Winchester '73

Noirish shadows spread across the frontier in this landmark western, the first of the celebrated collaborations between director Anthony Mann and actor James Stewart that redefined the genre with their moral and psychological intensity. Beginning his midcareer transition…

Criterion

Anthony Mann doesn’t play any music during the final shootout, even when the villain is killed. One of the best westerns ever made.

Will Sloan

“Winchester ‘73” revitalised Jimmy Stewart’s career with the shattering reverberation of a rifle’s blast.  Released in the same year as “The Furies,” director Anthony Mann assured his transition from noir workhorse to Western maestro with “Winchester.” He shared his…

theriverjordan

Elemental, like all the best Anthony Mann westerns--and possibly the best of these in black and white.

Jonathan Rosenbaum

movie about gear

David Sims

Action!: MANN MEN - Anthony Takes It All! While Anthony Mann's last showdown in 'Border Incident' was a foray into the western genre, it was not until this masterpiece that he truly established himself in the western canon. While there have been literally hundreds of…

Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine

While I doubt it was really intended this way, this film really spells out the bloody business of the Wild West. It keeps as its central character the titular rifle, a weapon it proudly proclaims to have built the West, and it portrays Native Americans in terms of…

Sally Jane Black

I have never won anything more dangerous than a bottle of wine in a raffle, but Winchester ’73 makes a compelling argument for ensuring that prizes cannot be used to murder the other contestants. In any case, the two finalists in Dodge City’s shooting contest, Lin McAdam…

Richard

The fabled gun represents the ability to do violence with exceptional skill, which is to say, it's a curse that ruins everyone unlucky enough to claim it as their own.

Jamelle Bouie