Last Train From Gun Hill

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Kevin B Lots of action Kirk, Anthony and Earl are marvelous. Fantastic movie Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review matthew d A fiercely angry Western film against injustice and complicit apathy. Director John Sturges' Western thriller Last Train from Gun Hill (1959) is immediately brutal starting with the senseless rape and murder of an innocent Native American woman. She turns out to be the wife of a United States Marshal, played by Kirk Douglas, then he sets out to bring the perpetrators to justice, who turns out to be the son of his old friend. It's basically 3:10 to Yuma with a wrathful twist on High Noon's apathetic and cowardly town. Last Train from Gun Hill is full of hateful words, personal convictions, and a hail of bullets. I loved how Sturges is saying how unbelievably selfish and cruel American civilians and peacekeepers can be when faced with inconveniencing themselves for the sake of righteous justice. The sheriff and townsfolk do not help the marshall, only a lone woman with a mind of her own. It's a damning critique of the old Western settlement mindset of protecting the wealthy landowners. Sturges' direction is stylish and gripping as we're with Kirk Douglas nearly the entire time. It is tense, heated, and exciting with a stunning quickdraw gun duel to end it all. Last Train from Gun Hill is fantastic. Writer Les Crutchfield's story is very much like the town standoff Western tale of 3:10 to Yuma, complete with waiting for a fateful train, just with more vengeance and sorrow. Screenplay writer James Poe's dialogue is earnest with vile villains, a just hero, and apathetic townsfolk letting injustice occur while they standby. Poe's jokes are hilarious, but his stinging one liners for Kirk Douglas are particularly cool and biting. Kirk Douglas' Western hero Marshal Matt Morgan is cool and steadfast with a raging righteous indignation. I'm glad Douglas is pretty merciless to the disgusting rapists and men who would grossly defend them. He's very tough and likable in Last Train from Gun Hill. Anthony Quinn is cruel and deranged as the vicious rancher father Craig Belden, who excuses his son's crimes. You see his personal failings as a father, corrupt dealings as a businessman, and ironclad grip over a town due to his money, influence, and violence. Earl Holliman's son villain Rick is very grotesque and remorseless. I adored Carolyn Jones' very modern Western heroine Linda. She's got her own mind and decency, demonstrating how toxic men with money, power, and influence cannot rule over everyone. Cinematographer Charles Lang has a smooth panning shot style with striking framing. You get every perspective imaginable of where gunfighters are positioned around town. His far wide shots are beautiful to show off vast desert plains and a color town. The Technicolor is lovely and vivid. Art directors Hal Pereira and Walter H. Tyler creates sparse trees, horses against the environment, and a pastel colored town. Set decorators Sam Comer and Ray Moyer put guns, booze, and antiques all over. Composer Dimitri Tiomkin writes an understated and pretty Western score that highlights the harrowing odds and inner sorrow of Kirk Douglas' marshal. Sound designers Harold Lewis, Winston H. Leverett, and R.D. Cook let the gunshots ring out loud and clear just like the clean voice tracks. Costume designer Edith Head gives Carolyn Jones the most dazzling dresses. Her black jacket and plaid skirt combination to her purple ladies' dress are stunning. Wally Westmore's make-up does up the men in dirty to clean natural looks and a cute elegant blush for Carolyn Jones. For 98 minutes of violent challenges, deep characterization, and cool sets, Last Train from Hill is a Western classic from John Sturges. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Overall, like a stick of lit dynamite, this film is a blast that goes off with a bang.  I was highly engaged and entertained by this unpredictable story.  Leading performances from Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn were strong, convincing and likeable.  The pacing is enjoyable, as is the storyline, and there are many moments of solid suspense like a ticking clock.  Audiences will be excited to witness this western revenge tale. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/11/23 Full Review Audience Member The western like they used to make them. Kirk being Kirk and Quinn being Quinn. Great location shooting and a good study in morals and folks that have character. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member BS, R3.3 カークダグラスいい感じ，マイケルに大分似てる Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member The film is a surprisingly dark adult western that has one of the most disturbing rape scenes in cinema regardless of era.. in 1959! Kirk Douglas, one of my favorite actors ever, plays the role with unwavering fierceness. Anthony Quinn matches him and they keep the stakes high throughout. This one has elements of many other westerns like 3:10 to Yuma, The Big Country, etc. but the Technicolor cinematography and strong performances take a pretty familiar story and keep it mildly entertaining. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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