Johnny Guitar

(Nicholas Ray, US 1954, 110 min., 35mm)

Ernest Borgnine. Strong-willed saloon-casino owner Vienna (Joan Crawford) squares off against her nemesis: the shrieking Emma Small (Mercedes McCambridge), who wrongly blames Vienna for her brother’s death. One of the most resonant of all westerns because of its Freudian, feminist and anti-McCarthy hysteria themes, it’s also one of the most fun due to its eye-popping colors, razor-sharp dialogue, masterful direction, and incredible cast, which also includes Sterling Hayden and Ernest Borgnine.