Shane (1953) (BD) [Blu-ray]

Shane is one of the best Westerns ever made. ALL the actors are topnotch. Van Heflin played a realistic farmer with family. The way he moved, spoke, to the detail, etc. as a caring homesteader farmer are so convincing. I don't think I ever saw him in a better role. All the pioneering neighbors were superb. You will see glimpses of Alan Ladd's son, as well. Jean Arthur, as Heflin's wife, was the perfect loving, hardworking pioneering spouse. Jack Palance was a real bad dude, and perfect. Nancy Culp from Beverly Hillbillies has a little part, as does Ellen Corby of Waltons fame. Emil Meyer was notable! Everyone was terrific. The scenes of the Grand Tetons in Wyoming are absolutely breathtaking. The color and clarity are beautiful. The hard, and sometimes violent action keeps one on the edge of ones seat, but there is so much beautiful sensitivity under all of the film. Brandon DeWilde as Heflin's young son is amazing. His expressions cannot be duplicated. How he idolizes Shane is so wonderful. And this is Alan Ladd's finest hour. Montgomery Clift, a fine actor, turned down the role. That was fate, because no one could have been as good as Alan Ladd. He is a tough guy, but, true to many of his roles, there is a sensitivity that lends to his dimensionality. He is dynamic, charismatic, and all he ever was in any of his characterizations. You also know, by the way Shane compliments the wife when she serves the meal, by his supper manners, and by the way he dances, that he must have been taught a bit of spit and polish; another reason to question Shane's origin. Also, yes, Joey gets on your nerves a bit. But what precocious kid does not. A bland child would not have brought anything to the film. There is also much talk about the ending. It can be interpreted several ways. For me, there is only one resolution as to what happened. But to each his own. I will not give it away. The character of Shane tugs at ones heart. No one should miss this Western. It is really so much the history of our country. It is a must see! It is one of the most highly rated Westerns to this day. Don't miss it, especially on Kino Lorber blu-ray. The commentary is a must listen.

