All of the characters are sharply drawn and the performances are rock solid. As usual, Wayne underplays the heroism of his character, something that worked very well during his entire career. Howard Hawks' direction is straightforward and the pacing of the film very tight. The transfer is a very good, very clean rendering of an older film. Colors are rendered at a realistic level of saturation and the palette seems to favor earthen tones, which works very when one considers the western setting.
Flesh tones look pretty natural, without the made up appearance found in older films.
All of the colors remain pretty stable, without the more intense hues showing any significant signs of smearing. Blacks are accurate and the level of shadow detail is on the money for a 1959 film release. Contrast is pretty smooth and the picture provides good depth. The film element used for the transfer displays only minor blemishes, none of which distracts one from the presentation. Some film grain does crop up from time to time, but its nothing that can't be easily ignored.