Your thoughts on two Westerns..... (1 Viewer)

[Ernest Rister]

Dude. No problem. Anytime, dude.

 

[Robert Harris]

Ron...

You've now read that The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence is one of the great westerns several times.

I would remove the word "western."

In my book MWSLV is one of the great films.

Period.

RAH

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

Hey man. Just cuz I drink white russians, like to bowl, and I have a particular fondness for my living room rug doesn't mean you can call me "Dude".

Ron, I'm glad, but not surprised that you ordered these titles. While I am sure you are not in short supply of quality films in your DVD collection, these two will be excellent additions.

 

[dpippel]

Now, "Dude". That's a name no one would self-apply where I come from.

Oops, wrong thread.

 

[Robert Crawford]

What's kind of funny is that when this film was released in 1962, most movie reviewers didn't care for it and neither did movie-goers. However, after the release of some other serious westerns like "The Wild Bunch", film critics took another look at "TMWSLV" and discovered what a film treasure it really was.




Crawdaddy

 

[Josh Simpson]

So what's on the Lonesome Dove Collection that isn't on the single disc?

 

[Josh Simpson]

Ok, after some research at amazon.com I figured it out. Dumb me...

 

[PaulEB]

Just went to DeepDiscountDVD to purchase MWSLV and noticed their current bestseller is ....

Lonesome Dove!

How many copies did you buy Ron?

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

Yet another clear example that HTF has far more influence on DVD sales than some studios care to admit.

HTF =

 

[Ernest Rister]

I just love all the bittersweet irony in Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - you have the young lawyer who is driven to bring social civilization to the West, and does so, but is corrupted in the process. You have the uncompromising man who has to do the dirty work and preserve justice and protect the people he loves, and he does so, even though his act costs him that which he holds most dear. There's a pained understated sadness to the film - I'm hard pressed to think of another film in which, essentially, both of the heroes win, but by winning, they lose.

Wonderful movie. There's also a Rashomon-esque quality to the revisiting of the central event of the film. We see it one way and believe it, only to see the same event from a different perspective later on via flashback, and we learn we were wrong.

There's a reason the film is required viewing in film school...it is a truly great, truly American film.

Dude.

Now, after buying The Man Who Shot Libert Valance and Lonesome Dove, I'm afraid you guys are gonna have to turn right back around and go buy the haunting Henry Fonda western tragedy, The Ox-Bow Incident, which was recently released to DVD in a restored special edition. An incredible film about the failure of human justice, with all the ageless applicability of a great Greek tragedy. You'll never forget it.

 

[Josh Simpson]

I bought one!

 

[Brent Bridgeman]

Ernest, you must be a Silver Spoons fan.

Actually, he's not horrible for the most part, but there is a scene at the Hat Creek Company where they are sitting down to breakfast and he gives the worst fake yawn I've ever seen, finished off with a little smile that looks more like an outtake. Since it's at the beginning of the series, it kind of irks me every time.

 

[Jeff Adams]

I am with you there Ron. I have never really been a big fan of westerns until now. I mean there have been those few gems that are in my collection, but you don't have to be a fan of westerns to like, such as Tombstone,Unforgiven and Dances With Wolves. But due to the stellar movie Open Range,which I have seen 5 times now, it has sparked my interest in westerns. I have made a lot of blind purchases lately due to others recommendations on this forum, I am going to now add LD and MWSLV to my to buy list.

 

[John Hodson]

One of the best reviews I've ever read on The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is here; Warning - contains spoilers.

BTW Jeff, when you watch this film, you'll note the numerous references to the 'open range'; no doubt Mr Costner was tipping his hat to Ford's western (as he did to many others in his movie).

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So many films, so little time...

 

[ChuckSolo]

"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" has got to be one of the greatest films ever. I have not, I'm sorry to say, seen "Lonesome Dove" although my friends and family rave about it. Most people seem to forget the great performance by Andy Devine in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance."

 

[Ernest Rister]

Andy Devine's greatest role is as Friar Tuck in 1973's Robin Hood.

FRIAR TUCK
Praise the Lord and pass the tax rebates!

 

[george kaplan]

Actually his greatest role is in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, as bullet #2.

 

[Cees Alons]

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance came out when I was a student, and I wasn't able to go to the cinema too often. But my mom, with whom I shared a big love for everything Western, had seen it and raved about this film.
She also bought the title song by Frankie Laine (78 rpm, I own that platter now) - of course "Do not forsake me, oh, my darling" by the same singer was already played to the other side of the disc - and urged me to see it.
She didn't "spoil" it for me (like the above review, linked to by John Hodson, does - don't read that review unless you've seen the movie) and I very clearly remember my excitement once I did watch that movie finally.

Haven't seen it for several years, but I have no problem reviving most of the scenes - "And now right between the eyes.." - and this thread urges me like my mom once did to watch it again.


Oh, and
In your own interest, I urge you to add "Jimmy Stewart" westerns, and "Henry Fonda" westerns and "Jack Palance" westerns, and a few "Lee Marvin" westerns, and let's see - oh: a guy named Clint Eastwood..., and


Cees

 

[John Hodson]

Prefer Tex Ritter myself

Sorry Cees, in hindsight maybe I should have warned people that it's an in depth review of the film, rather than simply the DVD, and hence contains spoilers. I think a bit of editing might do the trick...

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So many films, so little time...

 

[Cees Alons]

John,

I still agree with you that it's an excellent review, though.

I'm not even sure that the (original) Tex Ritter version was available on shellack here and then. And I should have spelled it darlin' to be faithful to him.

Cees