I understand 50s westerns very well. They are characterized by how uneventful and sanitized they are. Mann’s films are the perfect example, there’s nothing remarkable about his films other than how genuinely boring they are. They are a 5/10 at best.
The Hays Code, with its restrictions, highly incentivized directors to create a very specific type of film. Very few westerns broke away from that bland formula - High Noon, Shane, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and The Magnificent Seven (technically a 1960s film but still within the Hays Code era). There are good 1950s westerns, but they are the exception to the rule.
I couldn’t disagree more, if someone told me it’s one of their favorite films my first thought would be that they haven’t seen many films in their life or that they’re nostalgic for the 50s. I do not believe it’s a good film in the slightest.