- Film Review
- Reviewed By Tony Sloman
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5 out of 5
If you've never seen it, Shane is a revelation, a marvellous distillation of all that is fine about Hollywood cinema. A great director (George Stevens) takes on a familiar genre (the western) and imbues it with a vision that is both personal and universal. Sweeping you up via Loyal Griggs's Technicolor photography and Bill Hornbeck and Tom McAdoo's magnificent editing, it tells the story of a man, a woman and, especially, a boy, whose lives are changed by the stranger dressed in buckskin who rides on to their farm. Alan Ladd gives the performance of a lifetime in the title role; not an obvious choice, he is superb, and the rest of the cast are also impeccable, notably Jean Arthur as the married woman whose relationship with Shane is subtly understated. Victor Young's score is exceptional, his majestic main theme lingering long after the movie is over. This is one of the finest American motion pictures, brilliantly constructed and beautifully filmed, and a constant source of pleasure.
Plot Summary
Classic western starring Alan Ladd. Wyoming during the 1890s. The bitter feud between homesteaders and rival cattlemen grows stronger. Amid the unrest, hard-working Joe Starrett, his wife and young son, try to stand their ground against the brutal Ryker gang. Then into the conflict rides Shane, an enigmatic stranger with a mysterious past as a gunfighter.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Shane
- Alan Ladd
- Marion Starrett
- Jean Arthur
- Joe Starrett
- Van Heflin
- Joey Starrett
- Brandon de Wilde
- Wilson
- Jack Palance
- Chris
- Ben Johnson
- Lewis
- Edgar Buchanan
- Ryker
- Emile Meyer
- Torrey
- Elisha Cook Jr
- Mr Shipstead
- Douglas Spencer
- Morgan
- John Dierkes
- Mrs Torrey
- Ellen Corby
Crew
- Director
- George Stevens
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