Why is this movie so unknown?

Westwood, that's a good question, personally I really think this is one of Brando's best performances. After watching this I honestly don't know why he didn't direct more films. He really did an excellent job here.

"He rode the fast lane, on the road to nowhere"

Why is this movie so unknown? Good question.

I've watched this film a number of times over the years and it seems like every time I see I like it more. It is a great, if flawed film. The acting is superb. It has a strong artistic presence that is the hallmark of a good film. Of course we are seeing the studio chop job version instead of Brando's 3-4 hour final cut.

In the IMDB Trivia section for this film, it says: "Now, it's a good picture for them [Paramount]," [Brando] said upon its release, "but it's not the picture I made . . . now the characters in the film are black-and-white, not gray-and-human as I planned them." This is to the film's loss, IMHO.

It has some great moments. Good story, well told. It's got to be one of the all time best Westerns. I don't know why it's not considered a classic.

For more than half a century it existed only in crappy looking public domain copies. After its initial theatrical release, nobody got to see it the way it was supposed to be seen until the restoration and Criterion video release a few years ago. It belongs on any list of the greatest westerns.