Review of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) by Jim M — 05 Jul 2009

Senator Ransom Stoddard (Jimmy Stewart) has returned with his wife to her hometown of Shinbone, to bury an old friend. Well there he is cornered by the local reporters and decides to confess the true story of the begging of his career. Arriving in Shinbone as a young lawyer he is beaten and left for dead by outlaw/gun-for-hire Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). Nursed back to health Stoddard finds that the law does not exist out here as he struggles to bring law and education to Shinbone, and win the hand of Halle (Vera Miles) whom locale rancher Tom Doniphon (John Wayne), a man who's had his own run ins with Valance, also vias for. With statehood looming and Valance hired by Cattle Barons to insure that doesn't happen Stoddard will have no choice but to face Valance again...

The original revionist western directed by John Ford, the man who practically built the genra. Here he tackles the effects of history on men and the intertwining of myth and legend with fact. Marvin is fairly one note as the villian of the piece, the real meat lies with Stewert and Wayne each championing a different ideal of law (Rule of Law and Law of the Gun respectivly). Between them Ford brings to light and contrasts their indivdual forms of heroism and ideals of manhood, with Stewerts brand holding its own with the classical John Wayne brand. A must see for any movie fan.