Probably the best film I've seen in the past few weeks. Audie Murphy is a professional killer who rides into a small western town with the intention of killing someone, the question is who will it be.
This existentialist western reminds me of something that Clouzet could have filmed in his prime. What is kind of amazing about this film is that it was directed by Jack Arnold the future director of Gilligan's Island, and written by Gene Coon, who was associated with the original Star Trek series and wrote the infamous "Spock's Brain" episode. Which only goes to show that a good story can always survive a "gifted" auteur.
The hired killer is played by medal of honor winner Audie Murphy. Murphy was a baby faced solider who supposedly killed over 240 Germans during World War II. If you were looking for someone to play a hired killer who better than Murphy who was a real killer. Murphy gives a very fine low key performance throughout the film supported by a bunch of Universal's contract actors.
This is a compact tightly plotted film, that makes some interesting points about the human condition. Somehow High Noon gets all the credit as a serious adult western drama, but this film is vastly superior to that one.
77 muinutes.
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