Atmospheric..elegiac..haunting..poetic..stunningly photographed..majestic scenery; comfortably the greatest Western.A personal favourite of Martin Scorsese,among many others,it's a Wayne film which should be enjoyed by non-fans.Here his persona is more complex and ambiguous than usual.The ending,when he's framed in the doorway,torn between wilderness and civilisation (a favourite theme of director John Ford)is justly famous.It also superbly balances the opening.The moment when he picks up the frightened Nathalie Wood (after years of searching)- Let's go home,Debbie - always has me gulping.