Watch Gun Crazy

"Gun Crazy" is a 1950 film noir directed by Joseph H. Lewis and starring John Dall and Peggy Cummins. The film follows the story of Bart Tare (Dall), a troubled young man who becomes fascinated with guns at a young age. As an adult, Bart falls in love with Annie Laurie Starr (Cummins), a sharpshooter in a traveling carnival. Though Annie is initially resistant to Bart's advances, the two eventually plan a series of daring robberies together, using their skill with guns to make a living on the run.

The film opens with the young Bart Tare, a troubled child who becomes obsessed with guns after stealing one from his father's gun collection. After being sent to reform school for his actions, Bart grows up to be a marksman himself and becomes a skilled shooter. One day, while attending a traveling carnival, Bart meets Annie Laurie Starr, a sharpshooter who catches Bart's eye with her impressive skills. The two begin a whirlwind romance and quickly realize they share a mutual fascination with guns.

Despite her attraction to Bart, Annie resists his attempts to get her involved in criminal activity. However, after a chance encounter with a crooked store owner, the two decide to rob the store together using their guns. The robbery is successful and the duo soon become addicted to the thrill of the crime. They embark on a series of robberies, using their cunning and gun skills to elude the authorities.

As Bart and Annie's crimes become more brazen, their relationship becomes more complicated. Annie is clearly the dominant partner in their dynamic, using her charm and sharp tongue to manipulate Bart and keep him under her control. Bart, meanwhile, becomes increasingly unhinged, unable to resist Annie's siren call even as he knows their actions will lead to certain doom.

The film is notable for its use of visual motifs, most notably the guns themselves. The camera lingers on shots of the guns, the bullets, and even the old-timey safes that Bart and Annie rob. The guns become almost fetishized, casting a spell over Bart and Annie and symbolizing their desire for power and control.

Overall, "Gun Crazy" is a fascinating exploration of criminal psychology, with strong performances from both Dall and Cummins. The film's themes of obsession, addiction, and corruption make it a classic of the film noir genre, while the attention to visual detail and expert direction help elevate it as a cinematic masterpiece.

Gun Crazy is a 1950 crime movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 26 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.6 and a MetaScore of 74.