Friday, January 11, 2013

THE NAKED SPUR (1953)


Anthony Mann made some of the remarkable westerns starring James Stewart in 1950s and this one is truly classic masterpiece. An embittered bounty hunter with his hysterical and disturbing past hunting for a wanted man in territory. Along the trail he encountered two men and made them partners. He successfully caught his man with his dame. Troubles start lurking at every nook and corner with slightest miss and the journey is arduous with wilderness runs in men and nature.

What makes this an exceptional film is its taut script, superb pace and finely acted with brilliantly explored tension between all four male characters with vulnerable bait of a female. Stewart is once again a man to watch along with Robert Ryan as sardonic baddy Ben. Mann’s camera captured the fine mountain scenic beauty in color juxtaposing the nature with characters’ inner turmoil. Many parts of the film remind me another brilliant western of that era staring Bogart.

Ratings-8/10 

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