Customer Reviews

Gunfighter [VHS]

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This could be the best western I have ever seen. Mostly because of its noir elements and absolutely standout performances, especially by Gregory Peck as the haunted gunfighter trying to leave his past behind, and by Millard Mitchell as his old partner-in-crime-turned-sheriff. I knew immediately upon watching this for the first time tonight that this was not your typical western. It quietly conveys doom almost from the beginning. I sensed a bleak outlook for Peck's character, Jimmy Ringo, from the start, and the movie conveys this mood very subtly throughout, building to the inevitable conclusion in understated and graceful tones.

That said, this movie has several very brief but very humorous moments that had me laughing outright because they caught me completely off guard. These humorous snippets will pass you by completely if you're not watching closely. And even if you are watching closely, they are so understated that you still could miss them. I'll give you a few of these scenes to watch for: When the old man comes in to talk to the sheriff (while the sheriff is talking to Ringo) to tell him someone set his house on fire (spot-on comedic timing by all concerned), when the kid who wants to gun down Ringo comes in for a haircut, makes boasts, then leaves. After he leaves, one of the men in the shop makes a comment (again, perfect timing). There's about three more that I noticed, but there could be more. As I said, it flies by so naturally, I'm guessing most people wouldn't notice it. Very subtle humor.

But this film is a strange sort of tragedy first and foremost, and the noirish element is definitely prominent throughout. It's amazing to me that all the actors' performances are toned down so far that they hardly move at times, and yet these performances are some of the most powerful I've ever seen. Director Henry King should have gotten an award for creating this masterpiece of understatement. If you're a fan of westerns or noir, you can't go wrong. A unique classic.

One of the finest westerns ever made, and, by the lack of responses here, one of the least appreciated. The synopsis above pretty much explains the plot: an aging gunfighter, trying to escape his past, his enemies, and new challengers to his title of "big, tough gunny," attempts to convince his estranged wife and son to come away with him to a new life for all of them. His reputation, which he once reveled in, is now nothing but a curse. Will he ever be able to escape it? This not a shoot'em up. Peck's character, Jimmy Ringo, spends most of his time in a saloon reflecting on a life that holds no joy and, most probably, a violent end.

This movie hits upon the themes of the true nature of gunfighting and its real costs which has influenced such classics as "The Magnificent Seven," "The Shootist," and "Unforgiven." If you are a fan of westerns, you will not be disappointed in "The Gunfighter."

Gregory Peck, with his natural, spare acting style, and his folksy, plain demeanor, was a natural for Westerns, and his greatness in this genre was never more evident in this 1950 film, which was one of the earlier psychological Westerns.

Peck plays Jimmie Ringo, the most notorious gunfighter in the West, is running from the brothers of a man he killed. He shows up in a town where his ex-wife lives with their young son. Ringo holds up in the town saloon as a favor to the town marshal, who an old friend, while he waits for an opportunity to see his wife.

Meanwhile, the town is taken over with the nervous enthusiasm of people wanting to see a celebrity, a shootout, or a dead celebrity. At the same time, a young punk, would-be gunfighter has heard that Ringo is in town, and is itching to make his reputation off of killing Ringo.

Everyone delivers excellent performances, and the movie has a lot to say about voyeurism, celebrity, longing, and regret. This is a fantastic movie, and without question, one of the best Westerns ever made.

Gregory Peck is excellent as a former gang member with a legendary fast draw who tries desperately to escape his past and start life anew. This film is an interesting paralell to the modern "Unforgiven", in both films legends take a life of their own becoming bigger than the man. The total inability to rest in a town or to make a friend is the curse of the man that is feared by reputation alone as Peck now older and more mature seeks a simple life that seems to constantly elude him. Ringo is constantly challenged by young gunfighters wanting to make a reputation while also being pursued by unknown common individuals who are seeking revenge of a relative who may or may not have been killed by Ringo. Ringo now tries to return to his wife and son and dream of the normal mundane but happy life of a homesteader. It's a battle against time as everything comes to a point with Ringo finally reuniting with his family in a town where everyone knows his identity but his pursuers are closing in. The most piognant part of the film is when a simple ranch owner comes into the saloon for a drink and shares one with Johnny Ringo alone in the bar speaking to him as a regular guy as he talke about his modest ranch and family. The ranch owner is oblivious to the excitment in town and he is the only one unaware that he just shared a drink with the feared Johnny Ringo. Ringo appreciates the conversation and he inhales the man's story of a modest ranch and life and sets his own goal to relocate and reunite his family. The ending is both abrupt and surprising as this is one western that does not fit the mold as someone riding off into the sunset. This is an adult western full of drama with a fitting ending demonstrating the curse of misbegotten fame. Excellent stars, aside from Peck, Karl Malden also appears.

