Film Review
Film director Sam Peckinpah has described
Shane as the greatest of all
westerns. Whilst not everyone may share this opinion, George
Stevens' adaptation of Jack Schaefer's popular 1949 novel set in stone
much of the iconography of the classic western and also laid the groundwork
for the modern western. The film's timeless appeal comes from its
raw lyrical quality and the fact that it deals with universal themes,
such as society's need for role models, the tyranny of those who pursue
profit to the exclusion of all else, and man's eternal struggle against his nomad
instinct. Unlike many westerns of its era,
Shane has a modernity in both its
look and its subject matter that continues to make it relevant, more
than half a century after it was made
George Stevens used this film to reflect his own traumatic experiences
of combat in WWII. In contrast to virtually all previous
westerns,
Shane shows what a
gun can do in real life, fell a man with a single bullet.
Audiences were shocked by the film's realistic gunfire acoustics, since
earlier films had tended to mute the sound of gun shots to a fraction
of what would be heard in reality. Similarly, the fight sequences
have an unprecedented violence, with none of the slightly comical
playfulness that is apparent in the early westerns.
Shane was one of the first films of
its genre to show violence as something that was both ugly and painful,
not something to be treated lightly or emulated in the playground.
Stevens' first choice for the role of Shane was Montgomery Clift,
whilst William Holden and Katharine Hepburn were slated for the parts
of Joe and Marian Starrett. When Clift and Holden pulled
out, Stevens was persuaded by Paramount to make use of their contract
players, Alan Ladd and Van Heflin, neither of whom was a big star
at the time. The part of Marian went to Jean Arthur, even though
she was 50 (much older than the two male leads) and hadn't worked for
five years; this would be her last film role.
Alan Ladd was not the obvious choice for the part of Shane.
Barely five foot six, overly conscious about his limited acting skill
and prone to bouts of chronic depression, Ladd had had difficulty
finding the roles that would have made him a star. George Stevens
knew instinctively he was perfect for the part of the taciturn lone
gunman and was proved right. Ladd's quiet brooding presence
haunts the film and lends it a subtle tragic quality that perhaps came
from the actor's own tormented existence. This is the performance
that made Alan Ladd a Hollywood A-lister and earned him enduring
stardom, although this success would not expel his inner demons nor
give him the fulfilment and self-esteem he so desperately sought.
Although
Shane is
unquestionably Alan Ladd's film (in spite of the fact that he has next
to no dialogue in it), there are equally commendable performances from
Ladd's co-stars and the well-chosen supporting artists. As the
amiable Starrett, Van Heflin makes an effective contrast with Ladd's
laconic anti-hero, personifying the qualities that Shane inwardly
yearns for but knows he can never have. Jack Palance has a
sinister presence as Wilson, the sharpshooting angel of death, which
makes the later scenes in the film particularly bleak and tense.
The film's darker tones are alternately softened and amplified by Jean
Arthur's humane portrayal of an ordinary woman who finds it hard to
cope with the male inclination for self-destruction. As the
little boy through whose eyes much of the drama is seen, Brandon De
Wilde has a captivating screen allure, convincingly conveying a child's
need for hero worship.
Shane is one of the few
westerns in which the location - the high plains near Jackson Hole,
Wyoming - is apparent in virtually every exterior shot. Through
Loyal Griggs' stunning photography, the Teton Range provides an
impressive backdrop to the story, emphasising the smallness and
vulnerability of the settlers as they continue to fight for their
little patch of Wyoming paradise. The interiors are also shot
with great style, the Rembrandt-like chiaroscuro helping to sustain the
solemn mood as the tension between the ranchers and the homesteaders
intensifies.
It is hard to believe that a film which has acquired an almost mythic
status was once thought to be an expensive flop by the studio that
bankrolled it. Paramount were so concerned that
Shane would not recoup its cost
that they tried to sell it, unsuccessfully, to Howard Hughes. As
it turned out, the film was a box office hit, bolstering the reputation
not only of its star, Alan Ladd, but also that of its
producer-director, George Stevens, who was emboldened to make an even
bigger western,
Giant (1956). The
film was pretty well overlooked at the Oscars, however. Although
it was nominated in six categories, the only award it received was for
Griggs' cinematography. Alan Ladd was not even honoured with a
nomination, since Paramount refused to lobby on his behalf when he
chose to end his contract with them and work for Warner Brothers.
Shane remains one of the
all-time classics, not just of the western genre, but of Hollywood
filmmaking at its best. It is a film that is not only a
beautifully constructed piece of cinema art but also a stirring
morality tale that offers many allegorical readings. It can be
interpreted as an assault on the excesses of capitalism, a warning of
the dangers of exposing youngsters to violence, or simply an
exhortation to help our fellow man where we can. Perhaps the main
charm of this film is its moral and narrative ambiguity.
Shane is a film that allows us to
make up our own mind and read into it what we will. This could explain
why it has stood the test of time so well and remains such a potent
piece of cinema. Maybe Peckinpah was right after all.
© James Travers 2010
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next George Stevens film:
Giant (1956)