Johnny Guitar Movie Review

Johnny Guitar (1954)

Johnny Guitar - A female dominated Western where Johnny is just a side character.

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Written by: Philip Yordan (screenplay), Roy Chanslor (novel)
Directed by: Nicholas Ray
Starring: Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden, Mercedes McCambridge, Scott Brady, Ernest Borgnine
Rating: --/

My rating is simple, Watch It, It Depends, Skip it. Read my previous movie reviews!

Plot
A female saloon owner is purposely and falsely accused of murder and robbery.

Verdict
I like the story a lot, but with any old movie the style shows it's age. I couldn't help but imagine how I would remake this as I watched, though I don't trust Hollywood to do it justice.
The most striking thing that sets this apart is the gender reversals. That, and itt's a Western without epic gun fights and men on horses. Instead, it's a clash of iron wills that will draw you in.
It depends.

Review
It's a well regarded movie on many "top" lists.
This plays off the trope this town isn't big enough for the two of us with a little bit of we don't take kindly to strangers.

Vienna (Joan Crawford) welcomes the future expansion of railroad into the town and allows "The Dancin' Kid" and his outlaws to frequent her saloon. The locals don't like thieves in town, and they don't want the railroad taking their land, being ranchers.

While the outlaws are added to give some basis to the town's dislike of Vienna, at their core they don't like change. Vienna sees a way to get rich off the railroad, but the town is too myopic to see the big picture. At the end, the radical is forced out. The town thinks they've fixed the city, but they can't stop the inevitable. They just stopped the daily reminder.

This movie is led by two strong willed women. They tell the men around them the when and the where. We don't see that often even sixty years later, and this happens the male dominated Western genre. A character in the saloon looks at the camera directly and states Vienna is more man than woman.

Emma (Mercedes McCambridge) coerces the men in the town to falsely accuse Vienna and "The Dancin' Kid's" gang of robbery in an attempt to force her out of town. She's the clear cut town leader. Her jealousy of Vienna propels her, and she manages to convince the men in town to help her take Vienna down. They protest only lightly. She's a villain to be sure, but it's not avarice that propels her. Sometimes it only takes one person to turn an entire group.

The company you keep sways opinion. The main reason Emma was able to sway the town against Vienna is because Vienna allows outlaws to frequent her saloon. Emma made the jump that Vienna must be mixed up in the robbery if she hangs out with robbers.

No Western would be complete without a stranger riding into town. Johnny Guitar (Sterling Hayden) is that guitar playing stranger. We slowly learn his connection to Vienna, he's a former lover and a former outlaw who is trying to reform.

The style of older movies can be a turn off. This, as older movies usually do, lacks establishing shots and sweeping vistas. You never quite escape the feeling that you're on a set.
That combined with the bright colors and simple editing makes this feel dated. The premise and story do a great job of overcoming the lack of flourish.