Wow. One of the best westerns I've ever seen, that's for sure. Everything about this film is spot-on perfect, from the cinematography and acting to the costuming, sound, blocking and general attention to detail... not to mention the script! Gregory Peck stars as Jimmy Ringo, the fastest gun in the West, now turning to middle age, and ready to give up the life of a violent roustabout. The trouble is, of course, that everywhere he goes, people know and fear him, and every would-be badman in the territory wants to knock him down a peg or two. It's an old story, repeated in numerous pulps, films, dime novels and comicbooks over the years, but probably never as tersely and tensely as here. Honestly, there's not a false or flat moment in this film; director Henry King delivers a mournful masterpiece, and Peck is stunning in his role as a weatherbeaten, tired old gunny who'd gladly chuck it all in, if it weren't for the burdensome reputation he'd spent his entire youth building. Fans of the "Lonesome Dove" series should recognize the imprint of Jimmy Ringo, and his erstwhile pal, now the town marshall, Mark Strett (played perfectly by Millard Mitchell), two old-timers who know that the hard life isn't really as glamourous as most folks think. Highly recommended.

THIS IS THE FILM THAT 'HIGH NOON' ASPIRED TO BE BUT FAILED.
AS MUCH AS I LOVE WESTERNS AND AS HIGHLY AS I REGARD GARY COOPER, 'NOON' JUST DIDNT CUT THE MUSTARD, BUT PECKS 'GUNFIGHTER' DID.

NO, BY TODAYS STANDARDS THIS CLASSIC PROBABLY IS PERCIEVED BY SOME AS SLOW, INDOORSY AND TRITE. BUT THIS IS ONE YOU HAVE TO WATCH WITH YOUR HEART.

PECK IS AN AGING GUNMAN WHO REGRETS HIS PAST AND IS PUSHING TOWARD A FUTURE THAT HE HOPES WILL INCLUDE HIS WIFE AND SON. HIS WIFE IS A SCHOOL MARM WHO GOES BY AN ALIAS FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. AND THE BOY DOESNT KNOW THAT THE CELEBRATED OUTLAW IS DEAR OL, DAD. BUT AS PECKS CHARACTER ATTEMPTS TO ARRANGE A FAMILY REUNION, THE FAMILY OF A MAN PECK WAS FORCED TO KILL IS HOT ON HIS TRAIL. THEREIN LIES THE KIND OF SIMPLISTIC PLOT THAT GREAT WESTERNS ARE KNOWN FOR.

AUDIENCES IN 1950 DIDNT CARE FOR PECK'S MUSTASHE AND THE FILM WAS NOT OVER PATRONIZED.

THIS MOVIE IS FOR THE INTELLIGENT, THINKING VIEWER WHO IS MORE INTO THE CHARACTERS THAN THE ACTION.

THE CHARACTER OF MARSHAL MARK STRETT IS EFFECTIVELY PORTRAYED AND THE DIALOGUE IS QUALITY AND GENUINE.

THIS IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE OF THE OFFERINGS BY GREG PECK, AND GIVEN THE OVERALL QUALITY OF HIS WORK I THINK THAT SAYS A LOT.

FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THIS WAS ALSO PECKS FAVORITE SELF WORK AS WELL.

