BroadcastChic Excellent, a Must See

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

rodrig58 People are nothing but a bunch of coward bad sheep. That's what this movie is proving. Between Chris Larabee Adams of "The Magnificent Seven" and The Gunslinger of "Westworld," Yul Brynner plays a similar role, as a paid gunman, but for a different cause. Janice Rule is beautiful and talented. George Segal, Pat Hingle and Strother Martin are credible and efficient as usual.

LexiconDST *Minor spoiler, mentioned by most other reviewers*I agree that the acting is all over the place; it was a great idea, that was too weighty to be executed through this particular writing, casting and direction.My only caveat is that, speaking from personal experience, it's often the more covert forms of racism and classism that are the straws on the camel's back. One can laugh at buffoons yelling epithets directly, and one can challenge hoods in white hoods. Societal snubbing is more insidiously toxic/cancerous, and harder to dismiss. Plus, seeing other humans relegated to this version of The Bottoms, humiliation added upon humiliation, seeing others not fighting the corruption and degradation, realizing you were paid to kill someone who didn't "need" killing...it could be that type of pressure cooker.

lovette-bennett I loved Yul Brynner in this movie, and Janice Rule did a good job as the frustrated wife of the crippled, hard-drinking, ex-Civil War fighter. Yul Brynner is excellent as the brooding, cold, mercenary who has a job to do, but falls for the lady whose house he's decided to stay in while doing it. I was in my "Yul Brynner" phase when this one came out, and I can still see it over and over--much as I feel about The Magnificent Seven, the Return of the Seven, The Journey, or The King and I. I couldn't help but wonder if he actually played that harpsichord. He obviously couldn't sing, and only spoke the song while he played the tune on the lady's harpsichord.Yul Brynner was a smoker, and the cigar is ever present. I met him in 1972 out in Malibu, and I asked him if he could quit smoking for his health's sake. He said, "Nope. Too hooked." He was, and sadly for his fans, it was his undoing. He signed a photo for me for my birthday that year, which I still cherish. The world lost a great actor when he passed. He was the best in a Western, wearing black and walking that walk...a man of few words.

StormBrn Brynner's trademark feline grace and air of disdainful superiority are used to full advantage in this tale of a small town hiring a gunfighter to deal with a hometown boy gone bad. The performances of the other actors and solid direction provide a sharp portrait of a dusty, narrowminded, small-town society. They've created one monster of their own, and invited another monster in to deal with him--now, how do they deal with the new menace? Particularly memorable is the scene in which D'estaing gives instruction in the proper pronunciation of his name.