Winchester '73 was my introduction to the films of Anthony Mann who has since become one of my favorite directors. While not as famous say John Ford or Sergio Leone, Mann's contribution to the western genre was enormous. In particular, the five westerns he made with James Stewart stand out for their excellence.
Mann's command of cinematic grammar is nowhere more apparent. His noir roots are especially on display in this film (the only one of the sequences shot in black and white) in his use of low angles for example, which often punctuate moments of violence or brutality on the part of the hero. Mann also had a penchant for shooting outdoors and, in his westerns, the landscape practically becomes a character in its own right. This is particularly true in the climax, where Stewart's character plays a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with his own brother, their fratricidal battle pitted against a rocky backdrop which suggests a struggle against nature itself. Cinematographer William H. Daniels captures these moments beautifully.
Mann's unique visual qualities are greatly complemented by Borden Chase's screenplay, which explores some of the genre's core themes. For Mann the west was a mythic canvas, on which he could tell stories about the human condition. Winchester 73' was originally a Fritz Lang project with very existential themes about a man whose identity becomes tied to the weapon he carries, leading to a desperate journey to recover it when it is stolen. Mann and Chase completely overhauled this script, crafting a story about retribution and the nature of power against a backdrop of genuine western history.
The film uses famous figures and events from the history of the west very loosely. The shooting contest which opens the film takes place in Dodge City where none other than Wyatt Earp (Will Greer) is the sheriff! The film takes place shortly after the Battle of Little Big Horn, which would place it sometime in the summer of 1876, which happens to be the same year that Earp was made the sheriff of Dodge. Mann and Chase use the audience familiarity with these historical figures and events to inform character and are able to avoid what might otherwise have been tedious exposition. Earp's reputation precedes him. So much so that when the very mention of his name is enough to cause Lin to back down when he confronts the sheriff (who's not wearing his badge) over the forced removal of Lola from the town. Because we, the audience, know who Earp is, we immediately understand McAdam's reaction when he learns the sheriff identity. Similarly, the oblique references to the Custer's last stand lend an immediate air of danger to the film's setting.
The film uses these historical references to explore the "winning of the west." We learn early on that Custer and his men have been massacred by the Sioux at Little Big Horn, and it was their use of the repeating rifle that gave them an edge over the calvary, who were still using the older single shot weapons. This advantage is turned against them when they attempt to attack the cavalry detachment that Linn and High Spade are hold up with. Expecting to overwhelm the cavalry with superior fire power they are taken by surprise when they come up against the civilian's Winchesters. Through this use of superior force, the white men win the day.
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Masculinity is a prominent theme in many of Mann's films and in Winchester 73' the titular rifle, "One of a Thousand," acts as a sort of metaphor for the masculine, as we see it pass through the hands of various figures who embody, or fail to embody, various masculine traits. Stewart's character Linn McAdam wins the rifle in a shooting match and is, notably, the only character to obtain it legitimately. This symbolizes McAdam's moral uprightness. By contrast McNally's "Dutch" Henry Brown steals the rifle from McAdam after losing the contest to him. Again, this illustrates the difference between the two men. One has an innate sense of justice and fairplay, the other is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants.
From Dutch Henry the rifle passes to John McIntire's Joe Lamont, a man who makes his living selling rifles to the Indians. Lacking in both moral fiber of McAdam and the ruthlessness of Dutch Henry, Lamont must resort to duplicity to obtain the weapon. He swindles the outlaw out of it by asking an outrageous price (which Dutch can't afford) for the guns and ammunition he desperately needs. It is afterwards taken by Chief Young Bull (Rock Hudson), whose mode of acquisition (he kills Lamont when the trader refuses to sell him the gun) is consistent with his single-minded drive to punish the race who have taken so much from his people. Young Bull too is killed, this time in battle involving McAdam. But rather than being returned to its rightful owner, who is blissfully unaware that his stolen property has fallen into Indian hands, it is instead awarded to one Steve Miller (Charles Drake) by a grateful calvary sergeant for his apparent bravery in fighting off the Indian attack.
Miller only ended up joining the fight after abandoning his fiancé, Shelley Winters' Lola Manners, on the prairie. He is haunted by this act of cowardice and sees the rifle as a token of redemption. His newfound sense of self-worth is tested when he meets up with Dan Duryea's "Waco" Johnnie Dean. Refusing to sell the rifle he is goaded by Waco into going for his gun and subsequently killed. Waco is a malicious and cruel man, a fact illustrated by the way he humiliates Miller in order to obtain the rifle, but he is also cowardly in his own way. He surrenders to rifle to Dutch Henry without argument, implying to Lola that he will shoot him in the back later. He is only willing to stand up to those he perceives to be weaker than himself.
The masculinity of these characters is also illustrated in the way they treat women. Steve treats Lola with servile deference and betrays a deep insecurity about her which leads to his downfall. Waco, after murdering him by exploiting these weaknesses, treats her with contempt while Dutch Henry wants nothing to do with her. Only Lin treats her with respect and dignity. His first instinct is always to protect her. When they first meet, she is being railroaded out of town and Lin attempts to intervene only to find that the sheriff (who happens to be the famous Wyatt Earp) is the man forcing onto the stage. Later, when they meet in the cavalry encampment, he lends her his pistol. He allows Dutch too escape, temporally, when she jumps in the line of fire to help a young child about to be trampled.
Lola herself is something of a "prostitute with a heart of gold" archetype, she feels trapped in her profession and longs for a more domestic life. In many ways this reinforces the films' themes about gender roles, men have a protective role and women a nurturing one. But does break away from the archetype, at least to some extent. Lola is willing to stand up to Waco, even shaming him for using woman and children as a shield. But she's also smart enough to realize that she has to go along with him for the time being. She is generally shown to be somewhat "street smart". When McAdam gives her his pistol, she tells him that she "knows about the last one." Later, when he tries to pass off the Sioux war signals as birdcalls, she asserts that she knows what they are.
Ultimately, Linn recovers the rifle by slaying Dutch who, it is revealed, is Linn's brother and the murderer of their father. Though this is portrayed as a just act, the ambiguity of introduced by the intensely personal nature of McAdam's quest for retribution is also explored. Linn admits too his friend "High-Spade" Frankie Wilson that he feels uneasy about tracking down Dutch but "Some things a man has to do, so he does 'em." His friendship with High Spade is another thing that humanizes Linn. Qouting his departed father he tells him "He said if a man had one friend, he was rich. I'm rich."
Mann always brings out the best in his actors and this film has an excellent cast. Stewart's performance brings out the actor's darker side, something Mann would probe more and more as their collaboration continued. Stewart's ability to convey emotion and thought with the subtlest change of facial expression never ceases to amaze me. Millard Mitchell provides a laid-back counterweight to Stewart as his friend "High-Spade", his dry sense of humor providing some much-needed levity. Shelley Winters spirited performance captures both the vulnerability and the toughness of her character. Stephen McNally terse delivery and his permanent scowl give Dutch Henry a genuine sense of menace while Dan Duryea provides a more colorful contrast as Waco Johnnie Dean, stealing every scene he's in with his sardonic, scornful wit. Charles Drake is perfectly cast as the cowardly Steve Miller while Mann regulars John McIntire and Jay C. Flippen round out the cast in memorable supporting roles.
Winchester 73' set a high bar for Mann and Stewart's collaborative efforts. Mann's shrewd directing is bolstered by a magnificent cast and a sharp, economical script from Borden Chase. The actor and director would go on to collaborate on more ambitious projects, but none are quite as flawless as this first effort.
