Lawman (1971)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Michael Winner

Writer:

Gerald Wilson (written by)

Release Date:

4 August 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

A lawman from Bannock arrives in Sabbath to arrest all the cattlemen whose wild celebration the year before resulted in the accidental death of an old man.

Plot Keywords:

Reputation | Rancher | Land Baron | Duty | Marshal

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Bannock Marshal Jared Maddox
Robert Ryan	...	Sabbath Marshal Cotton Ryan
Lee J. Cobb	...	Vincent Bronson
Robert Duvall	...	Vernon Adams
Sheree North	...	Laura Shelby
Albert Salmi	...	Harvey Stenbaugh
Richard Jordan	...	Crowe Wheelwright
John McGiver	...	Sabbath Mayor Sam Bolden
Ralph Waite	...	Jack Dekker
John Beck	...	Jason Bronson
William Watson	...	Choctaw Lee (as William C. Watson)
Walter Brooke	...	Luther Harris
Robert Emhardt	...	Hersham
Charles Tyner	...	Minister
J.D. Cannon	...	Hurd Price

MPAA:

Rated R for violent content.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:R (2007 re-rating) | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG | UK:15 (cut)

Filming Locations:

Mexico

Company:

Scimitar Films

Trivia:

In 1971, United Artists distributed this film on a double bill with The Organization (1971) starring Sidney Poitier.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: One of the characters uses the word "gunsel", a word generally acknowledged to have been coined by Dashiell Hammett in 1929.

Quotes:

Bannock Marshal Jared Maddox: It's always the same. If you post a man, he has to come into town to prove he's a man. Or you kill a man, he's got a friend or kin -- he just has to come against you... and for no reason... no reason that makes any sense. And it don't mean a damn to the man already in the ground. Nobody wins.

Most Underrated Film I've Ever Seen

It's crazy the way some films get labeled "brilliant" while others get ignored just because of bad timing or poor studio backing or any # of things.

I'm not a fan of Westerns. I don't consider this a Western. I consider it a wonderfully written, directed, and acted work of art.

Gerald Wilson's script, and its interpretation by the three leads, is so skillful that it functions almost as a poem on the themes of "man," "animal," "law," and euphemism.

Micheal Winner's direction is beyond good. Every cut--early on he uses many overlays, then as the film builds he uses jarring smash cuts--is breathtaking in its thoughtfulness and thematic effect. And he knows when to lay off the music. An eerily quiet early showdown scene with Burt Lancaster, Albert Salmi, and Richard Jordan (with Robert Ryan in the background) is probably the most creative and effective such scene I've ever witnessed, Leone notwithstanding.

Then there's the acting. Lancaster is THE great underrated American actor, and it's because so many of his best performances came after he'd turned 50. I truly think this is his best. He says so much with his eyes, and especially with a tiny flutter or break in his voice. The range he achieves within this supposedly rigid character is phenomenal. From the knockout first scene between him and Ryan, to the touching scenes between him and Sheree North--you'll never see a sadder face than his when North gets out of the bed--to the scene by the river with Jordan, he creates a full character simply by being a great actor. No gimmicks or wackiness. He just out-acts anyone on the screen today.

Ryan equals Burt's performance. This is the best of the ten or so Ryan performances I've seen. Like Lancaster as he aged, Ryan is unafraid to play an aging, weakening character. Seeing him come to life briefly when he takes on a "Bronson man" is thrilling.

Lee J. Cobb has less to do but does a heck of a lot with it. The supporting actors are, to a person, superb. But special kudos must go to Richard Jordan.

This is a film that challenges the macho stereotype and finds it wanting. Lancaster's character offers a complex alternative. An absolute must-see. Tremendous script, unparalleled acting, superb directing. Oh, and the locations are just breathtaking. It's criminal that there's no true widescreen of Lawman available. Anyway, SEE IT.