MovieChat Forums > The Gunfighter (1950) Discussion > Probably the best Western I've ever seen

Probably the best Western I've ever seen

posted 19 years ago by therealcromar
15 replies | jump to latest

Any Western fan knows that there are a LOT of bad, bad Westerns out there. To find the good ones you generally have to look on movie/western sites for reviews and recommendations. Amazingly I had never heard of The Gunfighter when it came on AMC; I decided to watch it for a laugh. The film shocked me. This is easily one of the best Westerns I've ever seen, ranking with the best of John Ford and Sergio Leone. Can you imagine a Western with only two gunshots in the entire film? With no present military, a sheriff that keeps the peace without a gun, no exploitave Native American "savages" common in junk b-westerns of the day, and a gunfighter who AVOIDS battles, this film is everything but the typical 2 am cable western. Truly recommended for any fan of film, not just westerns, not just Gregory Peck (who is amazing), but anyone.

Trivia: You can find the character of Jimmy Ringo (called by his real name Johnny Ringo) elsewhere in film history in Tombstone being played by Michael Beihn, with Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer in his life's best role as Doc Holliday. It's a different retelling (see the trivia for the Gunfighter on this site for the real story of Johnny Ringo) but still excellent.

[–] sggar00 19 years ago

I would rate this up there with "The Searchers" and also just for pure enjoyment "My Darling Clementine". Gregory Peck is perfect in this role, he brings to it a certain depth that others may have been capable of doing but more than likely not as good as Peck. You know this guy is a gunfighter, you know he has killed people, yet you cannot help but pull for this man to be able to live his dream and quit running. Great film.

[–] Thonolan3 19 years ago

Along with "The Unforgiven", this is definitely my favorite western.

[–] csu16387 19 years ago

I saw this great film last year and it immediately became one of my favorites. Gregory Peck is perfectly cast and he's marvelous in this role. The Gunfighter is extremely underrated, but I think it should be considered among the great westerns ever made.

"Dry your eyes baby, it's out of character."

[–] yoi690 18 years ago

I loved Peck in this movie, he played the role to perfection. He had a quiet confidence about him throughout the whole movie. Even as he was dying, he let the punk who killed him know that he was gonna get his just like he did. God, simply amazing. By far my favorite western movie.

[–] thelefthandedgun 18 years ago

true one of his best performances,,,,very underrated western

[–] thelefthandedgun 18 years ago

and thats how jonny ringo was found,,,,lying at the foot of a big oak tree with a hole in his head,,,,,no one knows who really put it there.......

[–] samueldtodd 18 years ago

Yeah, this has to be my favourite Western, it had a sense of realism to it that you rarely find in others on the genre.

Does anybody know where i can get a copy of Stagecoach or Union Pacific, I dont think there on Region 2 DVD release yet, but if anybody hears anything could you please tell me :)

Thanks in advance!

[–] Rinec 17 years ago

This film is awesome!

GP is brooding and so fed up of being 'the big tough gunney'

It's almost a relief for him to 'get it', but did he really 'get it'?!?!

A thinking mans western.

[–] samueldtodd 17 years ago

Yeah, you're so right...I never expected to get a reply after all these months;) But your so totally right, this movie is tense from beginning to end without making little effort at all!

[–] errol1909 14 years ago

This film is a piece of liberal crap. Johnny Ringo was a ruthless killer, not a softy like Gregory Peck played him and this movie is also so historically inacurate.

[–] Rinec 14 years ago

Weird how the people who always accuse films/directors/science of being politicised are usually those who are the most politically extreme and brainwashed themselves..........

It's a film.

It's not meant to be fact.

Get over it!!

[–] PillowRock 14 years ago

Johnny Ringo was a ruthless killer, not a softy like Gregory Peck played him

Peck was not playing Johnny Ringo at all.

Please pay attention to the dialog and / or read the credits. Peck's *fictional* character in this movie is named Jimmy Ringo.

Was the the historic Johnny Ringo among the influences during the development of this story about the fictional Jimmy Ringo? Given the similarity in the names, I would have to conclude that he was. However, that does not mean that the character is supposed to be the historical figure.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] Rudd-12 9 years ago

Your assessment is right on the money. I just discovered this film myself. And loved it.

[–] madmadrid 9 years ago

Excellent dark and brooding western with fine cinematography. First time I've seen it too.