To me, The Man Who Shot Libery Valance is one of the greatest American movies ever made. That's not just because it's a terrific movie, but because it's about the essence of America and the contradictions we must resolve as a country -- and which we still face.
Of course the United States of America was founded on the ideal of freedom -- liberty.
Yet freedom must be controlled for the good of society as a whole. At what point does law and order eliminate freedom? It's an argument we still repeat - most recently in the debate over full body scanners and intimate pat-downs in airports.
James Stewart is Ransom Stoddard, a lawyer arriving at Shinbone in the western territories of the United States, determined to bring peace and order -- the rule of the lawbook instead of the gun, which he refuses to carry.
"Liberty" Valance is the local bad guy who symbolizes the consequences of unrestrained freedom for evil men. He kills and plunders as he pleases.
Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) is a local good guy who's also fast on the draw. He's Rousseau's Noble Savage. He believes in the power of the gun just as much as Liberty. Unlike Liberty, he's got a conscience. He doesn't need a law book either. He knows what's right, and does that. He looks down on Ransom for his refusal to use a gun. And Ransom looks down on him for believing, just as Valance does, that might makes right.
Events proceed, and eventually the inevitable conflict comes. One night Liberty challenges Ransom to face him in a gun fight.
Ranson is presented with a terrible choice. If he refuses to fight Valance, he'll have to leave Shinbone, disgraced. The people will consider him a worthless coward. All his work to establish law and order in the town will be for nothing.
Yet to strap on a six-shooter and go out and face Valance means denying his conviction that might does not right. He's not exactly a pacifist, in modern terms, but does believe violence should settle moral issues.
Not only that, but in this case the violence will come from the good guy and he has zero chance of surviving the encounter. He's never shot a gun. He has no chance of defeating an experienced fast gun such as Liberty Valance.
So he's faced with choosing between certain death and certain defeat of his ideals. Because he's a hero, he realizes he must face the outlaw even though it means his death. Hopefully someone else will bring law and order to Shinbone after he's gone.
Ransom is just as surprised as the rest of the town when Valance falls down dead after he fires his gun.
Tom Doniphon yielded to the pleas of the woman both men loved and himself killed Valance, though making it look as though Ransom did the job. Thanks to Valance's death, Ransom becomes successful.
When he learns Tom was actually the man who shot Liberty Valance, he's faced with the choice of arresting Tom for murder, which would undermine the still-fragile rule of law and order, or allow him to go free, which he does.
Valance had to be killed for the safety of the ordinary townspeople. That took might, which allowed right to flourish in its wake.
Of course the United States of America was founded on the ideal of freedom -- liberty.
Yet freedom must be controlled for the good of society as a whole. At what point does law and order eliminate freedom? It's an argument we still repeat - most recently in the debate over full body scanners and intimate pat-downs in airports.
James Stewart is Ransom Stoddard, a lawyer arriving at Shinbone in the western territories of the United States, determined to bring peace and order -- the rule of the lawbook instead of the gun, which he refuses to carry.
"Liberty" Valance is the local bad guy who symbolizes the consequences of unrestrained freedom for evil men. He kills and plunders as he pleases.
Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) is a local good guy who's also fast on the draw. He's Rousseau's Noble Savage. He believes in the power of the gun just as much as Liberty. Unlike Liberty, he's got a conscience. He doesn't need a law book either. He knows what's right, and does that. He looks down on Ransom for his refusal to use a gun. And Ransom looks down on him for believing, just as Valance does, that might makes right.
Events proceed, and eventually the inevitable conflict comes. One night Liberty challenges Ransom to face him in a gun fight.
Ranson is presented with a terrible choice. If he refuses to fight Valance, he'll have to leave Shinbone, disgraced. The people will consider him a worthless coward. All his work to establish law and order in the town will be for nothing.
Yet to strap on a six-shooter and go out and face Valance means denying his conviction that might does not right. He's not exactly a pacifist, in modern terms, but does believe violence should settle moral issues.
Not only that, but in this case the violence will come from the good guy and he has zero chance of surviving the encounter. He's never shot a gun. He has no chance of defeating an experienced fast gun such as Liberty Valance.
So he's faced with choosing between certain death and certain defeat of his ideals. Because he's a hero, he realizes he must face the outlaw even though it means his death. Hopefully someone else will bring law and order to Shinbone after he's gone.
Ransom is just as surprised as the rest of the town when Valance falls down dead after he fires his gun.
Tom Doniphon yielded to the pleas of the woman both men loved and himself killed Valance, though making it look as though Ransom did the job. Thanks to Valance's death, Ransom becomes successful.
When he learns Tom was actually the man who shot Liberty Valance, he's faced with the choice of arresting Tom for murder, which would undermine the still-fragile rule of law and order, or allow him to go free, which he does.
Valance had to be killed for the safety of the ordinary townspeople. That took might, which allowed right to flourish in its wake.