He also got along well with John Ford; Marvin was in the Navy in WWII, like Ford and they bonded over that. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) - Once Upon a Time in a Western He is everything Doniphon wishes he could be. Tom Doniphon came to the rescue and saved Ransom's life. After hearing all this, the newsmen decide not to print the story, as the mythology that propelled Stoddard has to be protected at any cost. It is made clear in "Liberty Valance" that segregation was the practice in the territory. A Thought on the Ending of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Watching the film, we see that Ransom Stoddard is indeed the story true hero and protagonist, and at times, almost a Christ-like figure. However, he is rescued by Doniphan. Stoddard believes so firmly in the law that he is willing to lose his life for his principles. Look instead at a debate that continues between the lawyer and the farmer about guns. Doniphan offers Stoddard a wagon out of town, and he considers it. So why then does he shoot Liberty Valance? Even the impact of this noble deed is lessened by Doniphan indulging himself in bitterness and self-pity. From my perspective, its not even close here as to who the hero is. Stoddard's first instinct is to demand the arrest of Liberty Valance; Doniphon tells him that law books mean nothing out West, that if Stoddard wants to take Valance, he'd better start carrying a hand-gun. Besides, there is a complication. He is left without the girl he loves at the dawn of a new era that has no need for his kind of individuality. But Liberty Valance and his guns work for the cattle barons who want to keep the territory for themselves. Liberty Valance : Three against one, Doniphon. And after the flopping of Sergeant Rutledge, Ford found himself out of work. While Howard Hawks westerns emphasized professionalism and comradeship among the settlers of the old west, and Anthony Manns westerns shed light on the dark side of this civilization: greed, vengeance and violence; the westerns that John Ford made were not just simple genre pictures, they were about the building of the American nation. The film opens as Senator Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) and his wife Hallie (Vera Miles) arrive at Shinbone to bury a friend, Tom Doniphon (John Wayne). As the film opens, U. S. Senator Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) is arriving in Shinbone by the new railroad with his wife Hallie (Vera Miles). Questions arise when Senator Stoddard (James Stewart) attends the funeral of a local man named Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) in a small Western town. Years ago Shinbone was held in a grip of terror by the sadistic Liberty Valance (played by Lee Marvin in a performance evoking savage cruelty). The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - Magzter He has chronicled every conceivable part of the West, and his personal heroes are among the most fully realized characters in motion picture history: Doc Boone (Thomas Mitchell) in Stagecoach, Wyatt Earp (Henry Fonda) in My Darling Clementine, and the men that John Wayne played in She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Comment moderation is enabled. A part-time hobby soon blossomed into a career when he discovered he really loved writing about movies, TV and video games; he even (arguably) had a little bit of talent for it. Another turn off was the fact that James Stewarts Ransom Stoddard is the fulcrum of the plot and, for 99 percent of the picture, is also the man who shot Liberty Valance. The next bullet, he says, will be right between the eyes; but Stoddard fires first, and to everyones surprise, Valance falls dead. I just had to wander around in that son of a bitch and try and make a part for myself. The legend of how Stoddard stood up to Valance and killed him spread wide and helped him build a career in politics. John Ford and John Wayne together created much of the mythology of the Old West we carry in our minds. Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. But his is the old form of Western prowess; its Stewart who represents the territorys future. TakeFort Apache (1948) for instance, which is a strong polemic on American military intervention against the Native Americans. The 10 best screen cowboys - in pictures - The Guardian Perhaps, the existence of Valance gave Doniphan a status of importance and made him an indispensable man in a lawless community. Next to me., Tom Doniphon, after reading Ransoms Attorney at Law sign: Pilgrim, you really aim to hang that up outside somewhere? One of John Fords most effective later films, told flashback fashion as the senator and his wife arrive unannounced in Shinbone to pay tribute to an old friend who has passed. Rodney King was beaten by the police on March 3, 1991. Padraig has been writing about film online since 2012, when a friend asked if he'd like to