Winchester '73

A top-notch spectacle ending with perhaps the best man-on-man shootout I've ever seen in a western. Making a rifle the central character was a bold and brilliant idea, but it certainly wouldn't have worked without the varied mix of characters that gradually own the Winchester. I didn't recognize Rock Hudson as the Indian chief, but James Stewart was nothing short of excellent. (12/24/2012)

This film is still fresh. Told in a brisk, modern way, I appreciate the idea that the main character is actually the rifle, which is here in the position of a kind of harbringer of bad luck to its owner, but I’m already somewhere else thanks to the trends of recent decades. I prefer the modern approach to westerns, first started by Peckinpah, but then mainly by Costner and Eastwood, who demythicize the Wild West, turn its age-old clichés on their heads, and don't treat the Indians as dumb Neanderthals with pigtails. Winchester 73 is still fresh in its modern filmmaking, but it’s also a surviving relic from the days of John Wayne and John Ford. (11/11/2020)

Yes, with just one weapon - a proper one, mind you - it's possible to make a quality western with a plot that grips you, leaving you anticipating where the weapon will move next and what it will cause. James Stewart shows how suited he is to any role he is given. Though admittedly, I prefer westerns with him where he's a bit older. (10/20/2014)