Lawman
A relentless marshal brings murder warrants to a town protected by wealth, loyalty, and a compromised justice system.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- grim
- morally ambiguous
- somber
- classic western night
- serious film viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film a grim, well-acted revisionist western whose formidable cast and convincing performances outweigh a derivative, depressing, and sometimes poorly conceived story.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jared Maddox refuses restitution and continues serving murder warrants despite recognizing that Bannock's judicial system is weak and corrupt.
Vincent Bronson is a benevolent despot whose wealth and personal relationships shape Sabbath's marshal, ranchers, and response to the killing.
Cotton Ryan admits that his reputation rests on one old incident and that he is now only a shadow of the lawman he once was.
Maddox describes a lawman as a killer of men, while the film frames his duty through coercion, killing, and institutional ambiguity.
Films like Lawman, and why
Man with the Gun
revisionist western treatment of law, justice, and an uncompromising marshal confronting a protected community
High Plains Drifter
morally ambiguous western lawman, social corruption, and bleak confrontation rather than heroic frontier adventure
The Gunfighter
somber western atmosphere and a conflict between personal authority, communal power, and formal justice
The Wild Bunch
hard-edged revisionist western centered on violence, accountability, and the collapse of traditional authority
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Winner
- Release Date
- 1971-03-11
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (141)
Cast
- Burt Lancaster
- Robert Ryan
- Lee J. Cobb
- Robert Duvall
- Sheree North
- Albert Salmi
- Richard Jordan
- John McGiver
- Ralph Waite
- John Beck
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Lawman about?
- A relentless marshal brings murder warrants to a town protected by wealth, loyalty, and a compromised justice system.
- What is Lawman like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Lawman as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Lawman violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Lawman as moderate.
- What did critics think of Lawman?
- Critics broadly found the film a grim, well-acted revisionist western whose formidable cast and convincing performances outweigh a derivative, depressing, and sometimes poorly conceived story.
- Which films are like Lawman?
- Films with a similar feel include Man with the Gun, High Plains Drifter, The Gunfighter, and The Wild Bunch.
- How long is Lawman?
- Lawman runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch Lawman?
- In United States, Lawman streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus.
