Pssst, want to check out Man of the West in our new look?
Information
- Year
- 1958
- Runtime
- 100 min.
- Director
- Anthony Mann
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Western
- Rating *
- 7.2
- Votes *
- 4,751
- Checks
- 1,685
- Favs
- 97
- Dislikes
- 15
- Favs/checks
- 5.8% (1:17)
- Favs/dislikes
- 6:1
Top comments
-
ChrisReynolds
The cynical and dark nature of the story make this feel like one of the late film noirs, and the existential subtext of a man haunted by his past crimes makes this an impressive deconstruction of Western heroic archetypes with some excellent cinematography. Cooper is OK but about twenty years too old for the part, and there are a series of plot conveniences that weaken the film a bit. 8 years 4 months ago -
Siskoid
Though modern audiences have seen worse, Anthony Mann's Man of the West is kind of shocking for 1958. The violence is extended and visceral, and there are several moments where a woman is placed in sexual jeopardy. Even almost-nudity. Now, I do think you have to get up real early in the morning to give Gary Cooper some edge, and Mann slept through his alarm clock. He's just an open-faced goof that it's hard to believe he was ever a ruthless outlaw. Yes, he needs to have grown up and found a sense of decency - to have BECOME Gary Cooper - but I'm not convinced of his disreputable past. The story has him, a con man, and a singer left in the wilderness after a train robbery. From there, he runs across people from his past who take treat him as much like a hostage as like a partner in their next crime, dragging him back down to the hell he thought he'd escaped. When Mann takes on a script, you can expect characters with interesting quirks, and twists that veer away from the usual tropes, and Man of the West at least delivers on those counts. 2 years 1 month ago -
Earring72
Offbeat western. Good (but miscast) cast and tight direction makes for an uncomfortable western drama 1 week 4 days ago
Friends
Login to see which of your friends have seen this movie!Activity
-
damastaf checked this movie 4 days 7 hours ago
-
chriscapitolo checked this movie 6 days 13 hours ago
In 8 official lists
-
This movie ranks #53 in BFI's 100 Westerns
BFI's 100 Westerns
53 -
This movie ranks #187 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films: 1001-2500
TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…
187 -
This movie ranks #227 in Eureka!'s The Masters of Cinema Series
Eureka!'s The Masters of…
227 -
This movie ranks #327 in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See…
327 -
This movie ranks #433 in Jonathan Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
Jonathan Rosenbaum's Ess…
433 -
This movie ranks #471 in Emma Beare's 501 Must-See Movies
Emma Beare's 501 Must-Se…
471 -
This movie ranks #561 in David Thomson's Have You Seen?
David Thomson's Have You…
561 -
This movie ranks #580 in Time Out's 1000 Films to Change Your Life
Time Out's 1000 Films to…
580