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Return of the Gunfighter

Return of the Gunfighter

Western · 1967

A gunfighter and a cowboy help a Mexican girl avenge the land-related murder of her parents.

Movie details

Return of the Gunfighter

“The odds were six to one but against Ben Wyatt ... he still had the edge !”

1967 Western 1h 38m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.1 / 10

Community rating

A gunfighter and a cowboy help a Mexican girl avenge the land-related murder of her parents.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Return of the Gunfighter?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Badland

Badland

Western · 2019

Detective Matthias Breecher, hired to track down the worst of the Confederate war criminals, roams the Old West seeking justice. His resolve is tested when he meets a determined pioneer woman who is far more than she seems.

Firecreek

Firecreek

Western · 1968

A peace-loving, part-time sheriff in the small town of Firecreek must take a stand when a gang of vicious outlaws takes over his town.

The Undefeated

The Undefeated

Western · 1969

After the Civil War, ex-Union Colonel John Henry Thomas and ex-Confederate Colonel James Langdon are leading two disparate groups of people through strife-torn Mexico. John Henry and company are bringing horses to the unpopular Mexican government for $35 a head while Langdon is leading a contingent of displaced southerners, who are looking for a new life in Mexico after losing their property to carpetbaggers. The two men are eventually forced to mend their differences in order to fight off both bandits and revolutionaries, as they try to lead their friends and kin to safety.

Invitation to a Gunfighter

Invitation to a Gunfighter

Western · 1964

In New Mexico, a Confederate veteran returns home to find his fiancée married to a Union soldier, his Yankee neighbors rallied against him and his property sold by the local banker who then hires a gunman to kill him.

Flaming Star

Flaming Star

Western · 1960

Pacer Burton, a young man of mixed Kiowa and white heritage, is caught between two worlds as conflict erupts between Native Americans and white settlers in Texas.

Ramrod

Ramrod

Western · 1947

A cattle-vs.-sheepman feud loses Connie Dickason her fiance, but gains her his ranch, which she determines to run alone in opposition to Frank Ivey, "boss" of the valley, whom her father Ben wanted her to marry. She hires recovering alcoholic Dave Nash as foreman and a crew of Ivey's enemies. Ivey fights back with violence and destruction, but Dave is determined to counter him legally... a feeling not shared by his associates. Connie's boast that, as a woman, she doesn't need guns proves justified, but plenty of gunplay results.

Nevada Smith

Nevada Smith

Western · 1966

Nevada Smith is the alias of Max Sand, the son of an Indian mother and American father. When they are killed by three men over gold, Nevada sets out to avenge them. The young man is taken in by a gun merchant who shows him how to shoot, on time and correctly.

Gunman's Walk

Gunman's Walk

Western · 1958

A powerful rancher always protects his wild adult son by paying for damages and bribing witnesses, until his crimes become too serious to rectify.

Day of the Outlaw

Day of the Outlaw

Western · 1959

Blaise Starrett is a rancher at odds with homesteaders when outlaws hold up the small town. The outlaws are held in check only by their notorious leader, but he is diagnosed with a fatal wound and the town is a powder keg waiting to blow.

The Shootist

The Shootist

Western · 1976

Afflicted with a terminal illness John Bernard Books, the last of the legendary gunfighters, quietly returns to Carson City for medical attention from his old friend Dr. Hostetler. Aware that his days are numbered, the troubled man seeks solace and peace in a boarding house run by a widow and her son. However, it is not Books' fate to die in peace, as he becomes embroiled in one last valiant battle.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

James Neilson

Written by

Robert Buckner · Burt Kennedy

Robert Taylor

Robert Taylor

Ben Wyatt

Chad Everett

Chad Everett

Lee Sutton

Ana Martín

Ana Martín

Anisa Domingo

Mort Mills

Mort Mills

Will Parker

Lyle Bettger

Lyle Bettger

Clay Sutton

John Davis Chandler

John Davis Chandler

Sundance

Michael Pate

Michael Pate

Frank Boone

Court is in session

Put Return of the Gunfighter on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Patience is part of the point.”

Duration becomes texture. The film asks you to inhabit its world instead of merely processing its plot.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“A test of endurance, your honour.”

Stillness keeps submitting itself as meaning. At some point, contemplation needs something worth contemplating.