The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

When you think about genres of classical Hollywood films that have aged badly, chances are westerns are the first to spring to mind. They’re often chock-full of distasteful racial stereotypes and atrocious treatment of women and indigenous people, the list could go on. This is often why it’s a genre I tend not to engage with very often. After viewing John Ford’s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), I was surprised to notice that it presented very few of the harmful stereotypes often found in westerns of the times. While there are a few instances throughout the film that may not have aged well, it has stood the test of time a lot better than other films of John Ford. It’s interesting that a film that challenges the conventions of the genre is made by the director synonymous with it. 

The film follows Senator Ransom ‘Ranse’ Stoddard (Jimmy Stewart), who returns to the small town of Shinbone with his wife, Hallie (Vera Miles), to attend the funeral of his close friend, Tom Doniphon (John Wayne). The high-profile politician’s appearance in the town stirs up the locals, particularly the press, all dying to know what has brought him to this man’s funeral. Ranse begins to tell the tale of the confrontation Tom and he had with the titular Liberty Valance. As the story unfolds, the film feels more akin to the narrative of a film noir than a western as the tension wraps up and we get closer to figuring out who shot Liberty Valance. The films of the western normally unspool in chronological order without too much deviation from this tradition. This film switches between the past and the present, perhaps as a reminder to the audience of the time about how much things have changed. The once great and respected Tom Doniphon has all but been forgotten about and the townspeople need to be reminded of his importance. This can be easily compared to the waning interest American audiences were experiencing with the western itself. John Ford is considered as a pioneer of the western, helming iconic films such as Stagecoach and The Searchers. What was once one of the staple genres of the industry was now something they had to be reminded of, and what better director to remind them. 

Famously a genre that explores myths and legends, and Ford is most obviously aware of this when a character proclaims “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”, the western often builds its excitement through larger than life, heroic, legendary characters, something Tom Doniphon would have been in his heyday. Now, he’s a man the town (and the world) has forgotten. This feels like character progression for Ford as a director as he acknowledges the fun of the myths and legends aspect of westerns but by the end he acknowledges that the world is moving forward and perhaps so should the genre.  Arriving at the tail-end of Ford’s career, he would pass away little more than a decade after Liberty Valance’s release. The film can be seen as his nostalgic presentation of a genre he had helped to define which, at the time, was beginning to wane in popularity after its heyday. 

One of the most common tropes of the western that Ford subverts here is the romanticisation of the past. The western was famously a genre that looked to the past and the heroes it depicted with rose coloured lenses. Ford acknowledges the world is moving forward in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. This is seen through the narrative which is the majority told through flashback. The viewer is constantly made aware of the advancements of the world, be it in politics (taking the law into your own hands is something on the way out), industries or transportation. Stoddard may be looking back fondly on the world he and his friend once lived in, but there is no denying that world has since all but vanished. This can clearly be seen as a metaphor for modern audiences looking back fondly but moving beyond the western, at least for the time being. The figure of the outlaw was something once depicted as heroic in the western, here the outlaw is the villain, a scenery chewing Lee Marvin. The hero of this film is a law-abiding strait-laced James Stewart, while forced into going above the law for justice, he still reverts to the lawful role of senator by the films end. Something the viewer is keenly aware of from the get-go.  

The depiction of women in Liberty Valance is something that is a far cry from previous depictions in Ford’s films. It’s worth noting that this film is based on a short story written by a woman, Dorothy M. Johnson. Perhaps this woman’s touch is what some of Ford’s other films were missing. Although a beloved Irish favourite, I don’t think it can be argued that The Quiet Man’s depiction and treatment of women is anything short of horrendous. Gone are the days of John Wayne man-handling women and treating them as slaves. Here, Ford presents a depiction of a stronger woman with a bit more agency and personality. Although, it should be noted there are some very progressive depictions to be found too… if you look hard enough. Vera Miles imbues her role with strength and dignity, not simply allowing her role to become a point in a love triangle.  

Although the genre is gaining popularity again 60 years after Liberty Valance’s release thanks to the likes of Jane Campion’s masterful The Power of the Dog, the western is something often associated with classical Hollywood film. To an extent, films such as Chloé Zhao’s emotional shattering Nomadland, another Oscar winning Western. It’s clear that the future of the western is female. Campion’s film leans towards old tropes but also welcomes a queer twist for a usually painfully heterosexual genre. Zhao’s film is looking towards the future of what the western could be. We still get the gorgeous visuals that are akin to a Ford film while also getting the heartbreaking commentary on where America is today. 

When one thinks of a western film, chances are you will think of a film by John Ford, he has become synonymous with the genre for good reason. While The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance may not contain the sweeping vistas of The Searchers, it contains twice the tension and heart and is a heart-breaking tale of a man time forgot. While it received a somewhat tepid response upon initial release, Liberty Valance is deservedly gaining a reputation of one of the unsung heroes and Ford’s legendary career as something both nostalgic yet hopeful for the future of the western, which as we’ve seen lately is in very safe hands.