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Great Film overall

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Released in 1958 and directed by Anthony Mann, "Man of the West" stars Gary Cooper as a reformed owlhoot who becomes stranded with two others (Julie London & Arthur O'Connell) in the Arizona wilderness after their train is ambushed. They eventually make their way to a hidden ranch in the rolling hills, which ushers in phantoms of the ex-outlaw's past.This is hailed as a cult classic and it's obvious why: To compete with so-called adult TV Westerns of the mid-late 50s, like Gunsmoke, Cheyenne, Maverick and the brutal The Rifleman (for which Sam Peckinpah directed several segments), Mann made "Man of the West" so 'adult' that there would be no comparison. He obviously wanted to spur people away from their TV sets and into the theater, along with the added attractions of widescreen, color, spectacular locations and just all-around superior filmmaking.What's so 'adult' about "Man of the West"? The portrait of the West it paints is decidedly harsh with its band of psychotic killers and an ex-outlaw as a protagonist who's constantly on the verge of letting loose his long-held-in-check violent nature to stamp out the specters of his past. On top of this you have risqué and risky moments for the era (which are rather tame today), like London's character being forced to strip in front of the dudes and an off-screen rape. The other gang members, by the way, are played by Jack Lord, John Dehner, Royal Dano and Robert J. Wilke.Some reviewers criticize the film for reasons that aren't very justified; for instance, the fact that Lee J. Cobb, who plays the half-mad uncle of Link (Cooper), was ten years younger than Cooper. Yet Cooper's role was originally slated for the younger Stewart Granger. (James Stewart, Mann's go-to man in five of his previous Westerns, desperately wanted the role, but Mann overlooked him due to their falling out during the pre-production of 1957's "Night Passage" wherein Mann pulled out). In any case, Cobb is made out to be about 10-12 years older than Link and I think it works for the most part, particularly since Cooper was still lean & mean at 56 during shooting, although his character is supposed to be 20 years younger. (Cooper would incidentally pass away a mere four years later). True, Link's face looks withered, but it could be argued that that's what a hard life in the Old West does to a man.Another criticism is the idea that Dock believed the bank in Lassoo would be full of money when the settlement turns out to be a virtual ghost town. Yet ghost towns were birthed overnight back then when mines would suddenly shut down, etc. The looney Dock obviously based his scheme on data from years earlier and an update on the town's status hadn't yet come to him or his gang. They were used to hiding out in their spare time and there was no internet or cell phones. Where's the beef? That said, there are some justifiable criticisms, like the surreal and lame melodramatics, the slow-pace and the dubiously choreographed fist fight sequence. These elements are so bad they might send modern viewers running away screaming. Thankfully, lame aspects like this went out of vogue by the 60s.If you can roll with these issues and enter into the world of the movie, however, it has a number of attractions, including the subtext: Cooper's character is named Link because he represents the link between the barbaric and the cultured, the primitive (his old gang) and the civilized (his new life). Unfortunately, with the gift of volition some people inevitably choose to eschew progress and continue in their ape-headed, animalistic ways (which is actually offensive to animals).After the aborted train robbery, Link starts to recognize his old stomping grounds and is drawn to the hidden shack for shelter & refreshment; yet perhaps also to revisit his past and "the good ol' days." He vacillates between his new identity and the temptation of regressing to the wild "freedom" of his lawless youth.Interestingly, "Man of the West" is very similar to the slightly superior "The Law and Jake Wade," which debuted four months earlier. As good as the subtext is in "Man" it's meatier in "The Law" (see my review), which is also a little less talky and melodramatic. Yet "Man" has since emerged as a cult classic while "The Law" has fallen into obscurity; no doubt because the latter lacks the two strip sequences and the iconic Cooper.Although obviously flawed, "Man of the West" was the precursor of the Leone and Peckinpah styled Westerns that came into fashion in the mid-late 60s. The grim, laconic Link is the predecessor of future antiheroes, like Eastwood's 'Man with No Name,' but Link is better IMO because he has more human dimension.BEST LINE: "There's a point where you either grow up and become a human being or you rot, like that bunch." The film runs 100 minutes and was shot entirely in California (Santa Clarita, Red Rock Canyon State Park, Jamestown, Thousand Oaks, Newhall, Sonora and the Mohave Desert, with studio-bound scenes done in West Hollywood). The script was written by Reginald Rose from Will C. Brown's book "The Border Jumpers." GRADE: B-

