Ride Lonesome poster
Review

Ride Lonesome 1959

Directed by Budd Boetticher · 73 mins · 1,671 views

3.8 Letterboxd 3.73(11,811)
Ratings C C C S W H F Z D B

Synopsis

On the way to pick up the bounty on a wanted murderer, a bounty hunter stops at a staging post where he is forced to continue his journey with two outlaws who want the murderer for their own reasons and a recently-widowed woman, with the murderer's brother and his men in hot pursuit.

Trailers

Reviews (189)

  1. C
    comrade_yui 8 月 26, 2026

    what budd boetticher achieves with minimal resources should be enshrined as a model for all directors working today — look at how he chops up his lengthy camera movements into reaction shot montages, how he organizes the space of the cinemascope frame into concentric layers of increasing depth, that he plays out complex dialogue scenes with minimal coverage, the quasi-expressionist use of day-for-night photography, an intuitive transition of landscape from mountain to desert to forest, his careful arrangement of characters along the fault-lines of moral confrontation — rarely, if ever, has so much been done so well with little else but the human body and its environment. nothing is wasted, everything serves to amplify the talents of his screenplay and…

    188 2
  2. C
    comrade_yui 8 月 26, 2026

    the desert clarifies, purifies, lays bare the hearts of men, transposes them from fixed ideas and into their looser, more flexible selves, imposes honesty upon a dishonest person, helps them see things for how they really are, dissolves the ego, sky horizontal against the mountains, man’s silhouette against another man. worth is in the eye of the beholder; life is meaningful to those living with meaning.

    86
  3. C
    C4rlo5 8 月 26, 2026

    “Funny, ain’t it? How a thing can see in one way and turn out all together something else.” Hello everyone, I’m back!! Tomorrow I will keep going with the blog and all the stuff that I left here. “You said you wanted to start over, I hope so, because if you don’t, I’ll be the one comes looking to find you.” About Ride Lonesome, an iconic revenge western worth to watch! Blue Covers ❄️

    162 6
  4. S
    ScreeningNotes 8 月 26, 2026

    I didn’t quite “get” Boetticher’s westerns the first time through. I was too busy looking for the grandiose themes of civilization and the frontier, and as a result I missed how great the characters and dialogue and direction are and how effortlessly they fit into the slim 75-minute run times in productions with minimal budgets. I was looking for a forest and winded up ignoring each of the individual trees. But even though I didn’t think I had seen something great, I felt compelled to go back almost immediately and watch Ride Lonesome again. Not only are these westerns easy to watch and rewatch because they’re so short, they nail a delicate but precious balance between being dense and detailed…

    221 6
  5. W
    Will Sloan 8 月 26, 2026

    Now that’s how you use a CinemaScope frame.

    128 1
  6. H
    HKFanatic 8 月 26, 2026

    Well, I’ve officially seen enough of these Boetticher/Scott collaborations that when the opening credits tell me I’m about to watch a shot-in-Cinemascope Boetticher Western, written by Burt Kennedy and co-starring Lee Van Cleef and James Coburn, I know I’m in for a damn good time. In fact, this is the first of the Ranown cycle that I’m rating 5-stars—is it because “Ride Lonesome” is the best of the bunch or have I simply reached the point where my goodwill and affinity for this series is at a high? It’s a good question, but I do think there’s something special about “Ride Lonesome”—Kennedy’s script is a near perfect blend of traditional Western elements, with Randolph Scott’s obstinate bounty hunter set against…

    118 5
  7. F
    Filipe Furtado 8 月 26, 2026

    “- It was a long time ago. I most forgot. – A man can do that” In some ways the most essential of those Boetticher/Scott/Brown movies. Certainly, the one that most perfect fit their critical reputation. Kennedy’s script tracks all the multiple relationships with sharp clarity, and it is enlivened by a strong cast. Like most of those it is an obsession/revenge story filtered through a sense of frontier waste, but Boetticher scope landscape work does give it a larger cosmic expression.

    209
  8. Z
    Ziglet_mir 8 月 26, 2026

    Secret Mitchell #11 – For Jalen Ride Lonesome follows the High Noon formula; two subplots back-dropped against a terse, economical script with a small handful of characters. It’s also much akin to Rawhide in its narrative minimalism, but lacking most of the intensity. The revenge plot has a small spark though we see more smoke on screen than anything else. What’s interesting is while Bud Boetticher has a keen eye for westerns his mistakes stem from studio trends. Randolph Scott seems to be appeasing a pay check, Karen Steele (with her 50s brassiere) is clearly cast as eye candy, and Lee Van Cleef ain’t no Lee Marvin or Burl Ives. Ms. Steele is especially miscast (or rather, mischaracterized) as she embodies a shell…

    84 17
  9. D
    DavidNeedToKnow 8 月 26, 2026

    Here we have another western and this time one that disappointed me. On the one hand we have the beautifully filmed landscapes and scenes, a memorable score, a good cast and a snappy runtime. Apart from that, I found the charm and quality of the western films I’ve seen in the last few days missing. The characters and dialogues weren’t the best of the genre and the film has a lot of annoying genre clichés, which means, for example, that half of the dialogues are about how hot the men are for the woman who accompanies them. So personally, I could never really connect with the plot and the characters, but overall this is still mediocre entertainment.

    77
  10. B
    Bruno Andrade 8 月 26, 2026

    As regras de ouro do western segundo Budd Boetticher: “In a western, you have to 1) see things head-on (…) And then you have to gradually 2) introduce the characters into the action, 3) undoubtedly, improvise depending upon the set or change the script, 4) love the landscape and understand it, 5) dispose of a cinematographer who doesn’t fear risks, 6) know how to introduce a character or action with few words and some images, 7) not be afraid of silence, 8) not abuse violence, 9) not waiver when referring to myths and conventions, 10) have a serious sense of humour.” E o plano final do seu “Ride Lonesome” (1959). (roubado descaradamente de uma postagem no Facebook) /-/-/-/-/-/ FORA-DA-LEI (O…

    132
  11. S
    SilentDawn 8 月 26, 2026

    80 Expertly written characters within a no-frills narrative of sharp economy. Lean and mean while managing to indulge in the poetics of the story and setting.

    262 2
  12. T
    theriverjordan 8 月 26, 2026

    “Ride Lonesome” is a Western so tightly plotted, it feels like it could just about burst out of a packed pistol with even the gentlest of trigger pulls. Clocking in at an enviably tidy one hour and thirteen minutes, “Lonesome” is so efficient – it’s a work that could only be made by masters of its genre. And it was. Directed by Bud Boetticher with a script by Burt Kennedy, “Lonesome” makes a cracking case for being the strongest entry in the ‘Ranown Cycle’ of films. The series is a thematically cohesive group of works starring Randolph Scott, usually playing a morally solid grey hat of a roaming gunslinger. Absent necessary intros or pleasantries, Boetticher and Kennedy don’t waste a…

    142 14
  13. V
    Victor Audi 8 月 16, 2026

    que direção, cara. a síntese da forma como a própria poesia. observar as soluções que o Boetticher encontra a cada cena é um exercício de puro prazer @ HBO Max

  14. F
    Foggy 8 月 15, 2026

    Budd Boetticher Is a very journeyman filmmaker, moving through the ranks on set before getting his big break on B-Movie Westerns and War films, so Ride Lonesome’s all-thrills, no spills relentlessness is very much baked into it’s limitations and restriction. But it’s stoic and basic exterior does lead to a really interesting chamber piece of a certain set of characters moving through a fairly ruthless landscape that becomes epitomic for the old west, it’s code of ethics and it’s hopeful conclusion of change.

