Lawman (film)
| Lawman | |
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| Directed by | Michael Winner |
| Produced by | Michael Winner |
| Written by | Gerry Wilson |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Jerry Fielding |
| Cinematography | Robert Paynter |
| Edited by | Frederick Wilson |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
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Release date
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March 11, 1971 |
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Running time
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99 mins |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Lawman is a 1971 American Western film starring Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, Lee J. Cobb, and Robert Duvall.
The film is about the quest of a lone peace officer, Marshal Jared Maddox (played by Lancaster), to bring several men to justice. It was written by Gerry Wilson and directed by Michael Winner.
Its hero and the motives of the other characters are not as defined or clear-cut as in some Westerns. Cobb's character, Vincent Bronson, is not a typically evil cattle baron but is portrayed with a sense of humanity. The marshal and the guilty men nevertheless come to a series of deadly confrontations. Maddox can be seen as an anti-hero dedicated to upholding the law regardless of any extraneous code of honor, or personal feelings. The plot generates questions regarding honor and under what circumstances murder becomes legal.
The film starts with a scene common to many Westerns, cowboys in a drunken state shooting up a town and wreaking havoc. The rowdies are from the town of Sabbath and are visiting the town of Bannock for a little recreation that gets out of hand.
The town's marshal, Jared Maddox, rides into Sabbath and is not alone. He brings along the body of Marc Corman, one of the unruly cowhands from the recent drunken spree in Bannock, carrying it on the back of a horse. Corman and five others were involved in the accidental killing of an old man and Maddox has warrants for them. The remaining five are Vernon Adams, Choctaw Lee, Jack Dekker, Harvey Stenbaugh and Hurd Price, all hired hands at wealthy Vincent Bronson's ranch.
Maddox follows protocol and calls on Sabbath's sheriff, Cotton Ryan. He demands that the five surrender to him within 24 hours. Ryan is a lawman whose career had seen better days. He urges Maddox to avoid a confrontation with Bronson. Maddox won't back down, although he believes the suspects are likely to get light sentences due to the accidental nature of their crime and the fact that the justice system of Bannock can easily be influenced by bribes. Ryan goes to Bronson's ranch to inform him of Maddox's demands.
Bronson, unaware of the killing in Bannock up to this point, tries to negotiate by offering compensation to the victim's family and even to Maddox. Ryan explains that Maddox will not agree to anything other than an unconditional surrender of all five men. One of the suspects, Stenbaugh, who is Bronson's foreman, tries to persuade Bronson to have Maddox killed. Despite his violent past, Bronson is tired of death and violence and refuses Stenbaugh's suggestion, insisting on further negotiations.
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