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The Left Handed Gun

The Left Handed Gun

Western · 1958

When a crooked sheriff murders his employer, William "Billy the Kid" Bonney decides to avenge the death by killing the man responsible, throwing the lives of everyone around him into turmoil, and endangering the General Amnesty set up by Governor Wallace to bring peace to the New Mexico Territory.

Movie details

The Left Handed Gun

“I don't run. I don't hide. I go where I want. I do what I want.”

1958 Western 1h 42m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.0 / 10

Community rating

When a crooked sheriff murders his employer, William "Billy the Kid" Bonney decides to avenge the death by killing the man responsible, throwing the lives of everyone around him into turmoil, and endangering the General Amnesty set up by Governor Wallace to bring peace to the New Mexico Territory.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Left Handed Gun?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Western · 1972

In 1870s New Mexico, a half-breed kills a bigoted sheriff in self-defense but the posse that eventually hunts him finds itself in dangerous territory.

Chisum

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Cattle baron John Chisum joins forces with Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett to fight the Lincoln County Land War in the New Mexico Territory of 1878.

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Blaise Starrett is a rancher at odds with homesteaders when outlaws hold up the small town. The outlaws are held in check only by their notorious leader, but he is diagnosed with a fatal wound and the town is a powder keg waiting to blow.

Cat Ballou

Cat Ballou

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A woman seeking revenge for her murdered father hires a famous gunman, but he's very different from what she expects.

Open Range

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A former gunslinger is forced to take up arms again when he and his cattle crew are threatened by a corrupt lawman.

Support Your Local Sheriff!

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In the old west, a man becomes a Sheriff just for the pay, figuring he can decamp if things get tough.

One-Eyed Jacks

One-Eyed Jacks

Western · 1961

Running from the law after a bank robbery in Mexico, Dad Longworth finds an opportunity to take the stolen gold and leave his partner Rio to be captured. Years later, Rio escapes from the prison where he has been since, and hunts down Dad for revenge. Dad is now a respectable sheriff in California, and has been living in fear of Rio's return.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Arthur Penn

Written by

Leslie Stevens

Paul Newman

Paul Newman

Billy The Kid

Lita Milan

Lita Milan

Celsa

John Dehner

John Dehner

Pat Garrett

Hurd Hatfield

Hurd Hatfield

Moultrie

James Congdon

James Congdon

Charlie Boudre

James Best

James Best

Tom Folliard

Colin Keith-Johnston

Colin Keith-Johnston

John Tunstall

Court is in session

Put The Left Handed Gun on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Patience is part of the point.”

Duration becomes texture. The film asks you to inhabit its world instead of merely processing its plot.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“A test of endurance, your honour.”

Stillness keeps submitting itself as meaning. At some point, contemplation needs something worth contemplating.