contribute the occasional review or feature to their site. But he hasnt. As the film opens, U. S. Senator Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) arrives in Shinbone by the new railroad with his wife Hallie (Vera Miles) to attend the funeral of a man named Tom Doniphon (John Wayne). They soon learn that their father gambled away the family ranch, leading to his own murder. Gil Grissom says a final farewell to 'CSI' - Today His world is diffused by time, by memory and nostalgia, by folklore and myth. Fortunately James Stewart, one of Waynes closest friends, was the other star of the picture, and he afforded Wayne some moments of light relief. ", Also online in my Great Movies Collection: John Ford's "The Grapes of Wrath," "Stagecoach," "The Searchers," "Rio Bravo" and "My Darling Clementine," and John Wayne in Howard Hawk's "Red River.". Did Hallie love Tom Doniphon? The Man who Shot Liberty Valance--Doniphan is the fallen angel - Reddit He also hated, what he called, intellectual snobbishness, but, this film is the most intellectual of all his films, not to mention cynical, political, pessimistic and subversive. Ford had pestered Wayne to take up the role, because without him there would be no film. Ford turns the ending into a rousing beginning and constructs an elaborate mythology for the American military. Doniphon is not a person of any importance around town, just a sorry old man on the fringes, who passed away unnoticed. Rarely do we find the influence of other directors in Fords movies. Add to that the fact that he kills the villain, not face to face, but pretty much shooting him from the back- something that he abhorred and always criticized Clint Eastwood for doing. The way Ford employs the African-American Pompey is observant. The Hero of the Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - Caffeinated Thoughts The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, made by the 67-year-old Ford in 1962, is unmistakably the director's final statement on the West. When Stoddard is wracked with guilt thinking he killed Valance, Doniphon relieves his conscience, leaving him free to pursue his political career, founded on his false heroism. The main conflict in the film, then, is not that between the gunslinger Tom Doniphon and the outlaw Liberty Valance; the real conflict is that between "the Old West" (Doniphon and Valance) and the forces of "progress" (Stoddard). He had many murders on his conscience, and much enjoyed using a leather bullwhip. What happened Tom Doniphon? Of course, the pick of the lot was Lee Marvin who portrayed the anger, maliciousness, and sadism of a man who symbolized all the lawlessness of the old west, and who refused to step gently aside to encroaching civilization. The year is 1910. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) - Plot - IMDb While many people have imagined Stoddard as naively unaware that the law wouldnt be sufficient to deal with Liberty Valance, Stoddard was no fool. In fact, hes severely whipped by Valance after a stage holdup. Realizing that he will be nominated on the grounds that he shot Liberty Valance. 25 Years ago, Shinbone was held in a grip of terror by the sadistic Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin), who committed many murders and enjoyed torturing his victims using a leather bullwhip. of course, Ford was making a larger point; that the kind of men needed to master the wilderness are the kind of men that can only function in wilderness; they are men who civilization must expel; If society is tobenefit, then thereis no place for either Valance or Doniphon in the new world. Has anyone else felt this way upon viewing The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance? Vera Miles as Hallie Stoddard, concerned about the wounded man Tom Doniphon delivers to her home in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), Lee Marvin as Liberty Valance, upset over an item published in Peabodys newspaper in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), Cast: Liberty Valance, his masterpiece, is one of the greatest films of all time. Valance toys with Stoddard, shooting his arm and laughing at him. There is a purity to the John Ford style. Ransom Stoddard believes in the U. S. Constitution, the rule by law, the trust in government. Doniphon: Well, take some advice, pilgrim. Doniphon warns Stoddard his law books will be useless in the West, where might and a fast gun determine whos right. Four Earn 2023 Harvard Medals for Distinguished Service to the University, As Gay Ascends to Presidency, 61 Percent of Surveyed Faculty Say Theyre Satisfied With Her Election, Harvard School of Public Health Launches Mindfulness Center Through $25M Gift, Ex-Harvard Chemist Charles Lieber Spared Additional Prison Time, Will Serve 6 Months House Arrest, Hundreds of Harvard Affiliates Sign Open Letter for Increased Access to Mental Well-Being Support at HKS. Though we