The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

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Director: John Ford

Writers: James Warner Bellah and Willis Goldbeck, based on the story by Dorothy M. Johnson

Stars: James Stewart, John Wayne, Lee Marvin, Vera Miles, Edmond O'Brien, Andy Devine, Ken Murray, John Carradine



When lawyer Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) heads west to set up his shingle in the small town of Shinbone, he runs afoul of the local gunslinger Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin).

 


He believes that the law should deal with a man like Valance, but local farmer Tom Doniphan (John Wayne) holds that only the gun can protect him. 



There is a lot to unpack in this deceptively simple story: the shift from fascism to democracy in the West, the dark side of Western individualism, the necessity of literacy and a free press, the responsibilities of being a citizen in a democracy, the importance of gun ownership in building this country and its potential to destroy it, and much more, all wrapped up in a compelling story with absorbing characters and a touching romance.

 


The complete package.




























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