Der Einsame

I looked at all the comments made for this film, but I feel I need to mention what's good about it. The acting and characters are first-rate and there are several familiar faces. The black and white cinematography is the best I've ever seen in a western...The location is wonderful--all in all the best looking western ever!!!! These things alone make it worth watching... I agree that the plot has lots of holes and needs some explaining at times, and answers to many questions are never given... But give this film a try...it's still very good!

Jack Palance looks kind of odd with that mustache he wore for The Lonely Man. Still he's not the psychotic Palance we've seen in many of his films. He's the world weary gunfighter who's looking to get out of the business. But the notorious King Fisher played by Neville Brand who nearly died from a gunfight with Palance is looking to settle old accounts with Palance.

Of course King Fisher in fact was a real notorious gunman who operated in Texas. Brand gives a nice performance, but this is most definitely not King Fisher's story.

Anthony Perkins who specialized in playing callow youths in the Fifties is Palance's son along for the ride unwillingly because Palance left his mother way back when who is dead now. Perkins just has no other place to go.

In fact Palance has one very good reason for leaving gunfighting which I will not reveal. His only hope is that he can move as far as he can.

Palance and Perkins do strike a nice balance as the world weary father and his rebellious and a bit stupid son. There's also a nice supporting cast with people like Lee Van Cleef, Elisha Cook,Jr. and Robert Middleton and Claude Akins. All tried and true cinema villains though they're not all villains here.

A downer of a film,still nicely done.

This isn't the cowboys vs. indians or "saved by the Cavalry" formulaic western. There is characterization! Jack Palance delivers a great performance. He can act when the script and director allowed him. Tony Perkins seems to be the same character as he was in Tin Star. Great outdoor scenery; the studio should have paid the extra cost to film this in Technicolor.

I found "Lonely Man' in a local library. I can't believe it only has 26 votes on the IMDB. This is not as great as the Anthony Mann films I've studied in grad school. There is one with Anthony Perkins called "The Tin Star" which I would recommend more. But, this is still a good Western which doesn't follow the conventional theme/structure narrative. Worth a look.

This film has got merit not least the photography. It is beautifully shot and the location has much to admire. There is a touch of John Ford in parts. Its main strength is the performance by Jack Palance. Anthony Perkins is ok but he has not a lot to do. Small parts by familiar actors adds to the attractions of the film which is well worth a viewing. One of my childhood best loved films which I was not disappointed with when I watched it recently.