Johnny Guitar (1954)

Marsh finds the film richly open to interpretation and a potent American myth. He especially praises Mercedes McCambridge’s terrifying portrayal of Emma and the film’s humanizing depiction of McCarthyism.

The critic calls the film a masterpiece. Joan Crawford’s screen presence is singled out for praise.

Tobias celebrates the film as a singular, forceful anti-Western that was ahead of its time. He especially praises Joan Crawford’s commanding performance and the film’s radical gender reversal.

Brody calls the film one of the greatest Westerns and an extraordinary achievement of Hollywood style. He especially praises Crawford and Hayden’s performances, singling out their nighttime confrontation as an unsurpassed moment of movie acting.

Bradshaw calls the film an unforgettably strange and brilliant psychological western. He praises Joan Crawford’s commanding performance and the dreamlike atmosphere created by the dialogue and visuals.

Newman finds the film a demented, subversive Western whose artificial style gives it unusual intensity. He especially praises its overwrought performances and bizarre musical stretches.

The critic presents the western as a splendid, allegorical drama with rich interpretive possibilities. They praise Joan Crawford and Mercedes McCambridge’s performances and single out its treatment of sexual rivalry and xenophobic persecution.

The critic finds the film entertainingly quirky, while resisting claims that it ranks among the greatest Westerns. He praises its gender-bending campiness, deadpan humor, and odd visual details.

The headline identifies this as a review of Johnny Guitar, but its evaluative verdict is unavailable. The accessible page provides no details about what the critic praised or criticized.

The review is unfavorable, arguing that the film’s character focus leaves it without enough momentum as a western. It also faults the film as overlong and lacking sympathy for its characters.

Kermode gives the film an enthusiastic recommendation, calling it a standout among frontier stories. She especially praises Joan Crawford’s commanding performance as Vienna, a woman defending her independence in a brutal world.