    7
  15. S
    Sam Gilberti 8 月 14, 2026

    This is a fine western. Everything about this – the acting, the cinematography, the action – is perfectly competent, nothing more.

  16. R
    Raoul 8 月 14, 2026

    Well executed, simple story.

  17. L
    Luke Hollingshead 8 月 14, 2026

    Everything Randolph Scott does in this is just about the coolest thing ever. Boetty’s economy of movement and construction of tension is probably the only thing anyone ever has to watch to learn how to make movies. Bonus guest Lee Van Cleef!

    13 2
  18. J
    julesneto 8 月 14, 2026

    A liberdade e a vingança bebem água do mesmo cocho.

  19. T
    Tim 8 月 12, 2026

    26. A movie with less than 10,000 ratings on IMDb. This was an excellent western. Maybe a bit basic, but that’s a western for you. Pernell Roberts in particular was awesome. Couple nice twists of the story, considering the fact that westerns at that time didn’t really go for twists to the story. A good way to spend 90 minutes.

  20. V
    Victor Zeni 8 月 11, 2026

    Um homem precisa levar até uma determinada cidade um criminoso que matou uma pessoa atirando nela pelas costas. No caminho, ele será perseguido pelo irmão mais velho do criminoso, uma pessoa aparentemente ainda mais perigosa. Outros acontecimentos surgem no trajeto: novos personagens e conflitos são introduzidos, sem escapar de formas e convenções particulares do western, mas auxiliando o desenvolvimento da trama e de seus temas. Talvez o filme sobre o qual seja mais difícil elaborar uma ideia seja justamente aquele…

  21. S
    sofiaapsps 8 月 11, 2026

    2,5 eh justo

  22. S
    softviruses 8 月 11, 2026

    I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Hot damn this was a cerebral western with some complex characters. The production was sharp, the cinematography was romantically epic with it’s moonlit scenes (I still don’t know how they pulled that off).

  23. R
    Riangomes 8 月 11, 2026

    Bem legal e vai direto ao assunto, filmes assim dessa época sãos bons por isso, mais um filme legal.

  24. Z
    zachdex 8 月 10, 2026

    Visually great and story hooks you in but found some of the performances pretty wooden. And struggle to get that into it when it’s so short

  25. M
    mkklfred 8 月 10, 2026

    As tight as Randolph Scott’s lips, just a straight line from A to B, no fuss, no muss, and still does more with 80 minutes than most movies do with 120

  26. H
    HeathD00 8 月 10, 2026

    What a super star showdown of a cast. Terrific landscapes and rugged feel.

  27. A
    Andrew 8 月 8, 2026

    What happened to Karen Steele? She’s pretty good in this and Decision at Sundown, apparently she’s in another Budd Boetticher picture and a few other things and then kinda stops in the early 70s. indicator blu w/parents, grandparents and megan (she was doing hw)

  28. B
    Bernini 8 月 8, 2026

    “There’s some things a man can’t just ride around”. Boetticher is always so anticlimactic. If it weren’t for his austere but nonetheless sharp visual style and gorgeous landscapes one would think his movies were made without care, but in reality, he didn’t care for shootouts or duels, he only needs a few seconds for the grand finale and the rest is just people talking and going someplace. And that’s what makes him one of the best to ever stride the western plains.

    2
  29. W
    Waffle The Lad 8 月 8, 2026

    HOLY THE PERFECT RUNTIME

    3
  30. D
    Dillon(!) 8 月 6, 2026

    “There are some things a man just can’t ride around.” Spare elements left bare in the desert — skin stripped by the sun, souls burdened by lonesome obscurity; to exist is to contradict, but the landscapes can see/remember men for what they are, and biblical justice will follow; straight to the chase.

    5
  31. U
    umbrellaman89 8 月 6, 2026

    The long take is perfect, and the staging of the night scene implies realism.

  32. J
    JM Junkins 8 月 5, 2026

    There’s gotta be a podcast or interview where Tarantino tells someone why this is actually the best western of all time OR why it’s a stupid piece of shit. There is no in between for him on this one I bet. Fantastic use of setting and CinemaScope. Alabama Hills has rarely looked so magnificent and alien. A wonderfully economic script – feels like this exists in an alternate timeline of the western, not quite 50s but not quite 60s/70s. I…

    2
  33. M
    Mike 8 月 5, 2026

    Outside of the lackluster performances, this was a very enjoyable, tight little thing. Great stuff for what felt like must’ve been a pretty low budget. Criterion Challenge 2026 – Week 31 – Rated 3.7

  34. C
    checcodrome 8 月 5, 2026

    insane cinematography (all of this in 73 min!!! how???????, true genius)

  35. M
    Matt Lovatt 8 月 5, 2026

    Between this and Buchanan Rides Alone, ol’ Randolph Scott’s sure doing a lot of lonely riding in the Ranown westerns. Except he very rarely is actually riding by himself in these movies. Hell, in this movie he had four other people with him for like the entire movie. That’s just flagrant false advertising. This is another solid western from Scott and director Budd Boetticher, and probably my favourite of the movies that I’ve seen from the Ranwon cycle so far.…

    3
  36. L
    leomatheus 8 月 4, 2026

    filme divertido, bem filme pra ver num domingo a tarde pós churrascada, recomendo

  37. D
    Daniel Di Giácomo 8 月 4, 2026

    Quero aproveitar as pequenas considerações sobre a visão de Bazin acerca do Western ao escrever as minhas impressões sobre Obsession (2025) e o gênero de terror em contraposição ao faroeste para resumir aqui, ao falar de Ride Lonesome (1959), o que o crítico francês pensava sobre “o western ou o cinema americano por excelência”. Para isso, farei um pequeno amontoado de trechos da antologia “O que é o Cinema?”: “O WESTERN OU O CINEMA AMERICANO POR EXCELÊNCIA É fácil dizer…

  38. H
    HuntlyHvrstock 8 月 4, 2026

    A smart, solid film that pales only in comparison to the mostly superior film it’s recycling, RIDE LONESOME didn’t quite earn its lofty reputation for me. But I still found it well worth watching. Screenwriter Burt Kennedy seems to be straight-up reusing large chunks of his SEVEN MEN FROM NOW from two years earlier. Randolph Scott is a guy on a mission with revenge in his heart, trying to Get a Thing Somewhere; along the way he gets tied up…

  39. E
    EddyBrando52 8 月 2, 2026

    Finding out that these Boetticher/Randolph Scott westerns are pretty formulaic. Scott is always playing a variation of the same character, there’s always a woman who shouldn’t be there and the central plot has to do with a journey set in the frontier. The villain’s are usually very slimy. But its this formula and its elements that make the films work and why I think this is one of the best ones of the bunch I’ve seen. Almost everything is done…

    1
  40. A
    Anthony 8 月 2, 2026

    There are some things a man just can’t ride around. Lean and mean with an absolutely banger ending. It’s so plotty I feel like the characters are bit dull for long stretches though. Maybe my least favorite of this Criterion set so far but still pretty good.

