***“Do you know what a lawman is? He's a killer of men”***

A grim marshal (Burt Lancaster) enters the town of Sabbath to apprehend the cattlemen guilty of accidently killing a man during a rowdy celebration while passing through his town. But the lawman finds resistance from everyone because the perpetrators work for the cattle baron (Lee J. Cobb) who “owns” the town and its sheriff (Robert Ryan). Sheree North plays his old flame while Robert Duvall, Robert Jordan, Albert Salmi and Ralph Waite are on hand as the cattlemen.

"Lawman" (1971) explores the nature of law & justice in the context of the Old West and compels the viewer to choose sides. The days of the Wild West are over and civilization has arrived, which means there are legal consequences to unruly behavior that results in unintentional death. The townsfolk want the matter swept under the rug and everyone simply paid off by the rich baron. However, lucre isn’t what interests Maddox (Lancaster), but rather fulfilling his responsibility and ultimately justice.

The plot was lifted from “Man with the Gun” (1955) and is also similar to “Last Train from Gun Hill” (1959), but with the tone of contemporary Westerns like “Firecreek” (1968) and “Valdez is Coming” (1971).

While this is mostly a town-bound Western, it wisely features several scenes in the spectacular surrounding Southwest wilderness, including a nice waterfall sequence. This plus the superlative cast and heavy theme make “Lawman” an obscure standout. By the way, I’m wholly on the side of Maddox for the simple reasoning: Those who play and wreak havoc have to pay regardless of the social status of their employer.

The movie runs 1 hour, 39 minutes, and was shot in Durango, Mexico, and points nearby (Sierra de Organos, Sombrerete, Zacatecas; and three areas of Sonora).

GRADE: A-