It used to be directors that recurred over and over again on the 1001 films list, but one man has completely blown everyone out of the water for most times in the list. Hell, he’s even outdone arch-criminal Alec Guinness.
That man is James Stewart, and he’s… grown a bit boring by now.
His aww-shucksy style and holier-than-everyone moral stance was interesting in early films, but by 1955 and The Man from Laramie, it’s getting annoying. He is essentially the same guy, every single time. And those times are hugely frequent. The man was obviously box-office gold.
This film… isn’t bad. It’s an entertaining western of the classic type, with clearly defined good guys and bad guys and a thoroughly predictable arc. It’s entertaining enough, but not ground-breaking in the least. Apparently, the film’s greatest claim to fame is its warbling theme song which, though memorable, is annoying.
I know this sounds like it was a train wreck, and I guess it suffers in comparison to other films on the list, but if you happen to catch it on TV, it’s one that will keep you entertained, with action and a love interest. I would recommend it to lovers of Western films, even if it isn’t the best of the 1001 films or even the best of the James Stewart films on that list.
Gustavo Bondoni is a novelist and short story writer whose latest book is a silly romp through classical Greece where heroes are confounded by pink sea-monsters, attacked by vengeful penguins and tormented by talking swords. You can check it out here.
Classically Educated 