Lawman

Lancaster, as usual, is a highly convincing marshal, tough and taciturn. Ryan is also excellent as the faded, weak marshal with only memories. But it’s Cobb who quietly steals the film as the local boss who, however, unlike in many such films, is no ruthless villain.

While the film has a deadly end, Lawman exchanges the typical good vs. evil narrative of Western films for one of moral ambiguity and humanity, and ultimately presents the question of whether murder can ever be justified.

A humorless Greek-tragedy western with little going for it save its inexorable momentum toward the obvious end.

A potent but curiously exasperating Western.

Winner should have told us a lot more about his lawman, or a lot less.

Would-be thoughtful Western which ultimately resorts to killing and ketchup to make up for its lack of style and originality.