This film is coming out on blu ray in June, i'm really looking forward to viewing it again and hoping the transfer doesn't use excessive DNR, really keeping my fingers crossed about this release.
M
http://www.darkrealmfox.com/film_reviews/

I agree.
'We all dream of being a child again - even the worst of us. Perhaps the worst most of all'

I see it that Joe was 'every man for himself' & Ben truly liked Joe & hoped Joe was only pretending to be that bad. Ben hated killing Joe.
Carpe Noctem

wowtouchy
'We all dream of being a child again - even the worst of us. Perhaps the worst most of all'

That is all poppycock nonsense about Lancaster,Cooper and Burt's character. You people have wat too much imagination!!

I agreeI can't believe that Lancaster's character would choose to die (even via a friend's bullet). I read in an article that Lancaster (a co-producer on the film) had broached the subject to Cooper: 'I don't think we should kill him' (meaning Lancaster's character) and Coop replied: 'OhI wouldn't finish the film if we didn't kill him'.
Alsothe production code (while on the wane) was still in effectthe 'bad' guy had to die
and (as Coop's daughter Maria said in a TCM short tribute to her dad), Coop once gave this instruction to a screenwriter: 'just make me the hero'
'We all dream of being a child again - even the worst of us. Perhaps the worst most of all'

Lancaster didn't intend to die, Cooper's Trane just outdrew him. He's not about to just give up all that money and let himself be shot.
"Congratulations, Major. It appears that at last you have found yourself a real war." Ben Tyreen

I don't agree but nicely thought out.
He was a bad man and he misjudged Cooper and he said the next time you draw you better kill me twice before so Cooper , even though he didn't want to, was forced into killing him

Actually he liked Cooper and the point of the scene was that he let himself be killed.Cooper was the first friend he ever had.Thats why Cooper cries as he gets up or at least the tears are starting to show.Lancaster allowed himself to be shot dead by the only ever man he liked and called a friend.So in the end he showed he had a heart by dying.

yup, the ending leone wanted to spoof

Yeh, the shootout took me by surprise..greatly shot ending by Aldrich.