He specialized in robust action pictures, particularly westerns. He excelled at bringing to life tautly written stories about tough characters facing difficult circumstances. Conversely, just as often, he failed to redeem poorly written material, turning out an equally inadequate picture. Throughout his career he regularly alternated hits (such as Le dernier train de Gun Hill (1959), Les 7 mercenaires (1960), La Grande Évasion (1963), L'aigle s'est envolé (1976)) with misses (such as Le vieil homme et la mer (1958), Par l'amour possédé (1961), Citoyen de nulle part (1962), Sur la piste de la grande caravane (1965)). He has also been criticized for his lack of stylistic trademarks, though his best films remain exciting to watch.