  41. M
    Marcpuuuchini 8 月 2, 2026

    És com “Estación comanche” però amb mínimes variacions. Un Wéstern B molt humà, impresionant el seu cinemascope i el seu estmacolor. PD: Lau, recorda mirar “Vivir en Sevilla”

  42. N
    nahmad 8 月 2, 2026

    If there’s a better, more efficient movie about fresh starts and letting go of the past, I haven’t seen it.

    1
  43. C
    comix_corp 7 月 31, 2026

    Can’t add much that hasn’t already been said, but I would like to stress how gorgeous the day-for-night/nuit américaine scenes are – surely some of the best of its kind, simply incredible

  44. P
    PabloSanchez7 7 月 31, 2026

    This is a outstanding film. This movie just goes to show that violence can’t heal a broken soul. This is such a great movie, and an extremely underrated western. Most westerns are very long and slow, and Ride Lonesome is so short and fast paced. I love westerns, America during that time period was so interesting. The massive landscapes, and the lack of law enforcement and the rarity of towns and people is such an odd combo. There is so…

    3
  45. F
    fabiodiaass 7 月 31, 2026

    Minha maior tristeza é tentar ser coerente e não dar 5 estrelas pra todos os faroestes do mundo

  46. R
    ralexhab 7 月 31, 2026

    “You don’t seem like the kind of man who would hunt a man for money” Bitch….thats exactly what he looks like, are you fucking blind?

  47. R
    rasanen 7 月 31, 2026

    One of the most visually stunning Westerns

  48. S
    Sérgio Murilo 7 月 31, 2026

    todos os homens desse filme tem a energia de “quando eu comparo o tamanho da minha mão com o da estagiária nova”

  49. T
    T.R Blach 7 月 30, 2026

    Guess I’m a Budd Boetticher guy now. Y’all should have heard the reflexive ‘aw fuck yeah’ I said outloud at the final shot.

    2
  50. J
    jeromewilson 7 月 30, 2026

    need an ID on billy’s jacket

  51. K
    kvncelcam 7 月 29, 2026

    Great landscapes.

  52. A
    Ale Paredes 7 月 29, 2026

    Celebrando el cumple de Budd Boetticher con su filme más famoso. Tiene todos los síntomas de un gran western pero también el racismo y el sexismo casuales del género. Randolph Scott parece un semidiós, su piel tallada en oro. Magníficas locaciones y fotografía. Si el clímax es medio flojo, es sólo para no opacar la sublime toma final.

  53. J
    Joey Prather 7 月 28, 2026

    What a lonely West Boeticcher has built here. Amazing vistas with one to three characters in the frame beautifully colors, and Lee Van Cleef!!!

    2
  54. S
    squeakypigtex 7 月 27, 2026

    solid as hell

  55. I
    I’m The Only Juan 7 月 25, 2026

    “I don’t know how much they’re payin’ you to bring me in, it ain’t enough. Not nearly enough.” “I’d hunt you free. Let’s go.”

    1
  56. J
    Johnny Coffeen 7 月 25, 2026

    Peak Ranown road western 🌵

  57. A
    Alex McLean 7 月 25, 2026

    Great direction and characters, but hard to look past the racism in certain scenes…

  58. S
    Seán Patrick Donlan 7 月 24, 2026

    ‘Why are you here, Boone? A man needs a reason to ride this country. You got a reason?’ – Ben Brigade ‘There are some things a man just can’t ride around.’ – Sam Boone Perhaps the best of the Ranown Cycle (1956-1960) of Boetticher, Kennedy, and Scott. Ride Lonesome’s spare narrative, naturalistic and Biblical, perfectly joins its bare desert setting (shot in sumptuous Cinemascope). Its characters may be lonesome, wandering for homes or repentance, but they’re not alone. Each is…

    1
  59. V
    Vinicius Berikram 7 月 23, 2026

    Particularmente, acho as cenas noturnas as mais interessantes. A calmaria das conversas dá profundidade aos personagens e, de forma sutil, cada um ganha seu espaço. Todo o jogo de interesses se revela nas reflexões dos personagens. Intencionalmente, o filme recusa as reviravoltas e abraça a possibilidade do conflito. Não é à toa que estão sempre pensando, ponderando ou questionando algo; é desse movimento interno que a história tira sua sagacidade. A força da cena final está na forma como é filmada: o último plano já basta para nos fazer reconsiderar todo o caminho percorrido até aquele desfecho.

    3
  60. H
    HazyShadeOfSnow 7 月 23, 2026

    Short, simple, and brutally to the point. Makes you wonder why any movie needs to be over 70 minutes.

  61. H
    HopFrog 7 月 23, 2026

    Great use of dust, smoke, and CinemaScope with flying crane shots. Boetticher excels at convincing day for night too. Gorgeous, masterful Western, brisk at 70 minutes. The pale yellow desert scenes are like a Remington painting.

    1
  62. P
    Panaka 7 月 22, 2026

    Clean cut Western

  63. K
    KalebWilson 7 月 21, 2026

    Widely regarded as the fan favorite of Budd Boetticher’s Western cycle. I still lean toward The Tall T as my favorite, but this is a pretty good B-western. Also, hello Lee Van Cleef! 👋

    3
  64. Z
    Zach Boon 7 月 21, 2026

    6.9/10 almost 3.5 stars

  65. O
    ooopha 7 月 20, 2026

    Lean lean lean. There’s a lot of people on this website that talk about how the stuff that’s normally considered the “fat” on movies is what they love, the moments between the action, the wind in the trees, the diversions and digressions. At the same time, they might enjoy Ride Lonesome, a film so lean that all that’s left is the muscle pumping that big beautiful heart inside. THE ECONOMY.

  66. Y
    yellacraion 7 月 19, 2026

    I really expected this to be a run of the mill western but was pleasantly surprised, especially by the ending! The confrontation was great and I am actually shocked that it did not become a romance. The scenery was beautiful as well. Not the quickest pace but I think that works here

  67. A
    Abo Nayef 7 月 19, 2026

    Boone ونيس 😂

    10
  68. R
    RealDJ 7 月 18, 2026

    Cuando se reúnen cinéfilos amantes del western, siempre hay un momento en que algún individuo menciona el ciclo de películas de Anthony Mann con James Stewart, y siempre hay algún otro que las confunde entre sí: ¿Tierras lejanas es la del río? No, esa es Horizontes lejanos. Robert Ryan sale en El hombre de Laramie? No, en Colorado Jim. Etc. Pues peor es la cosa cuando la conversación deriva hacia el ciclo de la Ranown dirigido por Budd Boetticher y…

    4
  69. A
    Ali 7 月 17, 2026

    Part 2 of the Boetticher-Scott unnoficial marathon. Tight narrative that stays firmly within genre boundaries. Enjoyable follow up after the the high bar of the Tall T

  70. H
    Hunter Thomas 7 月 16, 2026

    Got a wild hair to rewatch one of the Ranown flicks and settled on what may be the strongest of them all. Not much new to say here; unbelievable work packing so much character and thematic depth into such a small and unassuming package. These flicks genuinely get better every time.

  71. J
    Jakob 7 月 15, 2026

    As much as I would’ve liked Lee van Cleef to have more to do in this, you really cannot argue with what Boetticher has made here. His ability to pack so much into a 75 minute feature is incredible. There are some things a man can’t ride around.

