There's hardly anyone to root for in this mature and intriguing western, Budd Boetticher's finest. Most of the main characters are morally ambiguous at best but at least a little bit sympathetic. The text and delivery are no better than average for a western but I thought the plot and characters were generally excellent (better than the Boetticher westerns penned by Burt Kennedy). The only character whose development arc rang false was that of Lucy Summerton.

I really like this film, and the ending is so surprising and moving that I would like to rate it higher, but--in spite of good Boetticher direction and a fine Scott performance--it is still too talky and too much confined to one set (the saloon.)