“Shane” is one of the greatest Westerns and has held that assessment since it first came out in 1953. It’s near the top of most lists along with films like “The Searchers” and “High Noon”. This is because everyone involved in it was at the top of their game and believed in the picture. Paramount gave it an enormous (for a Western) 1.5 million dollar budget and assigned its top people to the project. Director George Stevens, one of the greats of the classic era, was one of those versatile directors like Howard Hawks who could handle any genre. On the surface, a director known for thirties comedies and films like “Alice Adams”, Katharine Hepburn’s breakthrough film and “Swing Time” the greatest of the Astaire/Rogers musicals would not seem to be the guy to direct a Western, but he had the skill and did it superbly. The writers of the screenplay and the book it was based on were both steeped in the genre and both wrote major Western novels. The original novel by Jack Schaefer was an expansion of his three-part serialized story, “Rider From Nowhere”, published in Argosy magazine in the summer of 1946, which contained all of the essential characters and plot elements. It stood out from the beginning for its serious tone and language in what was basically a pulp magazine. Schaefer wrote over a dozen Western novels including “Monte Walsh”. A.B. Guthrie wrote the screenplay and was brought in just for the film. He was not normally a screenwriter but a well-known Western novelist who was known for “The Big Sky” and the Pulitzer Prize winning, “The Way West”. Guthrie’s novels were usually set in the Montana-Wyoming area and he lived on a ranch in Teton County, Montana. Alan Ladd was at the peak of his career at this time. He had spent many frustrating years in Hollywood until his agent and future wife Sue Carol got him a contract and his breakout role in “This Gun for Hire” (1942). He had to fight against the industry’s ideal of the tall, dark leading man as he was relatively short (5’7”) and blond. For this reason he was paired in seven films with the 5’2” Veronica Lake, with whom he also had great chemistry. He became a major star playing tough guys in noir and action films, aided by his deep and resonant voice and ability to play troubled characters. He brings strength, mystery and a kind side to Shane, a man with an unknown past that seems to have included being a gunfighter. He’s the man with no name - we never learn if he’s using his given name - one of the archetypes of Westerns and hero tales in general. Jean Arthur had been one of the queens of screwball comedy, so she seems an unlikely choice for a Western, but Stevens had directed her in two films and liked her. Though very subdued compared to her early performances, she’s warm and tender as Marian Starrett, a more complex character than the usual pioneer mother as she is obviously very attracted to Shane but also totally devoted to her husband and child. At one point she tells her son, “He’s a fine man. Yes, I like him too, Joey” with all the nuance that the boy can’t pick up but the audience can. This was her last film role. Van Heflin is Joe Starrett, husband and father and the man who sees good in Shane and allows him to stay with the family on their homestead. He played every type of role in the 1940s and after and is convincing as the kind of man who would bring his family to settle in 1880s Wyoming Territory. Fans may notice that once again he has to see his cinematic wife dance with another man as he did in 1949’s “Madame Bovary”, only this time under more pleasant circumstances. Their son, Joey is the teller of the story in the novel and contrary to the usual movie, here is a central character who develops a hero-worshiping relationship with Shane. This is a big part to entrust to a ten-year-old child, but Brandon deWilde came through with wonderful reactions and sincerely spoken lines, especially his famous last words. He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his work (it was an honor being put in with the adults but I’d have preferred them giving one of those small statuettes they formerly awarded child actors without competition). Jack Palance had just gotten his big break in the previous year’s “Sudden Fear” and cemented his villainous image in “Shane”. He’s frightening as gunslinger Jack Wilson in his black hat as he slowly saunters into town and when he first enters the bar, even the dog gets up and leaves. He doesn’t overplay it either, being menacingly quiet much of the time and seems to find killing a game. He too was nominated as Best Supporting Actor. In a smaller role, Western stalwart Ben Johnson adds to the film as a bad guy with a change of heart. The story is set during the historic Range War known as the Johnson County War, a setting for several other films. It’s the frequently told conflict between farmer settlers and cattle barons and the issue was fences and water. (Historically this was the opposite of the usual in places from Ancient Rome to Medieval Europe where wealthy landowners increased the size of their holdings by enclosing public land with fences while here it was the farmers putting up fences, legally according to the Homestead Acts). This was a regional “war” going on in Montana and Wyoming with a mix of organized rustling gangs, wealthy and politically connected ranchers and European settlers who the ranchers didn’t mind being included with the rustlers when they began hiring gunslingers. It’s too long to go into here but eventually it even included President Benjamin Harrison sending in the cavalry to rescue gunmen who were trapped on the ranches by a posse of over 200 men sent by the State Legislature. The scope was narrowed, of course, because they wanted to make a dramatic film, not a documentary.Though the film takes the side of the homesteaders, who after all, were following the law and not hiring gunmen, it does give big rancher Morgan Riker a chance to explain the ranchers’ side, “We built the range”. A big part of the film is its magnificent location, and the cinematography by Lloyd Griggs, which was the only winner among the film’s six Academy Award nominations. It was the year of “From Here To Eternity” which won 8 of the 13 categories and was more Academy-friendly in the early 50s when Westerns were considered a lesser type of film). The jagged Tetons give the film a mythical aspect and they are almost always present in the background. They are as important here as John Ford’s Monument Valley. It’s a setting for gods and heroes, not mortal men. Finally there’s the wonderful score by Victor Young, one of his best known and most beautiful. Titled “The Call of the Faraway Hills” it’s in the earlier folk-based style of western music before “The Big Country” (1958) and “The Magnificent Seven” (1960) established Aaron Copeland-styled music as the sound of the film Western. It is open and beautiful and seems to flow all around you. It in fact, plays almost throughout the film at an almost unheard level, only asserting itself when necessary. The music absolutely soars during the tree stump scene and becomes a menacing, brassy and pounding march when Shane goes to town for the final showdown. For Marian he inserted a sweet Polish dance tune originally titled “La Varsovienne” and in 19th century America “Put Your Little Foot”, representing feminine warmth and domesticity. There is so much going on in this film and so many nice touches. It’s Joey who first sees Shane approaching while he is about to shoot a deer (we do not know yet that his rifle isn’t loaded and so are tense about it). Shane is shown to be a heroic, almost magical hero by the deer being “saved” by running away when it hears him approaching. The camera then shows Shane from Joey’s perspective in one of its most famous shots, looking up at a larger than life figure against a vast blue sky. When Shane begins to teach Joey how to handle a gun and shoot, he shows amazing dexterity with it, signaling as did his reaction to hearing Joey cock his rifle earlier, that he has far more familiarity and skill with it than even the average cowboy. Later in the scene he notes, “A gun is just a tool. A gun is as good as the man using it, Marian. No better or no worse than any tool, an ax, a shovel, anything. Remember that.” This is the only peek we get at his possible gunfighter past. It’s brought up again when Ryan tells him, “Gunfighter, your time is over.” To which Shane answers, “What about yours? The difference is I know it.” Shane is different from the homesteaders and can’t settle down with them. Within the film he feels that “There’s no living with a killing” But beyond that, as a mythic hero he’s done. He came where help was needed and now he must move on.