    1
  72. R
    Riley 7 月 13, 2026

    “Some things a man just can’t ride around.” The Criterion boxset arrived today and I just couldn’t help myself. Though there are performances I admire more, and actors who I think absolutely smoke him, anytime I put one of these on Randolph Scott becomes one of the greatest actors ever. 4k is stunning.

    4
  73. C
    Connor B 7 月 13, 2026

    My first Boetticher of this long binge of his work. He’s gonna be a favorite of mine.

    1
  74. J
    Jeremy 7 月 13, 2026

    Dipping my toes into some more B-Westerns, this is my first directed by Budd Boetticher and first starring Randolph Scott, two prolific figures in the genre. And its pretty darn good. Boetticher captures some beautiful landscapes, and some of the CinemaScope Technicolor imagery is as gorgeous as desert epics like Lawrence of Arabia honestly. Scott is good as the old stoic bounty hunter, much like a Gary Cooper but with slightly more personality. I was chuffed to see Lee Van…

    13
  75. A
    Alejandro H. 7 月 13, 2026

    anexado a las peliculas DE CABRONES

  76. L
    Liz Taylor 7 月 13, 2026

    Boetticher 🥹 Cada día más enamorado de su cine. Una simpleza en la acción y tragedia que pareciera haberse perdido en el tiempo, una lección que Hollywood falló en resguardar. Único e imprescindible **

    11
  77. W
    William Hazle 7 月 12, 2026

    A damn fine western.

  78. S
    Sajjad 7 月 11, 2026

    فیلمی قابل‌پیشنهاد، کوچک و بسیار ساده. دوستان اهل وسترنْ نباید بوتیکر و آثارش را نادیده بگیرند؛ هرچند به‌هرحالْ کَم‌مایه، پراِشکال و ضعیف به نظر می‌رسند، اما تقریباً همه‌شان قابل‌دیدن و در لحظاتی لذت‌بخش‌اند و آن فرمولِ «فیلم قابل‌قبول یعنی فیلمی بدون هیچ صحنۀ افتضاح و با یک پایانِ خوب» هم عمدتاً درموردِ کارهای بوتیکر صدق می‌کند. به‌خصوص همین «تنها بِران»، «هفت مرد از حالا» و «ایستگاه کومانچی». خوش ببینید

    2 4
  79. J
    J.L. Krohn 7 月 7, 2026

    A film that is, fundamentally, about the limits of American policing, its carceral logic — and the necropolitics of “justice.” The Criterion 4K restoration is exceptional!

  80. N
    Nicolas Martinez Gomez 7 月 7, 2026

    Poco para destacar, no vi nunca una vieja serie western pero imagino que bien podría haber sido un capitulo de alguna de esas. Hay algunos momentos donde los personajes están tan sobre marcados al tirar sus diálogos que parece sátira o parodia.

  81. D
    Daniil Mironov 7 月 7, 2026

    короткий хронометраж — вероятно, главное достоинство этого скучного вестерна

  82. R
    rottenveggies98 7 月 7, 2026

    A woman, Randolph Scott, and his horny friends ride horsies with a bounty and get attacked along the way

  83. B
    benus_echtus 7 月 5, 2026

    Boetticher makes great use of Cinemascope as a format and is therefore years ahead of many contemporaries but apart from that the film is quite stale and never really develops the narrative momentum of his other Scott collaborations. A lot of time is spent on two people standing around talking to each other without really progressing plot or character and although the final showdown is thematically appropriate it feels like a disappointment after the excessive build-up. A bit of a…

  84. J
    JACKSON DUNCAN 7 月 5, 2026

    My first engagement with a Ranown Western, Ride Lonesome, for what it’s worth has a look that’s distinct and almost painterly. It’s plot is fairly insulated for a movie that covers some ground for it’s characters journey, and there’s enough action with shoot outs, double crosses, and vengeance to check anyone’s boxes for fans of this genre. That said I did find this one leaving me wanting a bit, perhaps as it’s laying the ground work toward the revisionist western where…

  85. R
    ruisgevoelig 7 月 5, 2026

    At barely 75 minutes this is about as no frills good westerns come. Have not seen any of the other Ranown efforts so far with this being a very welcome introduction. The story drifts between traditional western and the more hasher stuff from the 60s with ease and the sparse desert setting makes this look great while putting full focus on the dialogue. Which is like everything here of high quality helped by the tremendous small cast including the debut of James Coburn that nail the themes of redemption and the interesting spin on the revenge western that is the base of this.

    1
  86. J
    JaytotheKob 7 月 5, 2026

    Gott, ich liebe das Western-Genre.

    1
  87. C
    christianb65 7 月 5, 2026

    Top tier Ranown cycle. The script is so good here. These movies have a way of packing in such dense dialogue. Some of the bars dropped stick with you. “There are some things a man can’t ride around.”

    1
  88. R
    ryanrich89 7 月 5, 2026

    86

  89. B
    brooksi 7 月 4, 2026

    the men are at it again

    1
  90. M
    mayhemperez 7 月 3, 2026

    A masterclass of minimalist filmmaking. Cinema stripped down to its most bare bones elements. Writing, photography, shot composition… When its done right, sometimes its all you need. My first Boetticher movie was the gangster film The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond a few months ago, and it was ok. This, on the other hand, is a whole different league. I’ve struck gold with Ride Lonesome. Can’t wait to watch more Boetticher westerns, seem like theyre the missing link between John Ford, etc., and spaghetti westerns.

    23
  91. S
    syvology 7 月 3, 2026

    Short and solid. I enjoyed the setup and focused narrative, the cast, and the beautiful desert photography. While all positive, I was a little underwhelmed until the end, engaged but lightly. The reveal about the real backstory driving to a final confrontation—not the one we’ve been led to expect—was great. The old unforgivable act is sordid indeed, teeing up a rare act of vengeance that feels like eloquent justice.

    3
  92. K
    KyloVeg 7 月 3, 2026

    It’s been a long time since I’ve revisited this; I last probably watched it on VHS. Always love Randolph Scott. On rewatch, forgot how good James Best is as a scuzzy baddie. And, AND, loved Pernell Roberts. His slow talking, slow walking, deliberate swagger is fire. What a Zaddy!

    2
  93. K
    keizer_turo 7 月 2, 2026

    Fine, but didn’t totally click for me. Maybe it felt too formulaic or something; it’s hard to put my finger on it. 6/10.

  94. T
    The Reel World 7 月 1, 2026

    Reel Review: Ride Lonesome is the definition of an economical western. The script is tight, the pacing is quick, and the budget is low. It is my favorite of the Ranown Westerns produced by Boetticher and Scott. It’s the first of their films shot in CinemaScope and makes great use of the widescreen format. The 4K Blu-ray box set by Criterion is spectacular. Scott makes for a stellar lead. He has the drive and stoicism of a hardened bounty hunter…

  95. J
    jrockower 7 月 1, 2026

    Ending goes incredibly hard. Such beautiful imagery served up in an incredibly tight package.

