Two Westerns

I love western movies.  I grew up at a time when they were very popular and Hollywood churned them out on a regular basis.  I not only got to see many while I was a child, but now, on my computer, I can watch those same films again plus the ones I missed. 

When you see a lot of westerns, you notice similar themes being replayed again and again.  For instance, there is the struggle between the homesteaders (farmers or sodbusters) and the cattle ranchers who are fighting over land.  Farmers need to fence off their cultivated land to protect their crops from wandering cattle.  Cattle ranchers don’t want anything, like a fence, especially a barbed-wire fence, to interfere with their cattle’s constant search for food. 

One classic example of this theme is the 1953 movie, Shane (nominated for Academy Award for Best Picture, but lost to From Here to Eternity), directed by George Stevens (nominated for Best Director, but lost to Fred Zinnemann, From Here to Eternity), and which starred Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Brandon De Wilde (nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but lost to Frank Sinatra, From Here to Eternity), Ben Johnson, and Jack Palance (nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but lost to Frank Sinatra, From Here to Eternity).  It won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Color. 

Shane (Ladd), a man with one name like Have Gun Will Travel’s Paladin, is a drifting gunfighter, who accidentally finds himself in the middle of such a land dispute, while stopping for a drink of water on the Starrett farm.  One reason for his decision to throw in his lot in with the Starrett family against the Ryker brothers, cattle ranchers, is his attraction to Marian Starrett (Arthur).  Shane gives up his gun to help Marian’s husband, Joe (Heflin), with his farming chores.  It’s a step down for him, but at least he can be near Marian. 

Later, Shane refuses Rufus Ryker’s attempt to recruit him to his side.  When Ryker then correctly guesses the true reason for Shane’s decision to work for Joe Starrett, Shane flies into a rage.  However, as long as Joe is alive, Shane can never fulfill his desire for Marian. 

In the clímax of the movie, the Ryker brothers convince Joe to come to them for a final decisive parlay over their land conflict.  Shane knows that Joe will have to face Wilson (Palance), the Ryker’s hired gunfighter, whom Joe is no match for.  If Shane lets Joe go to the Rykers, he will be killed and Shane will be free to have Marian.  However, Shane knows Marian is in love with Joe.  For his love of Marian, Shane is willing to sacrifice himself to save Joe. 

Shane physically prevents Joe from leaving the farm and goes in his stead to face Wilson, whom he is a match for.  Shane kills Wilson and the Rykers, ending all the Starrett’s problems.  However, Shane knows there is now no place for him on their farm and leaves forever.

There is a similar theme (sacrifice for love) in the 1962 John Ford film, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, which starred John Wayne, James Stewart, Vera Miles, and Lee Marvin.  It received one Academy Award nomination (Best Costume Design, Black-and-White), but did not win.  Tom (Wayne), a rancher, is in love with Hallie (Miles), a restaurant employee, and wants to marry her.  Unfortunately for Tom, she is not in love with him.  Ransom (Stewart), a lawyer, has just arrived from the east.  He was severely beaten by Valance (Marvin) while a passenger on a stagecoach during a robbery committed by Valance and his gang.  Tom finds Ransom along the road and bring him to Hallie for mending.  She falls in love with Ransom. 

After he recovers, Ransom encourages the townspeople to fight for law and justice.  This puts him at odds with Valance who intimidates everyone in town with his skill with a gun except for Tom.  Valance challenges Ransom to a gunfight, knowing he is no match for him.  Believing he must stand up to Valance, Ransom accepts the challenge.  Hallie is very worried her boyfriend will be killed. 

At the gunfight, Valance begins by toying with Ransom, first shooting a pottery vase near his head and then his arm knocking his gun out of his hand.  Valance then condescendingly encourages Ransom to pick his gun up again.  After he does, Valence tells him that his next bullet will be “right between the eyes.” 

Unknown to Ransom and Valance, Tom is standing nearby out of sight with a rifle.  If Valance kills Ransom, Tom will have another chance with Hallie.  However, knowing that Hallie is in love with Ransom, Tom sacrifices his own interests by killing Valance, thus saving the life of his rival.  He times his shot for exactly when Ransom fires his gun.  Nobody realized that it was Tom, and not Ransom, who killed Valance.  As a result of having seemingly killed a notorious gunfighter, Ransom becomes a successful politician and marries Hallie.  Tom, forlorn, burns down the ranch house he had built for Hallie.

Thus, both Shane and Tom saved the lives of their rivals, Joe and Ransom respectively.  They did it out of their love for Marian and Hallie.  After all, as Paladin said, “Love is giving, not taking.”