Shane is widely regarded as one of the finest American films ever made, and makes virtually every list of the top ten westerns. Inspired by the Johnson County War, an actual incident in the area around Casper, Wyoming in 1892, Shane is re-located to the stunningly scenic Jackson Hole area in the northwest corner of the state. Here the days of the open range are coming to an end, and homesteaders are establishing small farms and ranches --- and building fences. This does not sit well with the few large cattle ranchers, who determine to push the settlers out, violently if necessary. These are not the cardboard characters so typical of many early westerns. The farmers are not all resolute, sober and hard-working; and the ranchers' viewpoint is presented as not being entirely due to villainy, but rather to their perception of precedence and sacrifice that gives them superior rights. Into this contested landscape rides Shane, Alan Ladd in his best role of a long career. He is quiet, with a ready smile, but with a tightly coiled inner tension created by his life's experiences, which are only hinted at. Seldom has a film outlined its narrative elements so clearly and so quickly. Within the first ten minutes you know the protagonists on both sides, and the stakes of winning or losing. You also learn as much as you will ever know about Shane's history, from his reaction to hearing the cocking of a rifle. In Germany, Shane is known as "My Great Friend Shane", based on the hero worship by Joey, the farm boy played by Brandon deWilde in an Academy Award nominated role. The boy's parents are portrayed by Van Heflin and Jean Arthur. At the age of 50, Arthur came out of retirement at the request of director George Stevens and very believably acted the part of a woman in her early 30s. Another Academy Award nomination went to Jack Palance, in only his third film role, as the hired gun Wilson. High Noon, filmed and released in 1952, is often considered to be the ground-breaking "modern" western. But Shane was filmed a year earlier, in 1951, obsessively edited by George Stevens for almost a year during 1952, and finally released in 1953. Upon its release it was promoted by Paramount Studios as the first "widescreen" movie, neglecting to mention the early experiments of 1930. Shane was not filmed in the widescreen format of 1.66 to 1, but in the standard "Academy ratio" of 1.37 to 1, then masked in the projector to change its shape to 1.66 and "zoomed" to fill the screen. This process resulted in the loss of almost one-fifth of the image, but the public didn't seem to mind because the novelty of widescreen was exciting. Cinematographer Loyal Griggs won the 1953 Academy Award for his photography, and to lose nearly 20% of the meticulously composed images would be tragic. The new Blu-ray high definition restoration of Shane, released in August of 2013, restores not only the color and the clarity of the film, but also the undiminished full image. This is a great restoration of a superb film on the occasion of its sixtieth anniversary, bringing new life to an old classic.