  96. J
    jonas 7 月 1, 2026

    10/10

  97. Q
    QNoTarantino 7 月 1, 2026

    At this point I’m going to watch every film with Lee Van Cleef in it this year and I’m already 8 films in. Something about the American west landscape and these stories just get to me no matter how dull or exciting they are. This one has a really great setting, pretty cool acting, and a fire ending (no pun intended). Don’t expect a gun fight or major action with this one right off the bat but when the guns…

    9
  98. F
    Flip Flip 6 月 30, 2026

    Ah essa linha do horizonte, essa bendita linha do horizonte. Cada quadro tem um trabalho de profundidade impressionante e formal. É um cinema que realmente se comunica com imagens, todo o resto é um simples adorno pra beleza do que é mostrado; mesmo em suas facetas mais grotescas. Beleza monumental quadro à quadro onde cada personagem almeja a liberdade nas mais diversas formas, tendo como núcleo gravitacional a condenação de outro homem.

  99. D
    Dan 6 月 30, 2026

    Hardly seems fair to make for your movie that’s entirely sweeping vistas to also have an air-tight little bon-bon of a plot!

  100. N
    Naglfaraway 6 月 30, 2026

    Этому фильму не хватает экшена, но в целом кино неплохое. Финальный твист особенно хорош, несмотря на то, что он простой даже по меркам жанра

  101. S
    Simon Di Berardino 6 月 29, 2026

    As far as B Westerns go, Boetticher might be one of the best. There’s a fluid, simple economy of style that manages to accomplish clear, direct narrative storytelling without skimping on the grandiose and the artistic. From the opening moments, with Randolph Scott (a hard jawed, strong, silent type if there ever was one) riding into the corner of a beautiful vista, the film sets up the story with a single image. Brigade (Scott) walks into frame from the left,…

  102. G
    Giovanni 6 月 29, 2026

    Sabe naqueles dias quando bate 20:59, vc tá puto com a vida por diversos motivos e só tá afim de desligar a mente e assistir alguma coisa, mas vc não pode escolher algo muito longo pq vc pretende dormir cedo, então acaba escolhendo um filme que tem nem 1 hora e meia de duração? Por algum motivo os únicos filmes que se encaixam nesse contexto são “filmes de faroeste medíocres/ruins dos anos 50/60”, e Ride Lonesome certamente é um deles. Recebe 1 estrela por duas cenas legaizinhas.

  103. 1
    11xotr 6 月 28, 2026

    good watchin

  104. B
    Breno Moraes 6 月 27, 2026

    Achei muito foda, em específico, a construção dos personagens; propósitos extremamente individualistas e bem postos desde o início da narrativa, que interagem entre si quase como um “pedra papel e tesoura”, muito concisos e bem estruturados. Bem fácil e engajante de assitir.

  105. N
    Nate Netzley 6 月 27, 2026

    One of the Ranown Cycle of westerns that I wanted to seek out before potentially buying the box set from Criterion. Despite a less than 90 minute runtime, this movie is dense. (I also watched The Tall T but it was a background watch that I need another go on). I don’t quite know what to make of Scott as a leading actor. He’s stoic to a fault, charming when necessary, but I can’t place if there’s anything below the…

  106. G
    guibla 6 月 27, 2026

    É um bom filme, roteiro é interessante. Achei curioso como é feita a gravação simulando a noite, que na verdade é uma tarde e o obturador da câmera aparentemente fechado, criando sombras como um luar.

    2
  107. P
    Paul 6 月 25, 2026

    Budd Boetticher’s Westerns keep surprising me again and again, this has like one of the hardest final shots I’ve seen. But I really didnt like the portrayal of native americans in this one, feel like they already did it better in 7 Men from Now Well it’s an old Western so its never gonna be good I guess…

    1
  108. N
    newdaysamenightmare 6 月 23, 2026

    “if his neck don’t snap you can cut him down in time, that’s if you’re alive” Randolph Scott just might be the coolest man in the west. that ending was so fucking awesome and satisfying are we serious.no one does westerns like Budd Boetticher

    2
  109. J
    joao 6 月 23, 2026

    Incrível a quantidade de boas histórias sobre vingança que tem no cinema.

  110. W
    wesposting 6 月 22, 2026

    obvio um western então ele tem todas as coisas de western que ja conhecemos. a conclusão é tao rapida e tao sem graça depois que você passa 1 horas com essa galera. enfim interessante como o motivo desse filme acontecer é pela “honra” da mulher do brigade (honra dele, na verdade) e a miss lane existe como uma personagem que tem a “honra” violada o tempo todo. ela se junta ao grupo porque havia a possibilidade da honra dela ser…

  111. A
    Abbie ౨ৎ 🌝🕯️ 6 月 21, 2026

    Do you ever watch a film and find that you can’t understand a word anyone’s saying and have no idea what’s going on? Yeah

    5
  112. L
    Luiz Filipe Gomes 6 月 19, 2026

    Vi com a vovó, ela gostou bastante também É o clássico filme de faroeste antigo, gostei muito também Achei sem querer na HBO pra gente ver

  113. W
    wyaravms 6 月 19, 2026

    “There are some things a man just can’t ride around.”

  114. K
    Kevin Coon 6 月 19, 2026

    I have never seen a Randolph Scott western I disliked. This is a top tier western. Scott stars as Ben Brigade, a bounty hunter who, when the story opens, is capturing a wanted killer named Billy John (James Best). At a stage station he meets an old friend named Sam Boone (Pernell Roberts) and his friend Whit (James Coburn). They are helping the woman running the station. Both of these men want the woman played by beautiful Karen Steele. Brigade…

    1
  115. J
    Jackson Wells 6 月 19, 2026

    Insanely striking final image

    1
  116. G
    Guy900 6 月 18, 2026

    Almost the perfect middle ground between Leone and Ford. There’s this great scene in the middle where Billy holds Brigade hostage and the scene does the reaction shots in a way I’ve never seen before. It almost sets up a spacial way of doing it by going right to left and left to right. Incredible. The final shot is spectacular.

    1
  117. L
    LuccaLeal 6 月 18, 2026

    “O Homem que Luta Só” traz uma das figuras que mais gosto nas histórias de faroeste, a do cowboy já mais velho que encontrou certo esclarecimento e tem um código moral muito particular. Randolph Scott cumpre muito bem esse papel, com uma presença magistral. Um destaque especial aqui pra fotografia, que filma esses cenários desérticos de maneira assombrosa, pela sua vastidão, mas também encantadora. E a blocagem magnífica transforma os atores em elementos cênicos fundamentais para cada planos.

    1
  118. S
    Seer 6 月 18, 2026

    [The Los Angeles Film Critics Association] asked me what was my biggest compliment. Because everybody, you know, thinks I’m a western director. And I said, “Well, the biggest compliment any director can get is: I’ve only made 10 westerns out of 52 pictures and I’m ‘the western director’, and I made 3 bullfight pictures and I’m ‘the bullfight director’, and I made 1 gangster picture—Legs Diamond—and I’m ‘the gangster director’.” And you can’t beat that, because they know that I’m really serious about what I do. — Budd Boetticher

    56 1
  119. J
    Jerry 6 月 16, 2026

    If there’s one thing Boetticher has taught me, it’s that a great 150-180 minute film is not nearly as impressive as a great 70-80 minute film.

