The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Questions arise when Senator Stoddard attends the funeral of a local man named Tom Doniphon in a small Western town. Flashing back, we learn Doniphon saved Stoddard, then a lawyer, when he was roughed up by a crew of outlaws terrorizing the town, led by Liberty Valance. As the territory's safety hung in the balance, Doniphon and Stoddard, two of the only people standing up to him, proved to be very important, but different, foes to Valance.
Mister Arn reviewedMay 13, 2025
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is all about choices and the personal codes that shape each character’s decisions. At first glance, the film leans heavily on Western clichés, but that familiarity becomes a framework Ford uses to explore deeper themes. The standard imagery, gunslingers, dusty streets, and comic sidekicks, grounds the story, but what lingers is the tension between myth and truth, law and legend. Some of the comic relief feels a bit out of step, but it doesn't undercut the film’s weight. Ford made many great films, and this is one of his most reflective and one of his best.