Griff Bonnell (Sullivan) and his brothers arrive in a small, Arizona town. He is a U.S. Marshal looking to arrest Howard Swain (Chuck Roberson), coincidentally one of landowner Jessica Drummond’s (Stanwyck) 40 guns. The town is being terrorized and trashed by Brockie and his boys. He’s an arrogant drunk and bully but when he shoots an old buddy of Griff’s, he and his brothers intervene. Griff strides purposefully towards the action, unconcerned at the mayhem going on. Brockie’s buddies recognize the lawman and flee but the drunk Brockie doesn’t know or care. Fuller cuts back and forth between a close-up of Griff’s eyes and Brockie’s gun repeatedly until the climax when Griff finally reaches Rocky and knocks him unconscious with a punch. Griff and Jessica inevitably cross paths and their relationship starts off as antagonistic but eventually blossoms into a romance.
剧情就是一部片子的主线，就是这部影片的灵魂，如果一部片子没有一个好的主线，无疑这必定会是一部烂片。因为我们无法真正的去捕捉这部剧或是这部电影要传达给观众是什么，或是他想通过这部片子反映一个什么道理。
四十支枪导演以自身的传统美学功底，对电影的写实艺术特性也有精深的理解和把握，他特别擅以生动的细节描绘人物的内心活动，并调动电影的各种艺术元素为塑造人物服务。
作为一门艺术，不仅要有优秀的故事和表演，还需要具备出色的技术表现。摄影、音效、音乐和特效等方面的表现都能够提升电影的观赏价值。技术的精湛与细腻能够帮助电影更好地传达情感和故事，增强观众的观影体验。