    60 1
  120. S
    Sloboboca 6 月 16, 2026

    Tem que assistir “ignorando” os preconceitos da época, que em 1960 eram muitos de fato. Mas no geral filme bacana de assistir, não é longo, apesar do final ser um pouco apressado demais. Pra um filme de Velho Oeste não tem muita trocação de tiro, o que necessariamente não é ruim porque o desenvolvimento de personagens tem mais tempo de tela. A história é bacana e os personagens carismáticos. Bom filme.

  121. J
    Jason 6 月 16, 2026

    I’m sorry, but these are the kinda westerns I mean when I say I don’t fuck with westerns :/

    2
  122. A
    Aron Willms 6 月 15, 2026

    A hard-edged small scale Western tale of a man set out on what he aims to be his final mission.

  123. A
    Alex Pounders 6 月 15, 2026

    “There are some things a man just can’t ride around.”—Sam Boone Boetticher once again proves just how much he could do with a lean runtime. Burt Kennedy’s script is sharp, Charles Lawton Jr.’s cinematography is excellent, and the supporting cast gives the film much of its personality, especially Roberts and Coburn.

  124. S
    scrompy 6 月 15, 2026

    Estos si eran hombres no chingaderas Pd: pensé que Frank iba ser alguien más imponente, la verdad me decepcionó “amnistía.”

  125. R
    RENAVICH 6 月 14, 2026

    En tan solo una hora con trece minutos tenemos una variedad de personajes llamativos, pintorescos, con capas y complejidad. Además, Randolph Scott es uno que está a la par de los grandes del Western como John Wayne y Clint Eastwood.

  126. D
    Diegol82 6 月 14, 2026

    The collaboration between director Budd Boetticher, actor Randolph Scott and producer Harry Joe Brown, often called the Ranown Cycle, is one of the greatest achievements in western cinema history. They made seven films together between 1956 and 1960. All of them were small B-movies, economical in their resources, scope and ambition, but thematically deep and narratively brilliant in their execution. I have only previously watched “7 Men From Now” (1956), which I loved, so this is only my second Ranown movie.…

  127. W
    Wesley 6 月 14, 2026

    O Homem Que Luta Só é um filme de Velho Oeste que apareceu para mim de forma aleatória na HBO Max. A trama é bem básica e infelizmente quase nada é aprofundado. Além disso, ele é muito curto, e acho que isso acaba afetando o resultado final, pq tinha potencial pra ser bem melhor. O que mais me fisgou foram as paisagens naturais belíssimas, e me deu saudade de quando assistia vários filmes do gênero em sequência com o meu…

    20
  128. M
    Michael 6 月 13, 2026

    Mmmmm CinemaScope

    2
  129. J
    JawrassicPark 6 月 13, 2026

    I wouldn’t hate the modern trend of making remakes so much if maybe we remade good movies like this. Take this plot, throw in some fresh cast members, and shake things up. I’d be the first butt in the seats. Ride Lonesome is Scott and Budd’s best in my opinion, though this time going through their filmography I might actually watch Buchanan Rides Alone. It wasn’t until now that I realized I didn’t actually watch all their collaborations, and I guess that makes logging movies on LB worth it? Let’s go with that. Hard to top this one.

  130. L
    LeonardHenry 6 月 13, 2026

    🫡🤔🤫🫣🤠🫤😟😕😵‍💫🤕🤒😵🧐😡🏜🐎

  131. J
    Javier V.J. 6 月 12, 2026

    “Funny, ain’t? How a thing can seem one way and then turned out all together something else.” Budd Boetticher, ahead of his time. In both The Tall T and, this one, Ride Lonesome, he used the Western genre to explore masculinity, its loneliness, its pride, and its three-dimensionality. The amount of subtext and richness of nuance that he achieved with writer Burt Kennedy is commendable for condensing potentially dense themes, into such a short time and doing so brilliantly.

  132. J
    Juanpa_Rl 6 月 12, 2026

    Se puede notar la visión sumamente machista en el personaje femenino la manera en la que ella cae totalmente en los brazos de un hombre. Puedo ver que tal vez no era la intención, pero desgraciadamente no termina siendo la chica fuerte que tanto se nos dice ser. Más bien es claramente los ojos de un hombre detrás de su escritura, y así es con toda la obra, no solamente en su personaje. Y por si fuera poco, la película…

  133. B
    Bryan Tessitore 6 月 11, 2026

    “Ride Lonesome” is the most beautifully shot western so far in the Randolph Scott and director Budd Boetticher collaborations know as Reknown westerns. Both the background and foreground are gorgeous desert panorama shots in technicolor that draw attention to the eye. Scott is another heroic type with his own moral code bringing in a man to hang eventually gaining a posse as well as a widow to accomplish his task. Features early appearances by James Coburn and Lee Van Cleef.

  134. M
    maikwasouski 6 月 11, 2026

    El equivalente cinematográfico a fumarte un puro después del ultimo examen del curso mientras ves el horizonte y piensas en tu mujer muerta o algo así la analogía se me esta yendo un poco Cortita y directa mola bastante prime película para verte con tu padre mientras él se echa la siesta

    1
  135. J
    Jackson 6 月 10, 2026

    Western Wednesday #33 Another Western, more racism and misogyny. Another Boetticher, more gorgeous vistas. Same story, different title. What gets me is that he’s so good at directing these scenes (especially the open and close), and the core narrative is outstanding, but all the fluff diversions are problematic as well – so frustrating

  136. V
    vine 6 月 9, 2026

    This movie is just really good?? I don’t have much to say tho. Good tight plot despite its budget and the concept generally being a little boring

  137. B
    Bryant 6 月 9, 2026

    Brilliantly concise. The whole movie relies on a complex set of overlapping, clashing desires: Randolph Scott’s aging lawman wants revenge in ways which don’t truly clarify until late in the movie, Pernell Roberts’ younger outlaw wants a fresh start in life, and Lee Van Cleef just wants his brother back. New needs keep popping up, and the pleasure of the movie is watching everything slowly rotate and resolve. Boetticher and Burt Kennedy pull it all off in 72 minutes. It’s…

    3
  138. M
    Michele 6 月 9, 2026

    What a great, taut little Western. We’re two into Criterion’s Ranown set – Boetticher, screenwriter Burt Kennedy, and the whole ensemble really made something special here. I’m hopeful that the rest of the set lives up to the promise of Ride Lonesome and The Tall T. Randolph Scott and Pernell Roberts are both fantastic as protagonists with bloody pasts and immovable, conflicting motives. It’s great fun to see Scott’s taciturn Ben bounce off the morally checkered charm of Roberts’ Sam.…

    3
  139. K
    Kiane 6 月 8, 2026

    Rock solid, masterclass in efficiency and the kind of storytelling that just trickles information into the palm of your hand. Wish it was longer but luckily there are quite a few more Boetticher Scott westerns still left to watch so it’s not that big a deal. Still highly recommended, you could watch it muted and still have a good time.

    1
  140. A
    Anthony Albuquerque 6 月 7, 2026

    Billy’s plan didn’t make any sense.

  141. K
    Kinoman4ek 6 月 6, 2026

    Criterion Collection Marathon #50 Not a single handcuff btw. Not as good as The Tall T or Decision At Showdown but still really interesting. And again he needs revange for his wife who we never seen 🙂 1950s Releases Ranked Criterion Collection Movies Ranked Western Movies Ranked Randolph&Budd’s Westerns Ranked

  142. E
    Eden 6 月 5, 2026

    Blu-ray. San Jose, California.

