Strong portrayals by Bibi Andersson, as Ellen Grange, and James Gardner work here with skillful director Ralph Nelson to create a well acted, beautifully photographed, entertaining Western, even though some mannered performances by other actors as such Sidney Poitier distract from the natural feel Andersson and Gardner bring to the effort.
Utah locations are classic aspects of carefully imitated Western icons and tropes exploited to create a fifties look to this lovely film. If the icons seem clichés, they are formulae exploited to create standard entertainment. They do not develop the genre; they simply exploit it, perhaps, with some effectiveness. Counting the codes becomes part of the entertainment—does the film miss any one of them? However, watching Bibi Andersson in any film treats the viewer. Further, I doubt that James Gardner can make a bad movie. Dennis Weaver is perfect as he always is.
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