Paul Newman’s First, Unquestionably Vicious Western Brought Dark Psychology to One of America’s Most Re-Told Tales

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The legend of the infamous outlaw William H. Bonney, aka Billy the Kid, has served as a canvas for many filmmakers exploring the Old West's multifaceted allure. Billy the Kid's short-lived, violent life has been embraced onscreen with varying results, from a misunderstood antihero to a playful rogue, depending on the zeitgeist of the era. Early interpretations like the 1930 film Billy the Kid depict him as a romanticized figure, with later ones like 1988's Young Guns veering toward the violence in his mythology. Somewhere in between the more than a century takes on the life of The Kid, Arthur Penn's 1958 Western The Left Handed Gun paints a groundbreaking portrayal of his life, exploring the outlaw's psychological complexities.

Starring Paul Newman at the cusp of his legendary career, The Left Handed Gun is a study of a young man torn apart by a troubled childhood, grief, rage, and self-destruction. Based on a teleplay episode that Newman starred in, Penn's feature directorial debut saw the reunion of the director and the actor after their work on the television anthology series Playwrights ’56. The Left Handed Gun rejected the Western's mythical tropes, opting instead for a darker, rawer portrayal of Billy the Kid that subverted the genre's mold.

‘The Left Handed Gun’s Darker Portrayal of Billy the Kid

Paul Newman's Billy is not the charming outlaw he is often portrayed to be but an impulsive figure fighting inner demons that stem from his childhood. He killed a man at eleven, and it's revealed that he has been courting violence throughout his life. When he meets his employer and his closest semblance to a father figure, John Tunstall (Colin Keith-Johnston), he seems to shed the haunting that his violent past has thrown his way, embracing the inner child he truly is. Through his relationship with Tunstall, we meet a young man who's eager to compensate for a missed-out childhood. He embraces new ideas from his mentor, including putting in an effort to learn to read.

But this new world where he seeks redemption is shattered when Tunstall is suddenly murdered. Billy spirals into an unrelenting quest for vengeance, with his actions growing increasingly erratic and unhinged. He provokes those who were part of the conspiracy to kill Tunstall and, in the process, endangers the lives of all around him. Not even a declaration of amnesty that offers him a fresh start redeems him. But he is also smart enough to realize his folly in the end, preferring to be consumed by it over living through it.

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Newman's portrayal of The Kid leans into the psychological torture his character undergoes with an intensity that gives a hint of the acting chops we would see in his best Western, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, (though some have criticized The Left Handed Gun's maniac-leaning performance for sometimes coming out as over the top). Alongside his two friends, Charlie (James Congdon) and Tom (James Best), Newman's Billy veers between childlike vulnerability and dangerous aggression. Even when his friends question his tragic choices, he dismisses them because he is set solely on revenge. This forces his former friend-turned-lawman Pat Garrett (John Dehner) to decide on hunting him down for the greater good. Dehner gives an impeccable portrayal of Pat Garrett rooted in logic. The Left Handed Gun deconstructs the Western mythos by offering a protagonist who is both a product of his wild environment and a victim of his impulsive psyche. Though American audiences did not embrace this new protagonist, as the film flopped domestically, it was critically acclaimed internationally, particularly amassing praise from French critics.

How ‘The Left Handed Gun’ Compares With Other Billy the Kid Adaptations

In the crowded field of Billy the Kid adaptations, The Left Handed Gun's darker, introspective tone would become the hallmark of 1960s and 70s Westerns, which would be perfected by the advent of the Spaghetti Western. Penn's unsettling portrayal of the infamous outlaw clashes with contemporaneous depictions in films like The Boy from Oklahoma, which opted for a comedic and lighthearted take, and gloomier later takes like the 1973 Western Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid that focused on Billy's final days with betrayal at the heart of its themes.

While Arthur Penn's directorial debut that also marked Paul Newman's entrance to the Western genre may not have had the pomp that other takes on the subject had upon release, its bold and unconventional addition has since gained recognition for its daring approach to a well-worn tale. It's a Western that deserves a second look for how it challenges audiences to rethink the stories told about the Old West.

The Left Handed Gun is available on Prime Video in the U.S.