still see Stoddard shoot in the direction of Valance simultaneously, almost making the true killer ambiguous. But the very final scene of the film had John Wayne extolling the virtues of the American soldier, and in the background, the Cavalry is seen riding out take on the Indians. Also, he was angry that Ford always put him in colorless characters, while other actors in the film got all the juicy scenes. Comparison of Tom Doniphan and Ransom Stoddard - Essay It takes place in the town of Shinbone, in an unnamed territory that is moving toward a vote on statehood. The character of Tom Doniphon was supposed to be a younger man, and the filmmaker relentlessly mocked and teased Wayne during filming. Ford uses a flashback structure to tell the story; Fords films are usually very linear, and he seldom uses a scattered narrative. We watch events of long-ago happen before our eyes, and are content to take a temporary departure from the Twentieth Century. And so Stoddard tells them the story, one they decide not to print because, in this case, legend has become fact. There is no formally enforced law and order; Doniphon says, "Out here a man settles his own problems.". [sic Arkansas] For two years police of two states have been unable to solve five slaying at the state-line city. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance movie review (1962) - Roger Ebert The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance at 60: the great American western So the resulting fame for Stoddard was hugely unfair, right? There was lot of tension between Ford and Wayne during shooting. Hes the toughest man in town, admired by all, the only one brave enough, strong enough, fast enough to stand up to Valance, except he wont do it. As opposed to his other films, this film begins on a sad note, and as it goes on, it becomemore tragic and dark and finally ends on a very pessimistic note. Pompey had thrown Tom a rifle and at the exact moment of Valance's fourth and potentially-fatal shot, Doniphon killed Valance from a side angle, without anyone knowing at the moment of the blast. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: Who Fired The Shot & Final Twist Andy Devine says "he hasn't worn them in years" . He always wanted to play heroes and he always looked at cinema as a medium for the audience to believe in heroes; there is the famous story where he chastised Kirk Douglas for playing a mad and tragic Van Gogh inLust for Life. And so, when Doniphon sees that Stoddard killed Valance, and thus won the heart of the girl Doniphon was too afraid to propose too, he shatters in self-disgust. Analysis Of 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance' - Bartleby.com Here, he is practically rendered motionless. In its sparseness and interplay of light and darkness, Ford evokes moments from Film Noirs- where Wayne comes out of the darkness, shoots Marvin, and then recedes back into darkness. Personal plans.". In its tone, structure and visual style, the film is very different from other John Ford Westerns. In town, he's nursed back to health by Nora and Peter Ericson, two recent Swedish immigrants who run the local chowhouse. Seeing how his act of heroism has won Hattie for Stoddard, he becomes disgusted with himself, burning his home, the symbol of his hopes for the future as well as his isolation from the community, to the ground. He then asks about a cactus rose that was placed on Doniphon's coffin, and she reveals she placed it there; Tom had earlier given Hallie a cactus rose, with the strong implication being that she never stopped loving him. Fatal Attraction Works As Entertainment, Fails as Social Commentary, Prime Videos Citadel Traps Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden in Played-Out Spy Game, New York Philharmonic and Steven Spielberg Celebrate the Music of John Williams, A Piece of His Fire: Harry Belafonte (1927-2023). The story takes place in a fictitious town ofShinbonein an unnamed Western territory (probably Colorado). He forbids Stoddards to teach Hallie to read. His own conscience clear, Stoddard goes back into the hall and accepts the nomination; Doniphon goes home alone. Wayne was furious for allowing himself to get roped in to play such a passive character, which he found very difficult to play, and Fords behavior didnt help. Fromthere to Liberty Valance, the character has now changed into a tragic hero, in the mold of Oedipus, who loses everything dear to him and wander off into the wilderness . All that said, its a bit of an odd film for Wayne, who got top billing but has one of the least interesting characters. > did Tom Macdonald was born on November 22, 1900 and on! His chief victim was Woody Strode, with whom he very nearly came to blows. