_**A striking Western from the 1950s that’s vibrant, theatrical, dreamlike and captivating**_ The story unfolds in a northern Arizona town where a determined saloon owner, Joan Crawford, finds herself at odds with a ruthless cattle baron, Mercedes McCambridge, concerning the Dancin' Kid (Scott Brady) and other matters. Sterling Hayden appears as Johnny Guitar, a former romantic interest of the saloonkeeper, adding another layer to the conflict. The film poses the question: who will survive when everything is said and done? “Johnny Guitar,” released in 1954, embraces melodrama to such an extent that it borders on surrealism, and its plot developments stretch believability, but it’s visually rich, emotionally intense, inventive and completely absorbing. It feels like a Quentin Tarantino Western—a concept that didn't exist forty years prior. Nicholas Ray, who also directed “Rebel Without a Cause” (1955), was behind the camera; picture the kind of heightened 1950s drama characteristic of that film, but set against a Western backdrop and presented in vivid color. While the title suggests otherwise, Crawford’s Vienna is clearly the central character, opposed by McCambridge's disturbingly anxious adversary, who evokes comparisons to the Wicked Witch of the West. The movie includes several unusual details that add to its appeal, such as the saloon constructed into a cliff face, Vienna performing piano music while wearing a wedding gown, and Old Tom (John Carradine) reading a book during his watch. There’s also the unexplained fact that nobody seems to know about the hidden passage behind a waterfall leading to a hideout conspicuously positioned on top of a bare rock formation. I must also acknowledge Ernest Borgnine's performance as a morally ambiguous gang member. The film has a running time of 1 hour and 50 minutes, and filming took place in the Sedona area of north-central Arizona, including Oak Creek Canyon, with additional scenes shot at Republic Studios in North Hollywood. GRADE: A-

Source on TMDB