The year is 1953. Queen Elizabeth II of England was coroneted. The first issue of “TV Guide” was published. The Academy Awards aired for the first time on NBC. And the magnificent western, “Shane” won the hearts of many moviegoers across the country. Shot in Technicolor, “Shane” presented brilliant landscapes and amazing scenery. Considered by many as one of the greatest westerns of all time, “Shane” doesn’t disappoint. The story brings action, drama, and romance to the western genre. The film stars Alan Ladd as Shane, Jean Arthur as Marian Starrett, and Van Heflin as Joe Starrett.
Our story begins when we see a young boy by the name of Joey aiming his rifle at a deer in the proximity of his family’s property, then almost out of nowhere we see a mysterious figure on horseback that draws closer and closer. Eventually this man reaches the property and introduces himself as a man by the name of Shane. He is a lonesome man, just passing through the countryside that is until the ruthless gang of the Ryker gang turns up causing trouble. Shane immediately reaches for his pistol, as a precaution, and claims that he is just a friend looking to work for the family that he has stumbled across. After the Ryker gang leaves, the family, as we now know as the Starretts, are very wary of Shane, except for little Joey who sees Shane as a hero. They are not sure what his intentions are or where he is coming from. After helping to protect the Starretts, Shane is asked to stay and this is when the family, especially Joey, gain a liking for Shane. Joey looks at Shane as a father figure, asking him to teach him how to shoot and other things that all young boys want to learn. Starrett eventually offers Shane a job to help him out with his homestead. Joe Starrett also forms an alliance consisting of many of the homesteaders as well as Shane to fight back against the Riker brothers. We learn that the Riker brothers want all of the homesteaders gone so that they can let their cattle roam free. This is something that Starrett cannot for. We have seen Shane as a mellow, quiet man up until this point of the story. Shane’s second visit to the saloon involves some confrontation. The first time he was there, the Ryker gang, specifically Calloway starts to jab at Shane and he eventually throws his whiskey on Shane’s new shirt. The second time Shane returns to the saloon, he lets loose his anger towards these men, fist fighting his way against numerous enemies. Soon, Joe Starrett rushes through the doors of the saloon to help Shane in his fight. The two make a great team, as we have seen throughout the movie so far and defeat the Ryker gang for now. Joe Starrett has been failing at getting homesteaders to side with him and fight against the Ryker’s and when one of the homesteaders is killed in cold blood, Joe believes he must take matters into his own hands. Shane won’t let that happen. He is too fond of Joe to let him go to the town and end up getting killed. Although there is evidence throughout the film that Shane has a growing romantic interest for Marian Starrett, and if he let Joe go fight Ryker, that would leave Marian and Joey without a man in their lives. As the story is told, Shane is too good of a man to let this happen. He fights Joe, knocking him out and heads of to the town by himself, where he is forced to confront the gang. Shane knows that no matter what happens, after this fight he must leave the town, as he tells Joey, “There's no living with a killing. “There's no going back from it. Right or wrong, it's a brand, a brand that sticks.” Personally, I am not a huge fan of the movie “Shane.” I prefer westerns that focus on the action and less on the dramatic story telling. I feel that “Shane” lacks the action that I look for in a western. I am not saying that “Shane” is a terrible movie, in fact it is a very well made movie and it is a classic that will be loved by people for many ages to come. “Shane” is a great western for people who prefer more drama in their westerns than action. If you are looking for great storytelling and less action, then “Shane” is the movie for you.
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