Johnny Guitar

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Jeff S A good Western with some fabulous dialogue made into an excellent film by a mesmerizing Joan Crawford. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/11/24 Full Review Steve D Great western with a cast equal to the story. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/24/24 Full Review Bill B An estrogen western where opposing forces are led by women. Stagey, soapy, and too many tough guys posturing all over the place, with the action mostly at the end. Overrated. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 08/15/23 Full Review Jared Z It's easily about 20 minutes longer than it needs to be and the ending is a bit too abrupt, but Johnny Guitar is still a memorable film, driven more by its female leads than its male leads, quite unusual for the genre, especially during the 1950s. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Audience Member The first few moments of the movie give a glimpse of what's to come. This is an action-packed Western drama with a revolutionary plot as well as great direction by Nicholas Ray. Joan Crawford's eye-catching appearance could be enough by itself, especially with her great performance in a movie of this genre, but then again who better to give the melodrama its appeal. Still, Sterling Hayden, Mercedes McCambridge, and the others give no less-compelling performances, adding even more essence to Crawford's input. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie is a sort of a western. The story is somewhat strange and unclear; it is mostly about a woman (Vienna, played by Joann Crawford) who claimed a piece of land and is mostly hated by the people in the town. Among the people who hate her, Emma Small (played by Mercedes McCambridge') appears to hate her the most (or perhaps a love/hate sort of thing), possibly due to rivalry when it comes to men, particularly Kid. The movie starts with two key events: Vienna sent for a former lover - Johnny (played by Sterling Hayden); and there is a crime in town for which the people hold Kid and his group responsible. From this moment on, everything gets more and more tumultuous - and unreasonably tumultuous, and possibly ridiculous. The role of Emma is the strangest and the most ludicrous. She's the villain, sure, but it would help to understand better her reasons and her claims to have such power over those people. Her overall behavior is odd. Both Crawford and Mercedes McCambridge's performances are a bit over-theatrical (for our current standards); particularly in contrast with Sterling Hayden's performance, which is way more natural. Both Emma and Vienna roles are interestingly a little ambiguous when it comes to their sexuality. A possible (unintentional, perhaps) wink to LGBT audience in the 50s. Overall the movie is fine, but it lacks a story that stands out beyond the characters... The inferences and the subtexts are just not enough for a good story. The characters and the trucolor, and few memorable lines stand out more than any story. And after all, the movie seems more like a big and odd quarrel among friends. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Johnny Guitar

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