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The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
1962 | Action, Classics, Western
8.3 (4 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"In the number five position, I would — again, choosing among many possible candidates — I think I would put The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. There are John Ford westerns that are more picturesque, that are more sweeping, but that’s a movie that distills an idea of history and depicts — granted, in a kind of mythologizing way, but in a very astute and complicated way — the process of historical change in the American West. That movie is just fascinating to me, and it has sort of a dissertation’s worth of ideas in it, but they’re so well embedded and dramatized, and the performances are so interesting. Jimmy Stewart, to me, is such an interesting and in some ways misunderstood actor, because when you see him, he’s so angry so much of the time. In Winchester ’73 and even in It’s A Wonderful Life. When he comes back to the house in that movie, he says, “Why do we have all these kids anyway?” and he’s just furious."

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Awix (3310 KP) rated Witness (1985) in Movies

Feb 21, 2021  
Witness (1985)
Witness (1985)
1985 | Crime, Thriller
Very classy romantic drama-thriller. When a young Amish boy witnesses a brutal murder, it leads to detective John Book uncovering widespread corruption in his own department. He is forced to hide out amongst the Amish, and finds he is drawn to their way of life almost despite himself.

This is a classic movie, but also one of those films which looks deceptively simple and straightforward: there are no staggering plot twists, no big set pieces (except for the one where some people build a barn) - it's one of those very brave films with the confidence to take its time and let the characters and story grow and breathe. The contrast between the ugliness of the big city and the quiet consolations of the Amish lifestyle is carefully achieved; Harrison Ford seizes the chance to lead the movie and give a proper acting performance (this got him his Oscar nomination). A great film; didn't quite make me want to go and live on a farm, but a close thing.
  
The Searchers (1956)
The Searchers (1956)
1956 | Drama, Western
Landmark western (very nearly literally) from John Ford. When his brother's family are killed by Comanches and his nieces taken prisoner, soldier Ethan Edwards (Wayne) and his brother's adopted son set off in pursuit. The son wants to rescue the girls, but just what does Edwards have in mind...?

On one level this is another colourful, slightly cheesy and rather sentimental 1950s western - but on another it has a darkness to it which is quite surprising, for all that this moral ambiguity arguably eventually consumed the genre. It's a film about racism and an obsessive desire for vengeance - the Native Americans in this film are given a degree of depth and generally treated respectfully, but the film is honest about the savage conflict between them and the colonial population, and Wayne's mania for revenge, though understated, is clear. The film's subtexts about the importance of family and what it means to be an American are well-presented, though no doubt problematic for many modern viewers. Still, this is a hugely important and influential western and probably a great movie too.