Handsome liberal Western

Rating: 7/10 (21 July 2018)

An American Western which occupies an area between dramatic action and comedy, but not action-comedy. The characters are unconventionally portrayed: they are lean and muscular cowboys but transform into low comedians part way through. But, for sheer entertainment it is superlative. It has handsome central performances from two handsome actors, who have great chemistry.
The cinematography is sumptuous with brilliant use of colour and shade to evoke feeling. The locations are magnificent. The editing, however, impairs the film slightly. The chase by the posse was overlong and the film drops into a ravine by the second act as a result, struggling to recover what it promised.
All in all, though, it has a fabulous musical score, cinematography and screenplay, all elements rewarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It is very watchable stuff.