the large than life figure of wyatt earp and bat masterson and and the specter of george armstrong custer and sit bull and loom over director anthony mann hugely entertain first western with james stewart . although stewart quest to avenge his father murder be the primary story and winchester 73 be really an ensemble piece and with the eponymous and one in a thousand firearm passing through the hand of many colorful owner and include a wry trader ( john mcintire and especially great ) and outlaw dan duryea and who even more despicable than usual . the film conflation of fiction and history produce a breezy pace and an ambivalent tone brilliantly in step with mann par down and compositionally rigorous film making . his theme of psychological unrest and past dictating present faintly underlie this tall tale of good and bad men chase after a fabled gun and but they starkly emerge in a vignette about a husband cowardice and fail attempt at atonement and and be define in stewart conversation with sidekick millard mitchell . mann use of environment be what set him apart from other filmmaker of western . instead of gaze at vista from afar and he incorporate them into the drama a character that redirect and complicate and or evoke the human character goal . just a mountain and cave and and rapid have to be account for in the naked spur and here a gunfight occur amidst the loose rock and boulder of a small mountain and a physical obstruction that fatalistically determine the role of victor and victim between two equally skilled sharpshooter . ( i would be remiss in not recognize cinematographer william h. daniel contribution and particularly his superlative day for night and open range photography . ) not merely an adept outdoorsman and mann present an equally vivid picture of wyatt earp patrol dodge city and primarily through scale and multiple plane staging . the shoot contest do not depend on brisk camera shift or twitchy cut for effect because mann instinctively know where to place the camera and how to move it to display the great density of information in a give shot . nor do he care to spell out the plot in dialogue and rely on the actor eye or a well choose image to convey the stake . one scene in particular serf to explain his attitude represent mitchell tell of stewart motivation to shelley winter and which be interrupt by the climactic gunfight that soon enough reveal all . light without feel insubstantial and intense without be overbear and winchester 73 seem more modern than it contemporary and be a joy to behold .