The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance by John Ford (Review)

All in all, a so-called classic that misses out on all of the aspects that make a classic western.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - John Ford

Described as one of the greatest westerns of all time by many, I’m left shaking my head and wondering if I missed something. I must admit that, if this John Ford “masterpiece” would have been my first western, it probably would’ve been my last. Done on a budget that must have been about twenty bucks (ten at the time), there were too many aspects that cause me to bestow the label “soft western” to Ford’s classic. From the obvious fake scenery, to the shoddy acting, to the scenes that would never end, the movie seemed more like a high school play than a recognized classic film.

In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, there were countless westerns, or movies for that matter, using beautiful scenery of the west to back the characters. John Ford was even known to use historic Monument Valley, with the majestic red rock formations and desert plant life. One of the major reasons I am such a westerns buff is because of the attractive environment the movies almost always take place in.

However, Ford must have thought that an inside set with actors in front of a painted wall or screen would be good enough. To say the least, it was hideously phony, which drew my attention from the lame stagecoach robbing that was going on. In one scene, Ford did use authentic desert scenery, but strategically placed cardboard saguaros that were shaped perfectly alike throughout the footage. At certain angles, the cacti were revealed as a few inches thick. A few were even taken down when the stagecoach bumped into them. I stress the word “bumped.” Unfortunately, aspects such as these prevent the viewer from taking a drama very seriously.

Along with the scenery comes the acting. James Stewart may be the whitest man to ever live, next to Tiger Woods. Besides The Duke, the acting was next to pitiful. The actors seemed to try too hard, as Stewart’s character being a lawyer/teacher who refuses to carry a gun, only making it painfully obvious. The pasty, whining character next to John Wayne is as black and white as the film itself. Even Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin), the villian, wasn’t that hard. His only claim is the robbery and terrorizing the town café. Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) was the most feared, and very well so. He was the only character in the film that led on that it was a western.

Thankfully, the movie gave an interesting twist at the end, but one that could have been much more. It definitely fell short of saving the flick for me and came only after treacherously long, drawn out scenes that could have taken up half the time. On top of everything else, the movie captured a mere one gunfight. Isn’t that against the law of westerns? There also seemed to be only two major action events in the film. There was a stagecoach robbery and a gunfight. Oh yeah, and The Duke kicked the fierce Valance out of an eating establishment.

All in all, a so-called classic that misses out on all of the aspects that make a classic western.

Written by Nolan Shigley.

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