  143. M
    McLovin 6 月 5, 2026

    Blud, what these people were so serious about?

  144. D
    dyllybones 6 月 4, 2026

    Period accurate Wild West: Karen Steele tying up her bleach blonde bouffant, push-up bra framed against the rising sun; Randolph Scott leathery as hell — fueled by booze, spite, and a ramrod stick up his ass.

    1
  145. J
    JavierLG 6 月 3, 2026

    Dos de las siete entregas del oeste de Budd Boetticher y Randolph Scott (a las que estoy deseando hincar el diente) me han bastado para acabar fascinadísimo con esta forma de entender (y aprovechar) las posibilidades del género. Frente a la monumentalidad épica del paisaje fordiano, concebido como el lienzo infinito donde se erige una civilización, el cine de Boetticher propone una radical miniatura de todos los resortes del wéstern a partir de unas limitaciones presupuestarias que, lejos de ahogar…

    2
  146. K
    kylemwelch 6 月 3, 2026

    Interesting watching this one again after having seen 7 Men from Now. There’s a scene early on in both that is practically identical to one another just adapted to each story. Pernell Roberts and Lee Marvin respectively approach Randolph and try to make conversation. First a compliment about the woman they’re with and then the strategy of their adversaries. When both attempts fall flat they finally divulge their true motive. The parallel goes further as both scenes are preceded by…

  147. E
    enƶo 6 月 2, 2026

    Commanche Station e Ride Lonesome: dois dos westerns mais densos e narrativamente sofisticados já feitos; um negocio do nível dos filmes de terror do Jacques Tourneur.

    3
  148. P
    Pleasant Surprise 6 月 2, 2026

    Oh for fuck’s sake, I hate this film so much Character A: “Mescalero, they’re mad.” Character B: “But we ain’t done nothin’ to ‘em” Character A: “we’re white. that’s good enough, come on” It’s a little rare to come across such a snappy and concise example of the vast racial dehumanisation that has soaked so deeply into all of American culture. I mean, Character A (I can’t remember his name, it’s not that relevant) had just talked about a guy…

  149. E
    Eric 6 月 2, 2026

    A masterclass in economical visual storytelling: you could watch this on mute and learn everything you need to know. But you’d also miss out on some of the most charming dialogue in the Boetticher-Ranown westerns, particularly the scenes between Pernell Roberts and James Coburn. It’s just kind of a perfect movie. It works equally well as a drama and an adventure, and Randolph Scott’s Ben Brigade is one of the most compelling characters he played in this cycle. We assume…

    1
  150. M
    Mike D'Angelo 6 月 1, 2026

    68/100 Second viewing, last seen at the Walter Reade in 2002. Boetticher’s Ranown Westerns—I’m gonna inaccurately include Seven Men From Now among those, both because it’s very much of a piece with the other five and because it’s my favorite—are not unlike Rohmer’s Tales of the Four Seasons and Hong’s structural diptychs and Ozu’s practically everything from 1949 on, being minor variations on a template. (Rest of the review, along with everything else I write, available via ultra-cheap subscription. Seriously, it’s as little as $1 a month and for now that pays my rent.)

    19
  151. G
    GeorgeCobby 6 月 1, 2026

    Another delight from the Ranown Cycle with Randolph Scott. A must watch for western fans.

  152. G
    Geri 5 月 31, 2026

    Probably my favourite ending out of the Ranown cycle.

    2
  153. T
    tauntthemoose 5 月 31, 2026

    Relentlessly economical as with Comanche Station. Perfect for Saturday afternoon watching

    1
  154. H
    hattie 5 月 31, 2026

    too tired

    3
  155. M
    Matt 5 月 31, 2026

    liked it more than i did initially but still didn’t love it. just lacks any tension really. as a hangout movie it kinda works though. very pretty looking obvs.

    3
  156. E
    Eric 5 月 29, 2026

    An aging but vital Randolph Scott starred in a bunch of these late-’50s westerns. They are decidedly B-movies filled with swift plots, big terrain, manly men, and vivid color. Clocking in around 75 minutes, they are the working man’s western. Scott is a bounty hunter who invites trouble from gunslingers, tough women, and hopping mad natives. They are not masterpieces but serve as lean and mean entertainment, full of snappy dialog and elegant camera moves. Lee Van Cleef is here too. James Coburn’s first movie.

    1
  157. T
    Timothy Baker 5 月 29, 2026

    Randolph Scott is such a strange leading man: wooden, but transfixingly so. But that goes for the film as well – there’s plenty that’s a bit workmanlike, but it’s also kinda riveting (and good lord is it beautifully shot). Plus, that’s about as much gender as you can get in 75 minutes.

  158. H
    HumanJustin 5 月 28, 2026

    So short it feels more like an episode of a TV show than a movie, but that isn’t really a sin, and this actually does kick ass. Just the simplest possible idea, a handful of guys head towards a place for a showdown, played out. But that idea is awesome, so this is fun to watch.

  159. H
    happydog006 5 月 26, 2026

    A bigger budget Budd Boetticher. And it did show. Beautiful cinematography with so many well thought out wide shots, and have more complex framing and blocking too. But the characters in this film are far less ineresting than his previous bunchs, some are rehasing, some are thin. Overall, not as exciting and thrilling as his other films but still enjoyable. Great final moment.

  160. G
    geekhalle 5 月 26, 2026

    Okay, se quiser me aprofundar mais no faroeste, acredito que terei que me acostumar mais com a presença de misoginia e racismo nos filmes, principalmente vindo desses clássicos americanos. Mas fora isso, eu consigo ver sim muito valor no que é encontrado aqui, muita coisa que faz dele um filme precioso sim. Toda a motivação do Brigade é bem colocada, onde ele só vai atrás tão fixadante de uma recompensa como forma de buscar vingança pelo trauma que carrega. Todo…

    1 2
  161. C
    Chicken_salt 5 月 25, 2026

    Didn’t do much of anything for me. Bit of a chud Western. Nice outdoor shots though, and I’m glad it was in colour

  162. A
    andrew 5 月 25, 2026

    blinked and it was over, a well-written 75 minute digestable western

  163. M
    Mitch Collins 5 月 25, 2026

    Maybe the most artful of these so far? Just endless long takes and wide shots. I love the desert.

  164. G
    Geoff Carter 5 月 23, 2026

    Exquisite day for night photography. No movie where Lee Van Cleef shows up in the third act can be bad.

    1
  165. T
    Thomas Tyrrell 5 月 23, 2026

    A Western that knows how to deploy its iconic frames, opening with a slow pan from Randolph Scott’s bounty hunter, Ben Brigade towards a bandit sipping coffee at his campfire, and closing with the hanging tree in flames. Oddly, it doesn’t know how to deploy that most iconic of cowboy actors, Lee Van Cleef. He gets a good speech with a wonderful bit of tongue acting, but spends all his time squinting; the stare that tears holes in the screen…

    1
  166. D
    dmacrae 5 月 22, 2026

    Just a great scenario.

  167. T
    Tom 5 月 22, 2026

    What a poignant ending.