The DVD transfer is very good and the Technicolor is vivid and clean. The costuming is authentic and the sets are perfect. The outdoor locations are a wonder in color. If you think that a movie made over 50 years ago isn't worth your time, think again. No Western ever made is better. Trust me, I have literally hundreds of Westerns in my collection. The story begins with drifter Shane (Alsn Ladd) riding up to a farm where Joe Starrett (Van Heflin), his wife, Marian (Jean Arthur) and son Joey (Brandon De Wilde) toil to make a farm from nothing. At first, Shane is perceived as a villian and is told to ride on but when he comes back to aid the family in a confrontation with the antagonists, ranchers led by Rufus Ryker (Emile Meyer), Shane is welcomed and hired to help with the farm. From there the story unfolds as both a struggle between factions, farmers and ranchers, and a study of a man seeking to escape his past. We are never told exactly what that past is but it becomes evident that Shane was a gunfighter. Shane joins the struggle as if the cause was his own. There is a growing attraction between Shane and Marian Starrett that stays as it should, just an attraction. Young Joey is anamored with Shane, his confidence and his prowness with a gun. When Shane goes into town to pick up fencing, he encounters the Rykers and walks away from a fight even after being insulted by Chris Calloway (Ben Johnson). The rancers continue to harass the farmers, driving one off and bringing doubt and debate to the rest of the group. When the farmers return to town together to pick up supplies, Shane answers Calloway's challenge with a rousing barroom brawl in which he and Joe seem to get the best of a larger group. The fight inspires the farmers to press on. One farmer, Frank "Stonewall" Torrey (Elisha Cook, Jr.), goes to the bar to drink whiskey. His new found courage, brought about by the victorious fight scene, leads him to challange a hired gun, Jack Wilson (Jack Palance). Frank is shot dead. The tension builds until Joe decides he must go to town to meet Ryker but Shane knows Joe cannot handle the gunfighter. Shane and Joe engage in one of the best fight scenes you will ever see in a movie. Shane wins but shakes little Joey's admiration when he hits big Joe with his gun. The final confrontation between Shane and the ranchers with the gunfighter is a classic with no wasted histrionics or undo hype. Director George Stevens crafted a masterpiece film which has stood the test of time. The ensemble cast could not be better and if there are highlight performances, they belong to Jean Arthur and Jack Palance. Highly recommended for all audiences except the youngest children.

Good old western. Glad it was still available.

Warner's release this week of "SHANE"(just in time for it's 60th Anniversary)on Blu-ray should be a cause for celebration for anyone who loves classic Westerns. Through an arrangement with Paramount, the team at Warner's has done an exceptional job in restoring this George Stevens masterpiece to it's original glory. If you own the standard DVD or even have an old VHS copy in your collection then you seriously need to get rid of them and upgrade to this stunning new Blu-ray from Warner's Home Video. "SHANE" has never looked better and I've owned all formats(except Laserdisc) of this classic Western over the years. "SHANE" won an Oscar for it's Technicolor cinematography by Loyal Griggs and it is all the more breathtaking when you watch this new Blu-ray presentation. Stevens had Griggs use long lenses when filming outdoors in Wyoming and the Grand Teton mountains look even more majestic in Blu-ray than previous home versions of the film. If George Stevens had gotten his original choice of actors, "SHANE" may have looked at lot different. How about this for a cast: Montgomery Clift(as Shane), William Holden(as Joe Starrett) and Katherine Hepburn(as Marian Starrett)! As fate would have it, none were available. Having seen the film many times over the years I can't really imagine anyone else in the roles but Alan Ladd, Van Heflin and Jean Arthur(her final film appearance). In fact, it's the expert casting that makes "SHANE" one of the greatest Westerns ever made. Future Oscar winners Jack Palance(as Wilson) and Ben Johnson(as Chris) are just as good in their supporting roles. Besides the exceptional Blu-ray picture, one thing that stands out is the Audio. It's loud and you can hear everything, from the violent gunshots on camera to the birds singing and dogs barking off camera. The Audio(DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 along with French and Spanish in Dolby Digital 2.0) alone would be reason enough to upgrade to Blu-ray. The only negatives I could say about this Blu-ray is that it comes in one of those Eco-cutout cases and Warner's could have done a better job with the front and back cover art. There's a photo of Alan Ladd in a Western costume on the back of the Blu-ray that he never wore in "SHANE". Don't know where the graphic artists got that from. "SHANE" is 118 minutes(Aspect ratio: 1.38:1) and contains the following subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish. Special features include a commentary by George Stevens Jr. and the Theatrical Trailer(if you really want to see the difference how stunning this Blu-ray is, watch the trailer after you watch the film). Congratulations to Warner's for making "SHANE" look stunning for it's 60th Anniversary so that it can be enjoyed by many generations to come. It's a must own and gets the highest recommendation.

