Consistently in Mann’s films, there exists a dialogue between the destructive nature of man, and also the question as to whether or not mastered arts of destruction are in fact necessary to civilisation. The point usually comes when the hero is pushed past the limits of civility by other, destructive men. The story begins in medias res, already tumbling forward in events, and reveals the plot background on the run, as McLintock leads a band of settlers across the Oregonian steppes hoping to build a town in the Columbia River valley. He rescues Cole from a lynching, and the two men quickly recognise each-other merely through their names and places of origin, as veterans of the Kansas-Missouri border raids. The duo swiftly prove their mettle in taking care of an Indian raider party with their bushwhacker arts, establishing both men as cunning, subtle, ruthless warriors. The question of the narrative then becomes, are they really on the side of the angels? The question comes to a head when McLintock, Cole, and gambler pal Trey (young Rock Hudson, showing star quality), find themselves at odds in trying to ship a load of supplies to the settlers. A gold rush has brought hordes of miners to the district, and the supplies have become worth their weight in gold, prompting an astonishing amount of bloodshed over a few barrels of flour and some cattle – life staples have become reasons to kill.
