The aftermath of war can profoundly affect a person. As the Civil War draws to a close, a final group of Confederate soldiers are trapped at Jacob's Gorge. Recognizing their defeat, they raise a white flag in surrender. Union Colonel Owen Devereaux observes this signal but gives the order to attack regardless. Returning home with his friend and fellow officer, Capt. Del Stewart, Devereaux’s behavior becomes increasingly unstable; those around him—friends, lovers, everyone he encounters—risk suffering if his descent into madness can't be stopped. With Glenn Ford portraying Devereaux and William Holden as Stewart, and directed by Henry Levin from a story by Borden Chase, The Man from Colorado is an interesting psychological Western. The narrative explores the impact of war on a man’s psyche and his struggle to release the anger and suspicion consuming him. Ford delivers a compelling performance as Devereaux—it's good to see him playing a villain—and the film has a somber tone. Though not heavy on action (which isn't necessarily a negative), the movie excels thanks to its dialogue-driven characters. Having both become lawmen, it would have been simple to create a predictable Western plot as the two friends are pulled apart by differing degrees of sanity (Holden’s Stewart offers a strong contrast to Ford’s vengefulness) and the affections of a woman, Caroline Emmet, played by Ellen Drew. However, Chase's story incorporates other elements that prevent it from falling into familiar patterns. There is an underlying political theme concerning power and those who hold it, and the experiences of returning soldiers are given significant attention. These men return after three years immersed in violence to find their claims disregarded and exploited by a greedy corporation; seeking justice through the law proves difficult... The story possesses substance and depth, and thankfully, there are also skillful technical aspects that complement the screenplay. The location filming in Simi Valley is wonderful. William E. Snyder’s cinematography is outstanding, arguably his finest work in the Western genre. It's true that even a mediocre Western can look good with a quality transfer, but when the Technicolor print is excellent, the difference is striking, and this film is superb. The dusty oranges and browns of the landscape beautifully set off the blue uniforms, while the green and gold lamps glow vividly, almost acting as additional characters in the story. Even Ford’s graying temples have a distinguished luster, subtly contradicting his character's anger. Western enthusiasts should definitely watch this on High Definition television because we always knew how beautiful these films looked, but now it offers an entirely new level of enjoyment. With a fiery conclusion ("welcome to hell!"), The Man from Colorado fulfills the two essential requirements for a serious Western—visual beauty and strong thematic content—and delivers both. That’s great! 8/10

Source on TMDB