Review of Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The

Introduction

Once upon a time, the only law West of the Pecos was the law that a man made for himself behind the barrel of a gun. As people headed West to seek their fortunes in the newly opened up territories, they came up against the greedy Cattlemen, who saw the plains as their own personal fiefs, and hired the lawless to enforce their wills. The people of the small towns had no say in their own lives, and lacked the clout to have their territories declared States, affording them all the rights and privileges due them as citizens of the United States. Into this lawless world wandered a mild-mannered attorney, and a legend was born.

Senator Ransom Stoddard and his wife Hallie return to Shinbone, in what for them is a bittersweet homecoming. Naturally the press is alight with the arrival of such a noted dignitary, but the Senator is less than forthcoming about the reasons for his visit. When it becomes clear that the Senator and his wife are here for the funeral of Tom Doniphon, a man who no one seems to know, the press is even more tantalised. The Senator decides that now is the time for the truth to be told, and he begins to relate the tale of his first visit to Shinbone, several years previously…

Attorney at law Ransom Stoddard is making his way West to open a new practise, when outlaws set upon his stagecoach. Though he attempts to defend himself, he is beaten and whipped by the leader of the bandits, a brute of a man called Liberty Valance. Rancher Tom Doniphon comes across the battered lawyer and brings him to town where he can be treated. Ransom is determined to bring Valance to justice, but the snivelling Town Marshal does little to inspire confidence, and Doniphon sneers at the lawyer`s faith in the written law, in a town where only the gun demands respect. But Ransom is determined to do things his own way, and sets up his practise at the local newspaper, and also begins to teach some of the people of the town how to read and write, all the better for them to learn about their rights. He gets the people of Shinbone interested in democracy so they can take the future of their fledgling community into their own hands. Among his students is Hallie, the waitress who tended his wounds and whom everyone assumes will marry Tom. But the shadow of the cattlemen looms large and soon Liberty Valance and his thugs return to disrupt the elections. It`s the final straw for Ransom, who realises that he must put down his law books and pick up a gun to fight for what he believes in, although Tom is quick to point out his lack of shooting skills.

Video

The picture as stated on IMDB had an original ratio of 1.66:1. This DVD release has the monochrome picture at a ratio of 1.85:1 anamorphic, so I assume that it is cropped. I didn`t really notice any significant loss of picture, and the image while it does suffer from the inevitable print damage, comes across as clear and sharp with good contrast throughout. The darker scenes are a little indistinct at times and there is the occasional softness of image, but other than that the picture is fine.

Audio

Foreign soundtracks first, and you get no prizes for guessing DD 2.0 mono tracks in French, German, Italian and Spanish. There are two English tracks though, a DD 5.1 surround track as well as a Restored English DD 2.0 mono. I must admit that it felt a little out of place to hear a surround track on this title, and initially it did feel as if the sound had been over-engineered, with placement of ambient noise seeming too clinical and pristine, but I soon got used to it. For purists though, the restored mono track is a must.

Features

Just a trailer and more subtitles than you can shake a stick at.

Conclusion

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is another great movie from director John Ford. It`s full of larger than life characters, and certainly entertains from beginning to end. It tells a compelling story and does it well. I was hooked from the moment the film started, and stayed glued to the screen right up till the end, despite already knowing who had shot Liberty Valance from the first time I had seen this classic film. It`s a film of contrasts, not least of which is the clash between the old west and the new way. But perhaps the most fascinating of contrasts is between John Wayne and James Stewart.

Stewart stars as the good-natured lawyer Ransom Stoddard, with his customary laconic style and soft-spoken manner, whereas Wayne is his usual larger than life self as Tom Doniphon, with whom Stoddard competes for the heart of Hallie, played by Vera Miles. It`s a gripping triangle, as Doniphon sees his dreams fade as Hallie falls for the charming young lawyer, but his own sense of honour won`t let him act against Stoddard. There are some other great performances, most notably from Andy Devine as the Marshal Link Appleyard, a man with the most recognisable voice in Western cinema. Also worth watching is Edmond O`Brien as Dutton Peabody, whisky soaked editor of the Shinbone Star. Lee Marvin is a typical heavy-lidded villain as Liberty Valance, but he does bring a spark of individuality to the role, and the menace he exudes when the character gets violent is certainly palpable, and not for the littlest kids to watch.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is an entertaining film with much to recommend it, not least of which is a great script and the excellent performances. It`s rightfully a classic with some excellent humour and some gentle satire thrown in for good measure. The end is quite bittersweet and a little ambiguous too, with the old fashioned, gun-slinging hero in Tom Doniphon receiving what amounts to a pauper`s funeral, with hardly anyone to mourn him. It`s a clear example of how the careers of politicians are built on the blood sweat and tears of others, and even an honourable man like Ransom Stoddard must continue to live a lie as the legend has grown more potent than the truth.

It`s another Paramount disc, and while the picture quality is more than acceptable, and you get a choice of soundtrack options, the disc is woefully light in extras. Still, the film is more than worth it.