Man of the West (1958)
This could have been a title for countless western but no one could be more the man from the west than Gary Cooper here.
This 50s technicolor western surprised me in many good ways. It has all the classical elements with a train robbery, a gang of outlaws, a damsel in distress and a man who can’t escape his past. Yet it managed to use and combine all these elements in a way that is quite unique. The dynamic within the gang was interesting with how they both respected and feared their crazy leader. Gary Cooper puts on a great performance of someone who really doesn’t know how to handle the unfortunate position he ends up in.
I only have a few nitpicks like there is too much obnoxious soundtrack and even though it is not a long film, it did drag in places. Worth watching for western fans in general.
Rating: 4