Westerns aren't normally my favourite so it has to be a good one, and this one starring two legends, James Stewart & John Wayne, is surely one of the best. It ranks with me right behind High Noon.
It tells the tale of an aging Washington Senator, Ranse Stoddard, who returns to Shinbone, his (sometime) hometown in the West with his wife, Hallie, for the funeral of their friend, Tom Doniphon. While there he relates his story to a journalist, telling how he came to Shinbone as a young lawyer and met there both Tom & Hallie (who was formerly Tom's sweetheart). He became famous as the man who shot the notorious bandit, Liberty Valence, which kick started his political career.
However, Stoddard realizes that this career is based on a lie, and he experiences his own guilt dealing with it. The shot that actually killed Valence came from another gun, not his own. The film emphatically makes the point that perception (or rumour reported as truth) and reality are not necessarily one and the same thing. The public has lauded Stoddard all these years for a heroic deed he didn't really do.
The movie has marvelous characters and a stellar cast portraying them. Both Ranse Stoddard and Tom Doniphon, though seemingly opposite, come across as sympathetic, honourable men with great personal integrity. This is a film with TWO heroes, protagonist & antagonist to one another... though jointly opposing the villainous Valence. The legendary James Stewart, such a decent man himself, is perfect in the role of the noble lawyer & Senator Ranse Stoddard, who is initially opposed to gun violence, advocating education and the rule of law. He is not too proud to don an apron and wash dishes to pay for his keep. That great Western hero, John Wayne, is forceful (as always) portraying the rough hewn Tom Doniphon. His philosophy is 'the gun is the law', and he has little respect for either book learning or law courts.
Lee Marvin is downright deliciously sullen & evil as the whip wielding Liberty Valence. I love that restaurant steak scene, he's just so despicable the way he holds the terrified citizenry in his grip! Few villains elicit more outrage than his heinous acts against Dutton Peabody, the drunken editor of the Shinbone Star. Liberty Valence...what an absolutely fabulous name for this wretched snake! Can you imagine any other name in the movie title?
This film seems to take a nostalgic look at the decline of the Old West and its replacement with modern civilization. Tom Doniphon of course represents the rugged frontier West. He is actually dead throughout this movie, his character revealed only through the flashback retelling of the story. By contrast, Ranse Stoddard brings from the East law and literacy to this Western town. From the time he first comes to Shinbone as a young lawyer, he teaches its inhabitants to read & write.
The conflict between the old frontier ways and the new educated society based on law & order is clearly revealed in the love triangle here. Both Tom Doniphon and Ranse Stoddard court the lovely and quietly spirited Hallie (played by Vera Miles). The cactus rose symbolizes her early attraction to Tom and the Old West, the real rose her newfound romance with Ranse and his Eastern sophistication. Her courtship by Tom is eventually replaced by her marriage to Ranse, causing Tom's increased drinking and gradual decline.
Other characters include the drunken Doc Willoughby and the cowardly Marshall Link Appleyard, who shrinks away from dealing with Valence. The movie is a compelling metaphor for the decline of the Old West, has a gripping plot, and surely some of the best character depictions ever. All told, it's a wonderful movie for both fans of westerns and for those who are normally not.
It tells the tale of an aging Washington Senator, Ranse Stoddard, who returns to Shinbone, his (sometime) hometown in the West with his wife, Hallie, for the funeral of their friend, Tom Doniphon. While there he relates his story to a journalist, telling how he came to Shinbone as a young lawyer and met there both Tom & Hallie (who was formerly Tom's sweetheart). He became famous as the man who shot the notorious bandit, Liberty Valence, which kick started his political career.
However, Stoddard realizes that this career is based on a lie, and he experiences his own guilt dealing with it. The shot that actually killed Valence came from another gun, not his own. The film emphatically makes the point that perception (or rumour reported as truth) and reality are not necessarily one and the same thing. The public has lauded Stoddard all these years for a heroic deed he didn't really do.
The movie has marvelous characters and a stellar cast portraying them. Both Ranse Stoddard and Tom Doniphon, though seemingly opposite, come across as sympathetic, honourable men with great personal integrity. This is a film with TWO heroes, protagonist & antagonist to one another... though jointly opposing the villainous Valence. The legendary James Stewart, such a decent man himself, is perfect in the role of the noble lawyer & Senator Ranse Stoddard, who is initially opposed to gun violence, advocating education and the rule of law. He is not too proud to don an apron and wash dishes to pay for his keep. That great Western hero, John Wayne, is forceful (as always) portraying the rough hewn Tom Doniphon. His philosophy is 'the gun is the law', and he has little respect for either book learning or law courts.
Lee Marvin is downright deliciously sullen & evil as the whip wielding Liberty Valence. I love that restaurant steak scene, he's just so despicable the way he holds the terrified citizenry in his grip! Few villains elicit more outrage than his heinous acts against Dutton Peabody, the drunken editor of the Shinbone Star. Liberty Valence...what an absolutely fabulous name for this wretched snake! Can you imagine any other name in the movie title?
This film seems to take a nostalgic look at the decline of the Old West and its replacement with modern civilization. Tom Doniphon of course represents the rugged frontier West. He is actually dead throughout this movie, his character revealed only through the flashback retelling of the story. By contrast, Ranse Stoddard brings from the East law and literacy to this Western town. From the time he first comes to Shinbone as a young lawyer, he teaches its inhabitants to read & write.
The conflict between the old frontier ways and the new educated society based on law & order is clearly revealed in the love triangle here. Both Tom Doniphon and Ranse Stoddard court the lovely and quietly spirited Hallie (played by Vera Miles). The cactus rose symbolizes her early attraction to Tom and the Old West, the real rose her newfound romance with Ranse and his Eastern sophistication. Her courtship by Tom is eventually replaced by her marriage to Ranse, causing Tom's increased drinking and gradual decline.
Other characters include the drunken Doc Willoughby and the cowardly Marshall Link Appleyard, who shrinks away from dealing with Valence. The movie is a compelling metaphor for the decline of the Old West, has a gripping plot, and surely some of the best character depictions ever. All told, it's a wonderful movie for both fans of westerns and for those who are normally not.