The Man from Laramie

Dir: Anthony Mann

1955

****

You can't beat a James Stewart/Anthony Mann collaboration, particularly when it's a western and here, in their fifth and final film together in the genre, they go out on a high. One of the first westerns to be shot in CinemaScope and to be filmed in Technicolor, The Man from Laramie is visually stunning and had a huge impact in the cinema. It remains one of the most popular westerns of all time but it never seems to top anyone's list, even though it is the film that made all others up their game. I'm a huge westerns fan but in all honesty, the thing that makes The Man from Laramie somewhat superior in the genre is its performances. The quality of acting is much higher than usual, even in the four previous James Stewart/Anthony Mann collaborations. When James Stewart's Will Lockhart looks devastated after his entire caravan of mules and wagons are destroyed, you really do believe he has lost everything. As the story continues, more of the character's history is revealed and nothing is unbelievable or predictable. Arthur Kennedy's character is also pretty complex for the genre and he plays it magnificently. It has been described as the western's answer to King Lear and I can't help but agree, although I would say it was a little more Oedipus Rex than Lear. It features some unusually brutal scenes for a big western which are used to full effect and I've always felt there is something new to see each time I watch it. It is this mix of violence and formidably raw performance that really gives the film its muscle. The sprawling CinemaScope and vivid Technicolor saw most westerns proud on their own but The Man from Laramie has so much more to it, the twists and turns are entertaining but the powerhouse performances are second to none.