Shane (1952)

It was an excellent movie, an old time favourite!

I couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for the old rancher in Shane, who is desperately trying to drive off the pastoral farmers whose fences prevent him from herding his cattle up and down the valley. After all, he would have been the original settler on the land, would have driven off the pesky redskins and made the place safe for the farmers and their families. None the less, the movie makes no bones about who the bad guys are here. The rancher is portrayed as a good for nothing drunk surrounded by gun toting henchmen. In rides Shane, a mysterious stranger, no slouch with his gun and fists, to save the day. He's a complex little gun-slinger, slow to bait and almost effeminate in his ways, but deadly in the ultimate conclusion of his involvement with the hapless farmer folk. Shane is an important and trend-setting Western, paving the way for many other lone gun-slinger-to-the-rescue movies. Of course, this is another Western, like the Magnificent Seven, that harks back to tales of the Samurai. Alan Ladd is excellent in the role and the scenery of the Grand Tetons a pleasure to look at.

a very good western movie enjoyed it very much

On the surface, a typical good old-fashioned western - good peace-lovin' folk, nasty bad guys and the mysterious stranger who saves the day. However, there are hidden layers to the story and characterisations, and the inevitable violence is surprisingly realistic and yet mostly restrained. Definitely worth seeing.

The best Western Movie ever produced and there have been quite a few great Westerns produced.Alan Ladd and the rest of the actors/actresses especially the little boy were just magnificient. I can't imagine another movie been produced that will ever beat Shane. I have seen this movie several times over the years and the little boy calling "come back Shane" will and has always stuck in my mind. Will order it again down the track.

Though somewhat dated now (perhaps particularly in the heavy-handed music score), Shane is not-to-be-missed as a classic western. One that changed the genre of its time, bringing to its characters a relational and psychological depth not previously seen in films of this kind. Ladd, as Shane, gives an understated yet very powerful performance as a man caught up in a destiny he'd rather avoid. The full mystery of Shane's past is never revealed, although we learn he is a gunfighter who would like to leave that violence behind him. There is a sense of inevitability and tragedy in the fact that he chooses to involve himself in a fight that is not his own, and some intriguing questions raised but left unanswered about his relationship with the family he chooses to befriend. On the surface a classic tale about good versus evil, there are other subtle layers that no doubt contributed to the film's several Academy Award nominations. It was the cinematographer who actually won the Oscar, and the stunning Wyoming setting is definitely one of the film's delights.

A true classic of western movie and of the values of the early American West. Good viewing.