It's always tough to do a remake. This is no exception -- indeed, an excellent example of the remake challenge. Since there was nothing wrong with the excellent Jimmy Stewart version, there was no need to remake it -- except to do it differently. And different is indeed what they do.
Does it work? Well, not as well as Anthony Mann's did. The various criticisms of previous reviewers are valid: there is wooden acting (especially by the lead, Tom Tryon), and the story line is highly altered. However, there are strong points here, even if the production-as-a-whole is not as well-realized as the 50s version.
- First, the message and emphasis is different. Mann genuinely focused on the rifle as his central plot point (hence the title!), but this film uses the titular rifle as more of a MacGuffin.
- Second, there are genuinely interesting efforts at direction -- e.g., the camera riding along with the coffin during the funeral procession.
- Thirdly, there are strong performances among the more pedestrian (more detail below).
Does it all work? Well -- not quite as well as they wanted. But there is something there, and it does work sometimes. Part of the problem is being a TV movie -- acts must end in cliffhangers, for the commercial breaks, and the whole production has to be made quickly. So it isn't what it might have been, but there are still things to appreciate.
John Saxon is hugely responsible for this version's effectiveness, being the central character -- being a dark reflection upon his father. We are told this more than shown it, but Saxon makes us believe in him throughout, even as we fear him.
There is also Luna's character, which (despite not featuring in the 50s version) is the second joy here. She's very much the actress we see on the original Star Trek, or later on Fantasy Island -- perfectly capable of going from sexy to dangerous in .01 seconds, while stealing the scene. Nice to see she's still working, even if she never had a major hit to call her own. She and Saxon make this worth seeing, and either one or the other appear in almost every scene.
Joan Blondell appears about an hour into the movie, for no real benefit (except to see her perform). One might suppose there were scenes which explained why her character mattered, rather than just a few scenes for her to strut. Personally, this was highly disappointing, as her inclusion was mainly why I bought the DVD.
Overall: the opening is a little slow, the conclusion is a little clumsy, the plot points are sometimes a bit mushy. And yet, I just watched it for a second time and was firmly involved from beginning to end. It's a solid production, which attempts a subtle depiction of dysfunctional family dynamics, and doesn't come off terribly articulate -- and yet, the message is there, with some fine performances along the way.
