The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

DVD, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) film

One of my two favourite Westerns, and I've seen many, this and 'El Dorado' are the best! This is a much sadder and more poignant film compared to the other, though made only four years before it, its in Black and White, but this only adds to its feeling of age, the telling of a time in America's past, when the gun still ruled, but also the beginnings of change as the viloent men began to be beaten down by the power of democracy and the introduction of the vote.

One of the main draws is seeing James Stewart and John Wayne in a film together. Both tend to play the same characters in all their films, but with subtle differences, and the same could be said here. But you get behind them, and the air of danger and suspense whenever the villain Liberty Valance comes in, mean, nasty, with a heavy whip to dish out retribution for the smallest misdemeanour, is potent, making the stand against him more heroic, and seemingly foolish.

One of the main reasons I love this film is the cosiness of its story. It takes place in the back of a busy restaurant, or the poky newspaper office, and all these places are filled with interesting characters, with full personalities. The best may well be Dutten Peabody, the principled editor who writes the truth despite what he knows will come. He's a comical and a pitied character, with his vice of drunkenness, or going to the bar to buy courage as he might put it.

The style of having the film's main story as a flashback, told by some of its old characters is very enjoyable as we see what has changed since the events of the film. And the fact that the title might not be as straightforward as expected makes for even more interest. If you've never seen it, it's a film I would recommend.

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