The Man from Laramie (****)

Some have said that the western is dead, and they might be right with a few recent exceptions (3:10 to Yuma, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford). But, like it or not, westerns join the film noir subgenre, as being America’s lasting contribution to film. And to tell the truth, I like good westerns. They remind me of my grandpa who was an old cowhand and had probably seen every major American western ever made.

The Man from Laramie would not have generally been my first pick. The name itself was off-putting to me, having been to Laramie myself. Furthermore, the director Anthony Mann’s name doesn’t typically come up in discussions of America’s great directors (None of his films made AFI’s top 100). I was inspired to pick up the film after reading two great books that had chapters showcasing Mann’s work (Film Noir Reader edited by Alain Silver and James Ursini, and Never Coming to a Theater Near You, by Kenneth Turan). Each of these chapters argued that Mann’s work has been unjustly overlooked. So I decided to find out for myself.

Man from Laramie follows Stewart in the title role as a mysterious stranger who comes into the town of Coronado seeking revenge against those responsible for his brother’s death. The town’s people are anything but hospitable. You quickly gain a sense that the people of Coronado have something to hide. In this way, the movie is reminiscent of Spencer Tracy’s Bad Day at Black Rock, a wonderful film. Although I understand that westerns are an acquired taste for some, this film has many universal themes, such as love, greed, and revenge that would resonate with most any moviegoer. The themes and photography of the films also show consistencies with elements of film noir (Mann started his career making gritty hard-boiled noirs). Man for Laramie has a more subtle artistry and sophistication that those westerns of Sergio Leone (whose films I also enjoy) and the characters in Mann's film are played skillfully with emotional depth and complexity. One exception is the Native Americans, who are portrayed as inherently evil – a sad product of the times in which this film was made. The writing is good and so is the acting, except for the leading lady played by Cathy O’Donnell whose overacted performance borders on annoying. Overall, I would say if you are looking for a good western that is character driven you’ll do good with The Man for Laramie.