Review of Shane (1953) by Dave J — 12 Aug 2012

Wednesday, August 8, 2012.

(1953) Shane.

WESTERN.

Based on a short book written by Jack Schaefer about a mysterious stranger Shane (Alan Ladd) coming to the aid of a farming family and community who're called the homesteaders against some rowdy rustlers working for a cattle baron with it's goal was to own their land by using unethical tactics such as threats and murder. And the idolize impact Shane has to a young boy.

Starring alot of veteran actors such as Alan Ladd, Van Hefflin, Jean Arthur, Ben Johnson and Jack Palance, this is the film that may have revolutionized Westerns in general counteracting to directors to making many violent ones using the mysterious stranger idea and coming to someone's aid with the only thing making this film making it so unique is that it is so 'non-violent' in which a gun is never fired until after forty minutes and he just fires his holster to teach little Joey, he doesn't actually uses his gun until the very end. One of the reasons I once resented this film so much is because of it's soft approach on violence in general and because it was allowed to be shown in high schools because this is one of few films that fitted the school boards critera and I resented any film that was approved by them only to appreciate it later since it's idea has been used so often in many Spaghetti Westerns particularly Sergio Leones "A Fistful of Dollars" trilogy and Akira Kurosawa's "Yojimbo" with the only difference is that they're all extremely violent and are the opposite of whatever this film preaches or says about guns etc... The other thing that is annoying is much of it's dialogue almost consists of "Shane" and "Joey", 'Joey and Shane', 'Shane and Shane', 'Joey and Joey' so much so that it almost overshadows it's light storyline.

Directed by George Stevens of "Giant" and "Gunga Din" this film was also notable for Jean Arthurs last film screen appearance as well.

3 out of 4 stars.