Lawman (film)

Lawman
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMichael Winner
Written byGerald Wilson
Produced byMichael Winner
Starring
CinematographyRobert Paynter
Edited byFrederick Wilson
Music byJerry Fielding
Production
company
Distributed byUnited Artists
Release dates
  • March 11, 1971 (1971-03-11) (United Kingdom)
  • August 4, 1971 (1971-08-04) (United States)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3 million
Box office$5.9 million (U.S./Canada)

Lawman is a 1971 American revisionist Western film produced and directed by Michael Winner and starring Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, Lee J. Cobb, Sheree North, and Robert Duvall. The screenplay by Gerald Wilson focuses on Jered Maddox, a rigid marshal who arrives in a small town to arrest a group of cattlemen for the accidental death of an old man, sparking a conflict between his absolute adherence to the law and the community's pragmatic desire for peace.

Filmed on location in Durango, Mexico, Lawman was Winner's first Western and his first American production. The film explores themes of justice, obsession, and the changing nature of the American frontier. It received mixed reviews upon release but has since garnered appreciation for its moral complexity and performances.