I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

A hardened marshal called Bannock : Lancaster arrives in a wild and whooly town named Sabbath to look for some outlaws , but these work for the powerful owner Bronson: Lee J Cobb, then things go wrong . As his unexperienced son : John Beck and his band of gunfighters : Robert Duvall, JD Cannon , Richard Jordan , William Watson set out in pursuit Bannock .Later on , Bannock seeking the help of a timid sheriff : Robert Ryan , but he rejects him .Thought-provoking and suspenseful Western about a two-fisted as well as stoic marshal who comes into unfamiliar little town . This Lawman succeeds overall thanks to the skilled playing of its cast and Winner's typically tough style of storytelling , even though it contains some unconvincing moments . The picture packs thrills , go riding , fights , shootouts , violence and a lot of zooms . Lancaster gives a very good acting as a feared sheriff who seeks bandits refusing to sway from duty in spite of entire town turns against him . The acting honors go to Robert Ryan as a shy , reluctant but honorable sheriff .Others costarring providing enjoyable interpretations are the followings : Robert Duvall , JD Cannon , Sheree North , Albert Salmi , John McGiver , Joseph Wiseman , Richard Jordan , Ralph Waite , John Beck ,Richard Bull, and John Hillerman .And veteran Lee J Cobb delivers one of his finest performances as a tough land baron who seeks vengeance .Thrilling and pulsating musical score by Jerry Fielding , Sam Peckinpah's regular . And atmospheric and evocative cinematography by Robert Paynter , Winner's usual .This intriguing motion picture was compellingly directed by Michael Winner , though it has an unsatisfactory conclusion undermining otherwise splendid story .Winner was a prolific craftsman who made all kinds of genres as Terror : The nightcomers , Scream for help , The sentinel ; Costumers : The wicked lady ; Western : Chato the Apache with Charles Bronson ; Film Noir : The big sleep , but specially thrillers such as : Appointment with death , The Mechanic ,Firepower , The stone killer , being his greatest success the Death Wish series I , II , III starred by his fetish actor , Charles Bronson. Rating : 6.5/10 . Decent and acceptable western . It will appeal to Burt Lancaster fans.

Lawman is a dark western that shows the violent landscape of the American west in a fairly realistic and non romanticised manner. This movie lets the audience decide who to root for as the lines of good and evil are blurred. Burt Lancaster plays a no nonsense lawman that is to bring to justice a group of cattle rustlers who by accident killed an old man on their drunken night where they shot up a town. The town of Sabbath is where this plays out and Burt Lancaster gives a very tough and cold performance as lawman and killer Maddox. Robert Ryan is also excellent as the town marshal that tries to find a peaceful resolution for both sides. Lee J Cobb is Bronson, a respected figure in the town of Sabbath and boss of the cowboys that Maddox is to bring to justice.(As well as the name of actor that director Michael Winner would work with a lot after this picture, Bronson...Charles Bronson) Robert Duvall gives a great early showing as well. Lawman is a great western that is well performed and ahead of its time in the way this was approached. Very good.

The theme of "Lawman" is neither unique nor new, The "Last Train From Gun Hill (1959)" starring Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn came to mind right away, and before that "The Man From Laramie (1955)" with James Stewart, although both of these also involves an element of personal revenge which, in turn, brings back to mind another string of memorable movies from "The Bravados (1958)", "Nevada Smith (1966)", "Hang 'Em High (1968)", "Valdez Is Coming (1971)", "Jeremiah Johnson (1972)", to another Michael Winner film "Chato's Land (1972)".There is a whole lot of violence in all these movies, and Michael Winner seemed to be paying homage to the spaghetti westerns. Kudos to the script writer for the many noteworthy lines. The much anticipated ending came with an unexpected twist, leaving the audience to figure out the punchline of the movie.The aging cast of Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, Lee J. Cobb brought back quite a bit of nostalgia from the glory days of Hollywood. Recognizing David McGiver from "Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)" brought back a chuckle, and Robert Duval, whom I first noticed in "The Rain People (1969)", was still at the beginning of his prolific career.I do miss those good old days...

One fun way of viewing "Lawman" is to see it as a Western version of the 1953 Marlon Brando movie "The Wild One" with an alternative denouement. Both films begin with a bunch of rowdy guys in their twenties and thirties riding into a small town (on horseback in "Lawman" and on motorcycles in "The Wild One")and acting like spoiled teenagers with an arrogant sense of entitlement as they terrorize the place with their rough joviality. An innocent victim of their antics is an old man who is killed by accident. At this point in "The Wild One" J.C. Flippin steps in as the authority figure and the movie ends. In "Lawman" Burt Lancaster steps in as the authority figure and the movie begins.