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Information

Year
1962
Runtime
123 min.
Director
John Ford
Genres
Drama, Western
Rating *
8.1
Votes *
53,011
Checks
10,552
Favs
996
Dislikes
43
Favs/checks
9.4% (1:11)
Favs/dislikes
23:1
* View IMDb information

Top comments

  1. mi-16evil's avatar

    mi-16evil

    A superbly acted and beautifully shot film that introduces a rather unique spin on the typical Western character: a man who abhors violence and wants to use the law to bring justice. I was surprised by the interesting view of democracy presented in this film, one that states that a country cannot be founded on violence or law alone. The two must work in harmony so that neither lose their effectiveness. A great film for all Western (and film) fans. 12 years 7 months ago
  2. Scratch47's avatar

    Scratch47

    An amazing, tense and poignant depiction of the twilight of the Wild West, before it succumbed to the desperate, post 9/11 nihilism we've seen in the likes of No Country For Old Men. Bar perhaps the finale, this doesn't stoop to bitterness, but retains the class and subtle suggestion of the best of the golden age of film, allowing you to draw your own conclusions on the theme of how you would fight chaos. Stewart and Wayne are amazing, playing two very different types of men, neither necessarily better than the other, juxtaposed nicely against their well-drawn and stalwart female counterparts, and each get excellent scenes: Stoddard quietly rubbing out the words, 'education is the basis of law and order', Doniphan and the steak, what happens to Peabody, the final twist which leads to popping and inflating of certain balloons, Stoddard's conclusive look of reticence...Plenty of tough, resolute moments and ideas that are even more important in these most divided and coldly cynical of times, where cinema often only seems to reflect pyrrhic victory through brute force. Recommended. 11 years 5 months ago
  3. tigh66's avatar

    tigh66

    John Ford's darkest film, and currently my favorite western of his. John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart are perfect for their roles, and this film is a definite precursor to other revisionist westerns such as The Wild Bunch. 13 years 9 months ago
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  1. Mezz0 checked this movie 5 days 15 hours ago
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In 16 official lists

  1. This movie ranks #8 in IMDb's Western Top 50
    IMDb's Western Top 50's icon

    IMDb's Western Top 50

    8
  2. This movie ranks #28 in IMDb's 1960s Top 50
    IMDb's 1960s Top 50's icon

    IMDb's 1960s Top 50

    28
  3. This movie ranks #54 in BFI's 100 Westerns
    BFI's 100 Westerns's icon

    BFI's 100 Westerns

    54
  4. This movie ranks #91 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films
    TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films's icon

    TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…

    91
  5. This movie ranks #98 in iCheckMovies's 1960s Top 100
    iCheckMovies's 1960s Top 100's icon

    iCheckMovies's 1960s Top…

    98
  6. This movie ranks #118 in Sight & Sound's The Greatest Films of All Time
    Sight & Sound's The Greatest Films of All Time's icon

    Sight & Sound's The Grea…

    118
  7. This movie ranks #297 in BFI's 360 Classic Feature Films Project
    BFI's 360 Classic Feature Films Project's icon

    BFI's 360 Classic Featur…

    297
  8. This movie ranks #320 in Halliwell's Top 1000: The Ultimate Movie Countdown
    Halliwell's Top 1000: The Ultimate Movie Countdown's icon

    Halliwell's Top 1000: Th…

    320
  9. This movie ranks #385 in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
    1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die's icon

    1001 Movies You Must See…

    385
  10. This movie ranks #392 in Roger Ebert's Great Movies
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    Roger Ebert's Great Movi…

    392
  11. This movie ranks #476 in Emma Beare's 501 Must-See Movies
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    Emma Beare's 501 Must-Se…

    476
  12. This movie ranks #488 in Library of Congress's National Film Registry
    Library of Congress's National Film Registry's icon

    Library of Congress's Na…

    488
  13. This movie ranks #495 in Jonathan Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
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    Jonathan Rosenbaum's Ess…

    495
  14. This movie ranks #555 in The Guardian's 1000 Films to See Before You Die
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    The Guardian's 1000 Film…

    555
  15. This movie ranks #583 in Time Out's 1000 Films to Change Your Life
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    Time Out's 1000 Films to…

    583
  16. This movie ranks #621 in David Thomson's Have You Seen?
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    David Thomson's Have You…

    621
View all lists this movie is in