Shane (1953)
Director: George Stevens
Starring: Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin
Synopsis:
A drifter takes a job as a farmhand amid tensions with a cattle baron seeking to drive out the homesteaders.
Impressions:
This is one of the best Westerns ever made and a strong film regardless of genre. The basic plotline isn't particularly unique, but it's executed extremely well. Alan Ladd is superb as the title character, showing a good range as a man trying to leave his old life behind. Van Heflin is also quite good as Joe Starett, the de facto leader of the homesteaders. And while his time onscreen is brief, Jack Palance leaves a strong impression as the hired gun Jack Wilson. Jean Arthur is a little more of a mixed bag in her final performance, but I think that's more a matter of the script than the actress. The kid can be annoying, but that's kid characters in movies for you. This one definitely deserves to be seen, so go see it.
Watch It