Maybe someone can explain the purpose of the other male hostage from the train. He is basically there to step in front of Cooper and take a bullet for him, but why do the outlaws let him stay alive so long? What purpose does he really serve them? It is easy to see they would want the girl, but why keep a guy around that they have to feed?. Let's look at the female hostage (Julie London). After she is forced to strip, there is a classic moment when Gary Cooper's character humiliates Jack Lord's character to get even for what had been done to her. That is probably one of the high points of the entire film (especially if you're a feminist).The scenes in town toward the end of the picture conveniently manage to get by without having to show a lot of extras or townspeople in the background. As a result, it gives the story and our man of the west a more isolated feel.There are many excellent things about this motion picture. It is so good that we can overlook the flaws, especially the miscasting of Lee J. Cobb as a father figure to the long-in-the-tooth Gary Cooper.

Intelligent, heartfelt Western / character study has an interesting tale to tell about a man who looks forward, intent on what his next phase in life will be, but finds that he will be utterly unable to escape the stigma of his past (a common enough theme in the Western genre). A rock solid ensemble of actors fill out a bare minimum of principal cast members, which helps to give "Man of the West" a somewhat intimate feel while at the same time making it somewhat epic. The California scenery is beautiful (naturally) and the widescreen photography is as impressive as one will ever see in this sort of thing. Leigh Harline's music is also wonderful. But the glue that holds it all together is a nuanced, low key performance by legendary actor Gary Cooper as the man who is conflicted in thought and emotion, as fate interrupts his journey.He plays Link Jones, a man travelling by train to hire a schoolteacher, and who incidentally is a former outlaw trying to forget his shady past. Unfortunately, a group of bandits attempts to rob the train, and it moves on, leaving Jones and two others stranded in its wake. His two new acquaintances are Billie Ellis (Julie London), a singer who just so happens was trained as a teacher, and the garrulous Sam Beasley (an amiable Arthur O'Connell). After a bit of walking, they come upon an isolated farmhouse where Jones says he spent his younger days. He thinks they will find shelter here, but instead he finds his old gang, led by the blustery Dock Tobin (Lee J. Cobb), the unconventional father figure of Jones's past. Tobins' gang contains the mute Trout (Royal Dano), the slow-witted Ponch (Robert J. Wilke), and the aggressive, depraved Coaley (an eerily effective Jack Lord). Jones reluctantly agrees to rejoin this bunch of men, but you can be certain he's not happy about the arrangement."Man of the West", during its release, didn't attract that much attention despite the efforts of the great Western director Anthony Mann; it took the complimentary words of French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard (a critic at the time) to help it start to attain a classic status. Mann does an excellent job with the storytelling (the script is by Reginald Rose, based on a novel by Will C. Brown), and gets fine performances out of Cooper and Cobb. In reality, Cobb was 10 years *younger* than Cooper, but he's reasonably convincing as the ill-intentioned mentor. Wilke, Dano, and John Dehner as Claude are very watchable, although it's a shame that Dano's character is mute given what a memorable voice the actor had. Lord is perfectly despicable playing a man who's a real piece of work (he forces Billie to strip at one point).The finale could have used a bit more tension, but otherwise this works pretty well. It doesn't miss an opportunity for comedy as we see how Jones reacts to seeing, and riding on, a train, a new experience to him. Western lovers should find it to be satisfactory.Seven out of 10.

Anthony Mann's last Western, "Man of the West", didn't make much of an impact at the time of its release but it has since gained somewhat of a reputation among film buffs.The story centres on Link Jones (Gary Cooper), a reformed outlaw who gets stranded with a couple of other passengers when their train is hijacked. When he leads them to his former home he finds that his old gang wants him back and won't take no for an answer.The cast is pretty decent but nothing extraordinary as far as I'm concerned. I find Gary Cooper a bit wooden for my tastes and Julie London is no better than average. Lee J. Cobb is effective as grizzled outlaw Dock Tobin, though, and future "Hawaii Five-O" star Jack Lord gives an enthusiastic performance.The story is merely alright plotwise but at least it offers something outside of the usual Western formula. In particular, there's a certain grittiness to the story that's refreshing. Anthony Mann's direction is impressive as well and the cinematography is routinely appealing. The score by two-time Oscar-winner Leigh Harline is also solid.While the film isn't exactly flawless it is a worthwhile Western and has certainly whetted my appetite for more from Mann. If you happen to be a Gary Cooper fan (unlike myself) you may find the film more to your liking. Either way, it's still worth a look.