“This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” —Maxwell Scott
Today’s quick review: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart), a lawyer from back east, travels to a frontier town to set up a practice. There he finds a lawless place terrorized by Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin), a violent robber who takes what he wants. Against the advice of Tom Doniphon (John Wayne), Ransom takes a stand against Valance. In doing so, he catches the eye of Tom’s girlfriend Hallie (Vera Miles).
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a classic Western drama about one man’s attempt to bring law and order to a remote Western town. James Stewart and John Wayne co-star as two men with opposite temperaments who each have their own plans for the future of the town. Ransom’s ideals of democracy and justice clash with Tom’s belief in using force. This creates an unstable situation that only gets worse as Liberty escalates his crimes.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a rare Western that delves into the underlying ideals of the American government. Ransom’s passion for civics goes beyond the general themes seen in other Westerns. Instead, it takes on concrete forms: teaching the residents of the town to read and write, working at the local newspaper, and safeguarding the town’s electoral process against Liberty and his backers.
Ransom’s powerful convictions clash with the harsh reality of the situation. Liberty, unconstrained by law or morality, can tear down Ransom’s efforts on a whim, simply by exerting the kind of force that Ransom is loathe to use himself. Faced with the prospect of losing everything he has built, Ransom must decide whether to stick to his faith in the rule of law or adopt the violent but effective methods that Tom recommends.
All of this lays the groundwork for a Western of unusual depth. The moral and romantic clashes between Ransom and Tom, the colorful characters of the town, and the question of how to handle Liberty all give the film its own identity. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance takes the classic Western themes of justice, violence, and the taming of the wilderness and weaves them into a bittersweet story that complements the rest of the genre quite nicely.
For a masterful Western with an even more iconic villain, try The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. For a classic legal drama that goes even deeper into civic issues, try 12 Angry Men. For a more adventurous Western about bringing law and order to the West, try Tombstone, Hour of the Gun, or Hang ‘Em High.
[8.1 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056217/). I give it a 7.5 for a layered conflict and subtle character work.