.jpeg)
One of the all-time best American Westerns gets the well-deserved Criterion treatment. WINCHESTER '73 marked the first time that James Stewart worked with director Anthony Mann, and this 1950 Universal production ushered in an entire decade of tough, meaningful Westerns.
The major subplot of the film is Lin McAdam's (James Stewart) determined search for his murderous brother (Stephen McNally), but it is the rifle that the title refers to that is actually the major character in the story. The Winchester goes from one hand to another (usually through violence), and as it does the viewer is exposed to a number of Old West elements, such as dealings with Native Americans, life on the frontier, criminal activities, etc. The film flows so smoothly that its unusual structure doesn't come off as gimmicky or contrived. (The screenplay, credited to Robert L. Richards and Borden Chase, should have at least been nominated for an Oscar.)
Anthony Mann's assured direction keeps the narrative on point at all times despite the various elements involved. Mann is helped by William Daniels' stark black & white photography and a fantastic ensemble cast including Shelley Winters, Millard Mitchell, John McIntire, Will Geer, Jay C. Flippen, and Dan Duryea, who, despite his relatively small role, almost manages to steal the entire film. The movie also has bit roles for then young up-and-comers Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis, and James Best.
James Stewart changed the course of his acting career with WINCHESTER '73, giving an intense performance that went far beyond his regular nice guy image. Stewart knew how important this film was, and he also realized how efficient and capable a filmmaker Anthony Mann was. Stewart and Mann would go on to make eight films together, one of the most notable pairings between a star actor and a director in cinema history.
As expected, Criterion provides a magnificently sharp version of WINCHESTER '73 on this Blu-ray, taken from a recent 4K digital restoration. Included is a booklet with an essay analyzing the film by Imogen Sara Smith. The extras on this disc are an interview with Adam Piron that focuses on how Native Americans have been portrayed in American Westerns, and a 47 minute program examining Anthony Mann's time at Universal in the 1950s. This is an excellent featurette from Ballyhood Productions, and it looks at the making of most of the Stewart-Mann collaborations, and explains why the duo eventually went their separate ways.
Also included is an audio commentary that was recorded for a laserdisc release of the film in 1989. This talk is notable in that it features James Stewart himself, and it's fascinating listening to the legendary actor talk about not just WINCHESTER '73 but other facets of his life and career. There's also a radio adaptation of the film from 1951 that stars Stewart, and an original trailer for the film that features an alternate version of the famed confrontation between Stewart and Dan Duryea in a bar.
WINCHESTER '73 is a more than welcome addition to the Criterion lineup. A James Stewart-Anthony Mann box set would have been better, but at least one of the great American Westerns, containing one of the best James Stewart performances, has a high-class home video release.
