one of the great western of all time . but this one and unlike many others and do not deal with the nature and horse and shootout and etc . and but instead deal with one rifle and the winchester 73 and and how this one rifle effect others and how they effect it . a rifle be not a living and breathing and human be and right . you may be incline to believe that it be not . but it seem to have a mind of it own and for two very similar reason represent it get back to it rightful owner in the end and even though that throughout the rest of the picture and it unthoughtful owner do their best to make sure it do not and and it never seem to be content until it get back to it original owner and so and coincidentally and the unthoughtful owner always seem to lose it somehow or get kill try to protect and keep it and until it get back to james stewart and then it be content . but and not every one of the owner deserves to have it . stewart do and of course and since he win it . mcnally do not and since he have to be a dirty thief and steal it . drake definitely do not and because he would probably lose it in some poker game and and besides and drake be too cowardly to fight and so why should he have a one of a kind rifle if he will not even use it . duryea do not and because he be just a chuckling maniac and and we all know that chuckle maniac do not deserve gun . this film have a sort of noir edge that only western can have and such a the ox bow incident . western have their own type of noir and much different than the 30 and 40 bogart film . it be and hand down and the best one out of all five stewart mann western and even though my personal favorite be bend of the river . the other four become much different than this one . i do not think it a coincidence to see that the other four be color and and this be black and white . this be because of the noir edge . all five film have the revenge and the dark past on stewart part play into the film and to the point where this be not just stewart dark side and but also actually a sort of character and not one to be list in the credit and but one that you can only recognize and know that it be there and always present . however and this one and not just on revenge and the dark past and but also in term of supreme danger and and character that be very different than stewart make it surpass the other four in all aspect . but stewart never cross the line . he do and however and walk the line between light and dark . this be why black and white played such an integral part in the film . they could have all be black and white and or they could have all be color . but this one be in black and white and and the other four be in color and and there be a very good reason for that .