George Stevens directs Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur and Jack Palance in this classic western.

A pure western. What makes Shane fascinating is also its only flaw. A blatant flaw but also the point of the project. Christ, that kid is annoying. And I know the movie is from his immature perspective. He idolises the gun slinging drifter rather than his equally heroic father. Can’t notice that Shane is suffering from PTSD, can’t even notice when his hero’s way of the gun ends with him dying. Palance’s villain is terrifying in this. Great location shoot. The muddy streets of the small makeshift town predict the revisionist western by at least 15 years. Shane has the genre goods but it is how everything Steven’s does is a little more cautious, begrudging that makes it stand the test of time. The shaking noise of that first, delayed gunshot. Makes you sit bolt upright.

8

Perfect Double Bill: Broken Arrow (1950)

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