July 14: Johnny Guitar

July 14 2022 | 8PM Johnny Guitar USA 1954 d. Nicholas Ray with Joan Crawford, Mercedes McCambridge, Sterling Hayden, Scott Brady, Ward Bond, Ben Cooper, Ernest Borgnine and John Carradine. In Trucolor. 110 m

“The hallmark of Ray’s great talent resides in his absolute sincerity, his acute sensitivity. He is not of great stature as a technician. All his films are very disjointed, but it is obvious Ray is aiming less for the tradition and all-round success of a film than at giving each shot a certain emotional quality. Johnny Guitar is ‘composed,’ rather hurriedly, of very long takes divided into four. The editing is deplorable. But the interest lies in elsewhere: for instance in the very beautiful positioning of figures within the frame. (The posse at Vienna’s is formed and moves in V-shape, like migratory birds.) Francois Truffaut

Links: AFI IMDB Wikipedia


See Also: Big Jim McLain (Ludwig, 1952), High Noon (Zinneman, 1952)

Series: Spring-Summer 2022 :: Nicholas Ray