One of the best of the seven collaborations between director Budd Boetticher and star Randolph Scott, this was also written by Burt Kennedy, who wrote all the best in the series. They're all simple, spare stories, and that's what makes them powerful. The interplay between Scott and Richard Boone as the villain is tremendously enjoyable and razor-sharp. As in most of the movies in this series, the hero and the villain see themselves in each other. The difference between them is thin as ice. The villain, one senses, really wishes he were Randolph Scott.
These movies are set almost entirely out in the landscape. The empty, beautiful, rocky landscape of Lone Pine, CA, functions as an arena in which these characters play out their roles. And they all know what their roles are -- it's even reflected in the dialogue, as when Boone tells Scott he's gotta kill him and Scott replies, "You know I can't let you do that." It's as if they're all aware of their roles in the western genre. It's fascinating, humorous, and really enjoyable to watch.
These movies are set almost entirely out in the landscape. The empty, beautiful, rocky landscape of Lone Pine, CA, functions as an arena in which these characters play out their roles. And they all know what their roles are -- it's even reflected in the dialogue, as when Boone tells Scott he's gotta kill him and Scott replies, "You know I can't let you do that." It's as if they're all aware of their roles in the western genre. It's fascinating, humorous, and really enjoyable to watch.