Review of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) by Kyle G — 29 May 2014
A masterpiece from John Ford. It's a bittersweet story that deconstructs the glory of gunslingers of the West with the arrival of enforceable law and order.
Who is the bigger hero here? Tom saves Ransom's life, makes him famous, and loses his love to him, but Ransom is a noble man who had the courage to face Liberty and finally brings law and order to his town. I think the answer is that they are equal; Tom just represents a dying breed of hero, and Ransom represents the hero of the new age.
There are some vastly powerful scenes depicting rage, grief, and brutality; I think if these as the last angry thrashes of the beast that embodies the Western gunslinger, as it is brought to extinction by the new order of things.
This review of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) was written by Kyle G on 29 May 2014.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance has generally received very positive reviews.
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