The Tin Star: it is an incredibly rich and packed story that Anthony Mann manages to tell in such a short run time; thematically, this western deals with the effort, which sometimes is misguided, to push towards civilization, and uses its two central character to explore that. Both are complex, imperfect characters, with dissimilar ways to achieve similar goals; their interaction is truly interesting to watch. The two central performances are equal to the task: Henry Fonda as the grizzled, cynical veteran and Anthony Perkins as the idealist fresh-faced rookie. Neville Brand is a good heavy. The film’s technical aspects are solid: Alma Macrorie’s editing is tight, Loyal Griggs’s cinematography is functional and simple; Elmer Bernstein’s musical score is a good fit.