Noirish shadows spread across the frontier in this landmark western, the first of the celebrated collaborations between director Anthony Mann and actor James Stewart that redefined the genre with their moral and psychological intensity. Beginning his midcareer transition into increasingly edgy roles, Stewart portrays an avenging sharpshooter whose stolen rifle becomes a harbinger of death as it is passed from one doomed hand to the next. Featuring a stellar cast that includes a touching Shelley Winters, a sensationally sleazy Dan Duryea, and a pre-stardom Rock Hudson, this elemental tale of violence begetting violence broke new ground with its evocation of the West as a no-man’s-land of antiheroes and villains.
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Video Quality
The Criterion Collection presents Winchester ‘73 on 4K UHD Blu-Ray courtesy of a wonderful 4K digital restoration by Universal from the 35mm Nitrate Original Camera Negative in 2160p that is a beauty even without HDR implementation. This release marks the first time this film has been made available on Blu-Ray domestically, which is also included in the package. The difference between the two discs is not night and day given they are from the same restoration and the lack of HDR, yet the 4K UHD Blu-Ray does prevail with the full might of the 4K restoration on display with a tighter encode. If you have been clamoring for a proper presentation of this classic, you are in for a treat.
The transfer is free of nearly all potential dust specks and print damage that you might expect from a film of this vintage. This transfer retains the filmic quality of the picture with fine film grain giving way to a world of detail. The black and white cinematography of William H. Daniels is a beauty with smooth gradients and subtle textures. The contrast remains stable and provides grand improvements in sharpness. Black levels are deep without any egregious nuisances such as digital noise or compression artifacts, and highlights never falter with blooming. The frame showcases some excellent depth to the sprawling canvas which gives way to a pleasing sense of scale within the settings. The restoration reveals plenty of textural details in the clothing and production design. The Criterion Collection will make Westerns fans happy with this one.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a fastidious remastered LPCM 1.0 mono track with optional English SDH subtitles. Since this is a Western, you do have the hallmarks of the genre such as a parade of gunshots, yelling in all of its forms, galloping horses, and more that transports you to this era. Even with all of this at play, there do not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. This track does everything it needs to ensure that dialogue comes through clearly. Environmental sounds are rendered well alongside everything else for a consistently good experience. The score sounds great without any shortcomings. Criterion has given this film the perfectly preserved audio presentation it deserves.
Special Features
The Criterion 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Winchester ‘73 includes a foldout pamphlet featuring the essay “Under The Gun” by film scholar Imogen Sara Smith which explores the themes, the work of Anthony Mann, the legacy of the film, and more that is very illuminating. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Audio Commentary: An archival commentary track from 1989 featuring star Jimmy Stewart and film historian Paul Lindenschmidt in which the performer how this film came to be, how he felt about working in the Western genre, his collaborations with Anthony Mann, the location shooting, and more.
- Adam Piron: A new 18-minute interview with filmmaker and film programmer Adam Piron who explores the depictions of Native Americans in Westerns, how these characterizations influenced perceptions of Native Americans in society, and more.
- Forces Of Nature – Anthony Mann at Universal: A great 47-minute documentary that dives deep into the work of Anthony Mann at Universal featuring insights from film historians such as Rob Word, Alan K. Rode, Michael Schlesinger, and C. Courtney Joyner; Script Supervisor Michael Preece; and more.
- Lux Radio Theatre: A 61-minute radio adaptation of the material from 1951 starring James Stewart.
- Trailer (2:10)
Final Thoughts
Winchester ‘73 is one of the great rollicking Westerns from Anthony Mann, one that kicked off his historic run with James Stewart. The narrative unfurls compellingly by loosely following the titular gun and how it impacts the life of whoever wields it. Stewart is the obvious standout here, but there is an entire ensemble putting in memorable work. There are some dated elements, but these are issues audiences must contextualize and acknowledge without totally dismissing everything the film does well. The Criterion Collection has delivered a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray that offers a grand A/V presentation and some marvelous special features. This is a must-own for fans of classic Westerns. Highly Recommended
The Criterion Collection edition of Winchester ‘73 will be available to purchase on 4K UHD and Blu-Ray on January 28, 2025.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: The Criterion Collection has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