IN THE FINALLY PECK'S GUNMAN IS AMBUSHED BY A YOUNG PUNK LOOKING TO CASH IN ON THE VETERAN'S FAME. THE MARSHAL WANTS TO SEE THE BOY HANG BUT THE DYING GUNFIGHTERS LAST REQUEST IS TO LET THE KID GO ON BEING A "BIG TOUGH GUNNEY" SO THAT THE MISCREANT CAN LIVE A LIFE OF PAIN AND MISERY AWAITING HIS OWN UNTIMELY END.

THIS LITTLE FILM ADEQUATELY TELLS THE STORY THAT SO MANY OTHERS ATTEMPT TO BUT DONT QUITE GET IT DONE. AT ANY RATE 'THE GUNFIGHTER' IS AN ENTERTAINING PLAY THAT UNFORTUANTELY WAS FAR AHEAD OF ITS TIME.

Having recently watched The Gunfighter, starring Gregory Peck, I found myself disappointed that there isn't a DVD release of this fantastic western yet.

The Gunfighter is a tightly scripted, intelligent western that really raised the bar in a lot of ways when it came to character development in the genre. Gregory Peck plays Jimmy Ringo, a gunfighter whose reputation is such an exaggeration of reality that he has to constantly look over his shoulder and be wary of everyone he meets as a potential adversary trying to make a name for himself by killing a legend. The weight of such a burden has worn down Ringo to the point where he wants to start over and leave his legend behind.

Events unfold in the movie, however, that make that dream almost impossible. Ringo has the best intentions and genuinely seems like a good man who was caught up in a whirlwind when he was younger, and now that he's older and wiser he wants out.

The Gunfighter is top notch, from the direction, to the script, to the acting - it's all great.

And the movie deserves to be released on DVD, but as of January, 2008, that release has not yet been announced. Hopefully it will see the light of day this Spring, when many studios annually release classic western titles on DVD for the first time.

If it is released, you can bet I'll buy a copy. Maybe two (one for my dad).

This western was overlooked and underrated - probably because there are no brawls or shoot-outs which there normally was in the westerns of the 50's. Gregory Peck gives a fine performance of a gunfighter who wants to change his life - but the world won't let him. Quiet and believable with a good script, this western in B/W comes out pretty good and ranks among the best of the genre. A must for all fans of the western movies!

The Gunfighter is not your usual western gunslinger film. It is a look at the current "top gun" and how he feels to be in everyone's gunsights. He's tired and wants to leave the limelight and head west to California wioth his family and start over again where he is unknown. But that is not how it works out. ....

The entire cast is superb, from the bartender who is both in awe and respectful of Peck's charecter. ....

Millard Mitchell is excellent as a gunfighter who has managed to outlive his past. He has been there and successfully gotten out of the limelight still intact. Mitchell's treatment of the new "top gun" at the conclusion of the film is outstanding.

This is a fine movie that has stood the test of time. The cast is excellent and it has a stamp of reality to it. I recommend it to anyone.

Dylan sang these words in a 1986 song:

Well, there was this movie I seen one time,
About a man riding 'cross the desert and it starred Gregory Peck.
He was shot down by a hungry kid trying to make a name for himself.
The townspeople wanted to crush that kid down and string him up by the neck.

Well, the marshal, now he beat that kid to a bloody pulp
as the dying gunfighter lay in the sun and gasped for his last breath.
Turn him loose, let him go, let him say he outdrew me fair and square,
I want him to feel what it's like to every moment face his death.

and later in this very long song:

Well, I'm standin' in line in the rain to see a movie starring Gregory Peck,
Yeah, but you know it's not the one that I had in mind.
He's got a new one out now, I don't even know what it's about
But I'll see him in anything so I'll stand in line.

and even later:

There was a movie I seen one time, I think I sat through it twice.
I don't remember who I was or where I was bound.
All I remember about it was it starred Gregory Peck, he wore a gun and he was shot in the back.
Seems like a long time ago, long before the stars were torn down.

The Gunfighter is for real. It's kind of a noir Western, if that's possible. I have no idea how Peck conveys so much with that nearly immobile face of his, but he does-- and never to better effect than in The Gunfighter.