Tougher-than-nails landowner Jessica Drummond (Barbara Stanwyck) has ruled over her county in Arizona with such power that even the local sheriff (Dean Jagger) won’t stand up to her.  When gunslinger-turned-U.S. Marshall Griff Bonnell (Barry Sullivan) and his brothers seek to restore law and order, they meet with harsh resistance – that is until Jessica falls in love with Bonnell.  But when the man’s bother is murdered and the two families become bitter enemies, Jessica’s loyalty is divided, and Bonnell faces his biggest moral dilemma: how to avenge his brother’s death and maintain his vow of non-violence.

CRITIQUE

Samuel Fuller, journalist, novelist, and combat infantry veteran of World War II, certainly knew the significance of the words “rifle” and “gun” in the context of this film (“This is for fight and this is for fun”).  Forty Guns is loaded with innuendo, almost every scene, every line of dialogue, has some kind of sexual undertone.  “I’d like to stick around and clean her rifle,” says one of Griff’s brothers of a female gunsmith, moments after they enter town.

Jessica Drummond is the unquestioned ruler of the Arizona county in which she owns much of the land.  “She’s a high ridin’ woman with a whip,” goes the film’s theme song, “she commands and men obey.”  She is the alpha over the forty “guns” that ride with her, as well as the town sheriff, no doubt the most whipped man in the film.  Played by Dean Jagger, the sheriff is a broken man.  He’ll be in power as long as Jessica is, but whatever shred of manhood he might have been clinging to blew out into the desert years ago.  Jessica whips men like she would whip a horse, but she meets her match in Griff.

Griff enters town with a reputation as one of the deadliest men alive with a gun... er, hogleg... er, pistol.  “May I see it,” Jessica asks him over dinner.  “Careful,” Griff answers, “it might go off in your face.”  But he has also taken a vow of nonviolence.  That might cripple most U.S. Marshals, but not Griff.  The man is also fearless.  When a gang of Jessica’s guns goes on a drunken shooting spree up and down the main drag of the town, Griff walks up to the gun that started it all and casually punches him out.  Played by Barry Sullivan, Griff is a fearless, tortured man who does things his way.  In his way he tames Jessica; he’s the first guy to come along that actually has the balls to shoot her.

Forty Guns is one of Fuller’s more peculiar films, more so than even Shock Corridor or The Naked Kiss.  The film is as stylistically odd as it is thematically.  Fuller makes the most of the Cinemascope frame, using extreme close-ups, POV shots (including one where Griff, flirting with the female gunsmith, eyes her through the barrel of a rifle), odd angles, and, this being a western, wide vistas.  Some of the dissolves between shots are noticeably slow, and the whole thing has an experimental feel.  Fuller is doing more than just playing around here, though, and he builds the tension to an incredible pitch.  The film has all the classic markings of a Fuller film, and a pay off that is highly cathartic.  This is one film that has to be seen to be understood.

THE VIDEO

Forty Guns is presented in the original 2.31:1 shooting ratio.  The transfer is pristine, perfectly translating the black and white photography.  The gray scale comes through sharply, free of any scratches or other defects.  This disc also features a fullscreen version, should you be so inclined.

THE AUDIO

This DVD offers tracks in both Stereo and Mono sound.  The presentation is crisp, even if a bit front heavy.  The audio has been cleaned up wonderfully for this DVD, and it is free of any serious defects.

THE EXTRAS

Theatrical Trailer: The original trailer, a vintage gem.

Ouch!  That is the only feature on this disc, which is a shame considering the bonus treatment some of the other DVD releases Fuller’s films have received (read: House of Bamboo, The Big Red One: The Reconstruction).  An audio commentary would have been nice.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Forty Guns is one of Samuel Fuller’s more peculiar films, and certainly one of the strangest to come out of the 1950s.  The story, while interesting, seems like a simple framework for Fuller to play around with.  The dialogue is sharp, almost every line a delicious double entendre, and the performances are strong all around.  While the bonus material is lacking, this film remains a must see, and the disc is a must for Fuller buffs.