighter is a very polished piece boasting a wonderful turn from its leading man. There are a number of highly thought of psychological westerns that focus on the tough nature of the west, rather than the fanciful guns a blazing actioners that one time dominated the genre, but few look and impact as hard as this one does. Gregory Peck is excellent as Ringo, perfectly grizzled and worn, but gigantic enough in stature to make him still a fearsome figure. That Peck is able to smoothly shift gears for a number of scenes is often taken for granted, be it showing tenderness with his boy in one scene or exuding stoic machismo when facing down bad guys in another, there's smart acting layers being revealed by the big man.
Elsewhere Millard Mitchell is terrific as Marshal Mark Strett and Karl Malden adds some lively characterisation as bartender Mac. Henry King does a great job of directing, as he keeps it tight and never lets the pace veer to a place the story doesn't call for. Arthur Miller's cinematography is tonally perfect in its high contrast starkness, framing the sadness of the main character to great effect, while William Bowers' story doesn't cop out at the end by painting the outcome with a sugar coated brush. Sombre and one of the forerunners of the psychological western genre splinter, this is one of the better films of its type on the market. 9/10
Downbeat and downright grim in texture, The Gunfighter is a very polished piece boasting a wonderful turn from its leading man. There are a number of highly thought of psychological westerns that focus on the tough nature of the west, rather than the fanciful guns a blazing actioners that one time dominated the genre, but few look and impact as hard as this one does. Gregory Peck is excellent as Ringo, perfectly grizzled and worn, but gigantic enough in stature to make him still a fearsome figure. That Peck is able to smoothly shift gears for a number of scenes is often taken for granted, be it showing tenderness with his boy in one scene or exuding stoic machismo when facing down bad guys in another, there's smart acting layers being revealed by the big man.
Elsewhere Millard Mitchell is terrific as Marshal Mark Strett and Karl Malden adds some lively characterisation as bartender Mac. Henry King does a great job of directing, as he keeps it tight and never lets the pace veer to a place the story doesn't call for. Arthur Miller's cinematography is tonally perfect in its high contrast starkness, framing the sadness of the main character to great effect, while William Bowers' story doesn't cop out at the end by painting the outcome with a sugar coated brush. Sombre and one of the forerunners of the psychological western genre splinter, this is one of the better films of its type on the market. 9/10