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - TCM Message Boards The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: Film Analysis | ipl.org The rough and tough Doniphon later tries to teach Stoddard to defend himself and shoot a gun, all to little success. James Stewart is Ransom Stoddard, an idealistic young lawyer who heads West and quickly runs afoul of an outlaw named Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. He and two sidekicks (played by Lee Van Cleef and Strother Martin) wreck the newspaper office and badly beat Peabody. Liberty Valance, who supports cattle barons opposed to statehood. Hes even elected as a delegate to the territorial convention but refuses to serve. The film was a direct influence on Leones own end of the west westernOnce upon a time in the West. He would suddenly come across as a selfish coward because he was late to the scene, certainly a shocking resolution for any John Wayne character. Doniphon finally does kill does kill Valance. Thom Donovan - Wikipedia Stoddard thus fascinates and shames Doniphon. It would be easy for him to assume the title of town marshal from lovable cowardly drunk Andy Devine, and yet he has no interest. Hallie, once Tom's girl, has fallen in love with Stoddard, and in sparing him, Doniphon loses her. At the end of the film, we learn that Tom Doniphan (John Wayne) really had shot Liberty Valance while the public had given credit to Ransom Stoddard (Jimmy Stewart) who went on to have a successful political career. The film, then, chronicles the death of the old West and of its heroes, men sacrificed to the needs of a growing society. That Stoddard, thus relieved of the sin of murder has no problem committing the sin of dishonesty says as much about the nature of politicians as it does his own character. Though the audience tends to identify with Doniphon's individualism and to feel instinctively a desire to preserve the simplicity of the old West, the social change brought about by the railroad and the need for staehood slowly make the Doniphons and Valances obsolete. The final line of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance sees the conductor ensuring the couple of a smooth journey and stating nothing is too for the man who killed Valance. Now with his conscious clear, Stoddard returns to the convention, accepts the nomination, and is elected to the Washington delegation. And as they swarm around the senator for details, Stoddard starts recalling the events leading up to that day and, the film cuts to a flashback. Liberty Valance: Three against one, Doniphon. When John Ford and John Wayne set out to make this film, both of them were at a low stage in their life and career and, in their relationship with each other. As is the question of who really killed Liberty Valance. Without Ransom Stoddards courage and convictions, there is no movie. So Ford had to go back to his favorite son to get this picture made, and he didnt like it at all and neither did Wayne. Tom Doniphon is played by John Wayne, while Ransom Stoddard is played by Jimmie Stewart. John Wayne as Tom Doniphon, the man who finds Stoddard wounded on the road to Shinbone in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), James Stewart as Ransom Stoddard, fresh off a beating at the hands of Liberty Valance in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). Stoddard was wounded in the shooting. Beginning with "Stagecoach" (1939), continuing from 1948 through 1950 with the Cavalry Trilogy ("Fort Apache," "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" and "Rio Grande"), and finally to 1962 and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," together in 10 features they largely formed the templates of the Hollywood Western. His sympathy for the townspeople is real, but not enough to motivate him to take action on their behalf. But Stoddard is a powerless man; powerless before Valance; and powerless before Doniphon; and Doniphon lets Stoddard have his woman, his town, and his West. The story focuses on Ransome Stoddard (Jimmy Stewart), an American senator arriving at the town of Shinbone with his wife, Hailey (Vera Miles), to attend the funeral of Tom Doniphon (Wayne). He faced Valance, who immediately shot him in his gun hand. By the end of Liberty Valance, it was more than obvious that Ford and Wayne had come to the end of their long association, which started when Ford cast Wayne as an Odysseus like courageous hero in his western odysseyStagecoach. Doniphon teaches Rance Stoddard (Jimmy Stewart) how to shoot and fight. The drunken marshal won't protect him. 43 of 48 found this interesting | Share this The body of Tom Doniphon is at rest in a plain, wooden casket. Wayne is seen by many as the hero because he realized the only way you could deal with someone like Liberty Valance was through force and he did the deed that had to be done. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend..

Cy Fair High School Faculty, 2003 Upper Deck Lebron James Rookie Exclusive, Busiest Fire Departments In Georgia, Corner Weights For Dirt Oval Racing, Kevin O'sullivan Wife, Articles H