winchester

THE FLICKS: The Western has been unfairly maligned by today’s generation as a slow-moving, predictable genre of film with nothing to offer besides a few Clint Eastwood flicks. Nobody plays cowboys and Indians anymore. Toy guns have been banned from the shelves. And, for all practical purposes, the only things “wild” in the West now are wacko militia groups praying for the government to topple. Which makes it all the more pleasantly surprising that Universal has launched a Western Collection, releasing some of the most innovating and exciting films in their catalog. And at the top of fans most wanted list are the films of Anthony Mann and Jimmy Stewart, the director/star combo that produced a slew of unique post-war Westerns that redefined Stewart’s persona and gave the genre a swift kick in the pants. “Winchester ‘73” is straight up action with Stewart on a mission to track down his murderous brother and his one-of-a-kind rifle. Consumed with vengeance, Stewart’s character Lin McAdam was the first radical departure from his “safe” leading man image. And director Anthony Mann took full advantage of the Western conventions, staging shoot-outs, Indian attacks, fistfights, and stand-offs with a crackling energy not seen since the early days of film. “Bend of the River” casts Stewart as a reformed bad guy leading a group of settlers West who must choose between easy money and a chance at redemption. Here, Mann digs a little deeper thematically into his characters, but still keeps the plot bouncing along like an out-of-control stagecoach. The location photography is phenomenal and Stewart’s transformation from easy-going trail guide to a one-man army is pulp Western entertainment of the highest degree. THE FEATURES: “Bend of the River” features only a trailer, but “Winchester ‘73” includes a 30-minute commentary by Stewart in which he discusses the film’s role in re-inventing his career, along with dishing the dirt of director’s like Hitchcock and John Ford. Both films sport nice transfers, although “Winchester” has an unusual amount of speckling throughout the beautiful B & W photography. FINAL SCORE: Mann’s films, although not as respected as Ford’s and not as popular as Leone’s, fall gloriously in-between high entertainment and high art. Universal’s Western Collection is standing tall in the saddle right from the get-go.