  168. C
    Cameron Wayne Johnson 5 月 20, 2026

    I knew riding “alone” would get to Buchanan eventually. Budd Boetticher and Randolph Scott are actually riding together again, and on one seriously beaten path. This is an old-school Hollywood western that clocks in just over 70 minutes, with little room for pathos to match polished production and dialogue. That telling makes the simple story feel more monotonous as it drags along, posturing in a way that makes its would-be-fast-paced thrills feel less consequential. Burt Kennedy’s writing falls short on…

    2
  169. D
    DrinRama 5 月 19, 2026

    I had one of those big shouting matches with my father today, ending with him swearing at me as he left the house with a great big slam of door, but I followed him outside and we shouted some more, and that turned to angry talking to a serious opening up about our feelings to ordinary conversation, and that was that. Water under the bridge. A trip to LIDL for groceries, and back home, and later in the evening, I…

  170. C
    Cory M 5 月 19, 2026

    A much more straightforward affair without Charles Lang behind the typewriter. It’s a ripper though, with maybe the best cinematography in the Ranowns. A long parade of desolate vistas and riders crawling across rocky slopes. Earns the late turn into revenge picture territory that sets up a real stunner of a final shot. Great, great pulp.

  171. G
    Green Lantern 5 月 18, 2026

    awesome movie. a good drama about a bounty hunter that quickly evolves in a fun time with a big cast. loved the dynamic between everyone and im always happy to see James Coburn and Lee Van Cleef, especially alongside Randolph Scott. the third act is especially fun with a great sorta of twist that really ramps up the drama and ends in a nice shootout. good stuff. You just don’t seem the like kind of man who’d hunt somebody for money. I am.

    6
  172. F
    frvnklucvs 5 月 17, 2026

    La représentation des Apaches + les propos sur les femmes c’est pas fou… en 1959 y’avait déjà des progrès de pas mal de cinéastes sur ces questions, pas chez Boetticher visiblement.

  173. B
    ben schmidt 5 月 17, 2026

    got a clear preference for the Ranown westerns that get out in the open desert over the mogul-dominated small towns, so this quickly notches above the previous couple. banger beginning that slowly fizzles a bit, the Randolph Scott/quirky nemesis who should kill him but strings him along out of a grudging respect that crushed in The Tall T not nearly as electric here. the weird thing about these barely 70 minute movies is that they can actually become very nonefficient…

  174. N
    nissimovien 5 月 17, 2026

    I enjoyed pernell roberts and the movie was overall good but nothing special

  175. D
    David 5 月 17, 2026

    Along with the Tall T, Ride Lonesome is considered the best of the Ranown Westerns, and I think I might agree. Honestly it is a toss up between this and the Tall T, but Ride Lonesome does have a lot that makes it a damn fine western. Much like the other films of the Ranown Cycle, Ride Lonesome is a tight story and very economical in storytelling, lean and to the point, with a very riveting story about a bounty…

  176. L
    lilyofthevan1 5 月 17, 2026

    No nonsense cowboy film yeehaw

  177. B
    BlueSolitude 5 月 16, 2026

    65 Good, lean western with well written, diverse characters and manages to emphasise its themes of vengeance and redemption through its simple premise. James Coburn in his debut acting role as well.

  178. P
    Parker Caldwell 5 月 16, 2026

    Great Story. Great Characters. Great Ending. Great Western.

    3
  179. S
    Saud 5 月 15, 2026

    رغم المدة القصيرة، إلا أن الفيلم كان رائع بطريقة تقديمه للشخصيات وسرد القصة، وحتى مشهد النهاية كان روعة بصراحة.

    1
  180. F
    Function147 5 月 15, 2026

    果然跟七寇伏尸记不是一个摄影师,两部一对比这部视觉展现好很多。开片在山石间骑马的纵向走位、中途沙漠远景的印第安人、最后枯树的决斗不乏带有别样诗意。短小精悍,跟过去告别。

    1
  181. R
    RayShh 5 月 14, 2026

    He’s as old as his gun. It’s impressive how many western tropes there are in this film and it doesn’t feel rushed or incomplete in any way. A classic story about a bounty hunter looking for vengence with a surprising amount of humour in it.

  182. J
    JoeDeez 5 月 14, 2026

    The stuff Randolph Scott and Budd Boetticher were putting out just has a ridiculous hit rate. This one is more “conventional” than the others that I’ve watched thus far, with plenty of shootouts and unfortunately going so far as to have some evil warring Native American characters played by white folk in brown face, but everything else about the film holds up really well. The final shot took my breath away, didn’t see it coming at all. Scott’s portrayal of…

    2
  183. D
    DoranMartell 5 月 13, 2026

    8/10

  184. H
    HunkaBurninLuv 5 月 7, 2026

    Beautiful scenery throughout, but this one just didn’t grab me. Needs more Lee Van Cleef 🤠

  185. M
    manwitnoname1 3 月 20, 2026

    A very impressive western with amazing acting and realistic action/setting and just overall vibe , really felt all real and cool , I love this film a lot I really expected this to be a dirty gritty poor western but it was way better than I thought and also an actual minor masterpiece .

  186. M
    Matt 2 月 11, 2025

    Rattles along at a great pace

  187. F
    Fallenpride 12 月 6, 2024

    unmatched pacing. an absolute textbook masterclass in visual patience

  188. B
    Brady 10 月 16, 2019

    Mannn I need to see more westerns! This is only 70 minutes and it moves at such a quick pace, and the acting is good and the characters are interesting and there’s the threat of violence permeating every scene, and it’s all so good! I just loved it overall. I’ll definitely be seeing more westerns.

  189. A
    Asta1938 11 月 27, 2016

    Fantastic, striking images—especially the final shot, in which Scott watches the “hanging tree” burn. Scott plays a bounty hunter dragging a captured criminal to the nearest town when he comes across another two men searching for the same bounty—in their case, because of the offered amnesty. They and a widowed woman join the trek, creating some nice tension within the group. They are being followed by the captured criminal’s brother who will be integral to the plot.

Write a Review

My rating

R Randolph Scott Ben Brigade
K Karen Steele Mrs. Carrie Lane
P Pernell Roberts Sam Boone
J James Best Billy John
L Lee Van Cleef Frank
J James Coburn Whitt
B Bennie E. Dobbins Outlaw (uncredited)
R Roy Jenson Outlaw (uncredited)
D Dyke Johnson Outlaw (uncredited)
B Boyd 'Red' Morgan Outlaw (uncredited)
B Boyd Stockman Indian chief (uncredited)
Director Budd Boetticher
Writer Burt Kennedy
Producer Randolph Scott, Budd Boetticher
Executive Producer Harry Joe Brown
Editor Jerome Thoms
Original Music Heinz Roemheld
Sound Harry D. Mills, John P. Livadary, Harold Lee
Stunts Boyd Stockman, Boyd 'Red' Morgan
Art Direction Robert Peterson
Synopsis
On the way to pick up the bounty on a wanted murderer, a bounty hunter stops at a staging post where he is forced to continue his journey with two outlaws who want the murderer for their own reasons and a recently-widowed woman, with the murderer's brother and his men in hot pursuit.
Director
Budd Boetticher
Writer
Burt Kennedy
Studio
Ranown Pictures
Country
USA
Language
English
Year
1959
Runtime
73 mins

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  • UK19 Aug 2025
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  • Portugal20 Jul 1960
  • France26 Feb 1969
  • UK01 Oct 2012