Some folks say every horse can be tamed, and every rider will fall; they reckon people like me are just legends. Nicholas Ray directed The Lusty Men, with Horace McCoy and David Dortort sharing writing duties based on a story by Claude Stanush. Robert Mitchum, Susan Hayward, Arthur Kennedy, Arthur Hunnicutt, Frank Faylen, and Carol Nugent appear in the film; Roy Webb composed the music, and Lee Garmes was responsible for the cinematography. Former rodeo star Jeff McCloud (Mitchum) consents to train young rider Wes Merritt (Kennedy), despite Louise Merritt’s (Hayward) concerns about the risks involved. Romantic complications quickly match the intensity of the rodeo itself. Ray focuses on a love triangle and places it against the backdrop of the brutal world of professional rodeo. The film is both poignant and believable, delivering powerful human drama alongside authentic rodeo footage – particularly the bull riding scenes are impressive. Cinematographer Garmes ("Shanghai Express/Nightmare Alley") captures the rodeo action beautifully while still conveying the difficult lives of the main characters on the circuit. Essentially, we’re tracking three individuals as they move toward their fates—a poetic journey, certainly not a melodramatic story with added action. The filmmakers actually went to real rodeos to film (featuring actual rodeo performers). It's about these three people looking for something more, some purpose in life, but hard truths must be faced before any resolution can arrive. The acting, direction, and photography are all excellent; the only flaw is the repetitive use of the same music whenever a rider leaves the chutes, which prevents it from being rated even higher. It earns an 8/10.

Source on TMDB