The Movie Shane

[Greg Newton]

I just finished watching the 1953 Western classic Shane. What a great movie. Good acting, good characters, a plot based on cultures in conflict, and a fictional movie based on real events without the ridiculous revisionism that occurs in Western movies today. The violence was also very pithy and very real. The average gunfight between suspects and police officers lasts between 3 and 7 seconds and occurs within the same number of yards.

The thing is, a movie like Shane would flop today. The movie took time for character and story development. The violence wasn't of the Clint Eastwood like automan who guns down every one in sight without taking a single bullet. It wasn't violence for the sake of violence. It all hinged on the plot of the story with a quick and lethal climax.

As the diminitive and dapper gunfighter with the inner steel told his strong and bullheaded homesteader friend, "Starrett you might take Ryker, you might not. Wilson you won't. This is my game." And, after a fight between Starrett and Shane where Shane pistol whips his friend to keep him from going and getting killed, he showed that it was.

Greg Newton

[GKC]

Interesting post.The book by Jack Schaffer is actually very well written. In the film the violence is actualy quite severe for it's time .When Jack Palance guns down a homesteader the director had wires rigged to the the actor playing the victim and yanked him back into the mud to demonstrate the power of the gun.In the final showdown Jack Palances character was also rigged to be pulled back so that the brutality of a gunfight was emphasised.
Actually the film Pale Rider with Clint Eastwood is a modern ,mythical take on the Shane film.

[Greg Newton]

Hi GKC,

Good observations. The man who directed the stunts for Shane had served in combat during WWII; hence the reality of the violence.

I liked Pale Rider. The subplot with the unknown history between the Preacher and the Marshal was classic. Especially since the actor they chose to play the marshal looked like Lee Van Clief.

Yet, in some ways I believe it is not quite the movie Shane was. No one could touch the Preacher, whereas in Shane, he could be beaten and hurt. As well, the homesteader character of Joe Starret in Shane was a strong leader without a tinge of weakness, unless it was his pride. Too, in Shane, the rancher Ryker turned to villiany over time, ultimately giving in and sending for the hired killer. LaHood in Pale Rider started off a villian and died a villian.

Both were great movies, but I'll give the nod to Shane.


Greg Newton

[GKC]

What about The fastest gun alive with Glenn Ford? I loved that film.So full of sub plots In fact I may look to buy it as I have not seen it for a long time.

[Greg Newton]

I remember that one. They played it on Turner Movie Classics this past summer. This one was about the reluctant Gunfighter who goes into hiding, only to be tracked down by an outlaw who wants to kill him. It was a good movie with a different kind of ending.

Greg Newton