Along with High Noon (1952), The Searchers (1956) and The Magnificent Seven (1960), Shane defines the western movie genre.
Everything is here; the wild and beautiful scenery; the unrequited love; and most of all the man with a bad reputation who does the right thing at the right time to protect the weak but righteous from evil. In fact, all three movies have this same thread: the man with a past ultimately redeems himself at the end of this story.
All the characters are quintessential representatives of their type: Jean Arthur is the image of strong but feminine womanhood; Van Heflin is the hard working homesteader; Brandon DeWilde is the young, trusting boy in all of us; Ben Johnson is the bad guy who turns good. There's a host of other bad characters, all topped by Jack Palance as the ultimate evil gunslinger for hire. And, of course, Shane himself represents every man who, for reasons unknown, has a bad reputation but is ultimately good.
The story builds throughout the film until the climactic ending. Even though we can predict the outcome, we feel good when it plays out. And after he kills the gunfighter, Shane's words to little Joey reinforce the child's image of both the evil killer and the ultimately good Shane. Joey: "Gosh Shane, he was fast." Shane: "Yes Joey, he was fast; fast on the draw". The last phrase, reemphasizing the misguided glamor of the gunslinger's speed plays up the unspoken truth that since Shane killed the gunfighter, Shane was the fastest. Shane was the best.
Outstanding classic western.
Everything is here; the wild and beautiful scenery; the unrequited love; and most of all the man with a bad reputation who does the right thing at the right time to protect the weak but righteous from evil. In fact, all three movies have this same thread: the man with a past ultimately redeems himself at the end of this story.
All the characters are quintessential representatives of their type: Jean Arthur is the image of strong but feminine womanhood; Van Heflin is the hard working homesteader; Brandon DeWilde is the young, trusting boy in all of us; Ben Johnson is the bad guy who turns good. There's a host of other bad characters, all topped by Jack Palance as the ultimate evil gunslinger for hire. And, of course, Shane himself represents every man who, for reasons unknown, has a bad reputation but is ultimately good.
The story builds throughout the film until the climactic ending. Even though we can predict the outcome, we feel good when it plays out. And after he kills the gunfighter, Shane's words to little Joey reinforce the child's image of both the evil killer and the ultimately good Shane. Joey: "Gosh Shane, he was fast." Shane: "Yes Joey, he was fast; fast on the draw". The last phrase, reemphasizing the misguided glamor of the gunslinger's speed plays up the unspoken truth that since Shane killed the gunfighter, Shane was the fastest. Shane was the best.
Outstanding classic western.