The Big Picture
- Anthony Mann's Man of the West shocked audiences with its graphic portrayal of brutality and sexuality, raising eyebrows at the time despite it being one of the top-grossing films of 1958.
- The film depicted scenes of sexual violence, such as a forced strip-down, which was highly controversial by the standards of the 1950s.
- Despite being deemed morally objectionable by the National League of Decency, Man of the West became a top-grossing film, suggesting a shift in audience preferences and a rejection of moral authority.