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The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

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Information

Year: 1962
Runtime: 123 min.
Director: John Ford
Genres: Drama, Western
Rating *: 8.1
Votes *: 53,011
Checks: 10,646
Favs: 1,003
Dislikes: 44
Favs/checks: 9.4% (1:11)
Favs/dislikes: 23:1

* View IMDb information

Top comments

mi-16evil
A superbly acted and beautifully shot film that introduces a rather unique spin on the typical Western character: a man who abhors violence and wants to use the law to bring justice. I was surprised by the interesting view of democracy presented in this film, one that states that a country cannot be founded on violence or law alone. The two must work in harmony so that neither lose their effectiveness. A great film for all Western (and film) fans. 13 years 4 months ago
Scratch47
An amazing, tense and poignant depiction of the twilight of the Wild West, before it succumbed to the desperate, post 9/11 nihilism we've seen in the likes of No Country For Old Men. Bar perhaps the finale, this doesn't stoop to bitterness, but retains the class and subtle suggestion of the best of the golden age of film, allowing you to draw your own conclusions on the theme of how you would fight chaos. Stewart and Wayne are amazing, playing two very different types of men, neither necessarily better than the other, juxtaposed nicely against their well-drawn and stalwart female counterparts, and each get excellent scenes: Stoddard quietly rubbing out the words, 'education is the basis of law and order', Doniphan and the steak, what happens to Peabody, the final twist which leads to popping and inflating of certain balloons, Stoddard's conclusive look of reticence...Plenty of tough, resolute moments and ideas that are even more important in these most divided and coldly cynical of times, where cinema often only seems to reflect pyrrhic victory through brute force. Recommended. 12 years 2 months ago
tigh66
John Ford's darkest film, and currently my favorite western of his. John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart are perfect for their roles, and this film is a definite precursor to other revisionist westerns such as The Wild Bunch. 14 years 6 months ago

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In 16 official lists

This movie ranks #8 in IMDb's Western Top 50

IMDb's Western Top 50
8
This movie ranks #25 in IMDb's 1960s Top 50

IMDb's 1960s Top 50
25
This movie ranks #54 in BFI's 100 Westerns

BFI's 100 Westerns
54
This movie ranks #91 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films

TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…
91
This movie ranks #100 in iCheckMovies's 1960s Top 100

iCheckMovies's 1960s Top…
100
This movie ranks #118 in Sight & Sound's The Greatest Films of All Time

Sight & Sound's The Grea…
118
This movie ranks #297 in BFI's 360 Classic Feature Films Project

BFI's 360 Classic Featur…
297
This movie ranks #320 in Halliwell's Top 1000: The Ultimate Movie Countdown

Halliwell's Top 1000: Th…
320
This movie ranks #385 in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

1001 Movies You Must See…
385
This movie ranks #392 in Roger Ebert's Great Movies

Roger Ebert's Great Movi…
392
This movie ranks #476 in Emma Beare's 501 Must-See Movies

Emma Beare's 501 Must-Se…
476
This movie ranks #488 in Library of Congress's National Film Registry

Library of Congress's Na…
488
This movie ranks #495 in Jonathan Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

Jonathan Rosenbaum's Ess…
495
This movie ranks #555 in The Guardian's 1000 Films to See Before You Die

The Guardian's 1000 Film…
555
This movie ranks #621 in David Thomson's Have You Seen?

David Thomson's Have You…
621
This movie ranks #689 in Time Out's 1000 Films to Change Your Life

Time Out's 1000 Films to…
689