This is one of the great films of all time regardless of genre. The secret lies in its brevity. There is nothing wasted on screen. The right amount of tension, drama and conflict needed for the story to work is present – nothing more, nothing less. The plot? A gunslinger-turned-farmer and his friends are harassed by a ruthless cattle baron determined to scare homesteaders away from his land. Now then, director George Stevens brought to this project an authentic depiction of violence that had seldom been seen before. He felt that he could no longer show death in the contemporary tame manner after his service in World War II. This change in approach is evident in two ways. First, actors with hidden wires attached were pulled back when struck by gunfire. Second, the sound of a canon being fired into a garbage can replaced the actual sound of a pistol shot. On the technical side, the cinematography by Loyal Griggs is handsome and breathtaking. Also noteworthy, Stevens assembled a solid veteran cast with terrific chemistry. Actor Alan Ladd is marvelous here with his calm charm and repressed demeanor. Furthermore, “Shane” is a towering achievement in minimalism and remains an ageless classic Western. BLU-RAY: This 2013 blu-ray release is somewhat disappointing. The video gets a C grade since there is lots of room for improvement, especially the night scenes which are artificially pitched too dark. I had to turn up my brightness on my TV by 50% just to be able to enjoy those day-for-night shots. I am fine with the original aspect ratio being available here, but there are enough fans of the 16 X 9 version that including both would have been the wise move. This was a bare bones disc (like the DVD), so there was plenty of room for two versions of the film as well as some film retrospectives. Unfortunately, this release is identical to the DVD release, so most consumers may want to think twice about upgrading for so little gain. The audio gets a B grade, by the way. I would love to see a studio give this film a lavish restoration like the recent blu-ray for "The Ten Commandments" (1956). But for now, this disappointing release is all that's available.

very good movie. I will watch it again. Shane doesn't do anything until the end but still a good story and actors.the movie had perfect color and played well.

Excelente película, seguramente referencia del Jinete Pálido y mas recientemente Logan. Recomendable para los amantes del género. Esta versión en blu-ray es muy buena. Difícil de conseguir.

日本発売中止のため北米版入手しました。 ラストのくだりは 確かに映像が暗いかもしれませんが、他の映像は非常にきれいです。 画質に神経質な人はダメもとで購入すればよいかと。 しかしながら、米国アマゾンでは はや300のレヴューがありそのうち240人が星5つ挙げています。 私も満足です。英語字幕は 聴覚しょうがいの方のために 牛が鳴いているとか周囲の音の説明も表示されています。 英語ブラッシュアップにも便利。 日本語吹き替えは テレビ東京で数年前放送の録画（残念ながら長時間録画モード）を見る。。 ところで 機械伯爵さんに感謝。 真っ先に役に立ったと一票入れさせていただきました。 フランスアマゾン製品は確かに日本語字幕有り、全リージョン と表示されていますね。字幕は中国語や韓国語も含む多言語対応のようですので、 遅かれ早かれアマゾンジャパンで北米版同様に輸入販売されるか、パラマウントから発売されるのを期待するのですが、下名はともかくフランスサイトで購入ボタンをクリックしました。 海外のアマゾンのアカウントを持っている方であれば、手続きは米英独等のサイトとほとんど同じ。（ただし支払い通貨を聞いてきますので選択要。） 日本発売を待てない方は フランス発売版入手された方のレヴューを待つか、自己責任でご購入を（9/11発売と表示されています）。 しかしながら、フランス語のタイトル 「失われた谷の男」とは、違和感大。 --------------------------------------------------------------- 予約注文したフランス版が 発売日から1週間以内の（早い！）9/17に届きました。 日本語字幕有ります。（韓国語選択可能のようですが中国語らしき選択メニューはありませんでした） 特典映像無し。 また、私が再生した限りでは： ・再生途中にトップメニューを選択することができませんでした。（北米版ではできる） ・北米版と比べるとディスクを挿入して再生できるようになるまで時間がかかる。（テレビやプレイヤーの故障ではなさそう） もちろん北米版同様の英語字幕が選択できるので、特典映像より日本語字幕、という方には買い、かも。 ただし送料も高いので、いつかAmazon Japanで より安価で購入できる日を待っても良いような気もします。

I have always liked the classic western of Shane. It is a real melodrama of good and evil with a brilliant visual backdrop through the film. The director shows his advanced talent in the production by including in many scenes spiritual insights that embellish the purpose of the film and bring its value to a higher level spiritually. Lots of good encounters with the young boy who holds fast the drama emotionally with strong emotional interactions with Shane and why he came into his family. Good exposure for anyone who is curious about the high the moral fiber in our character.

Un classique en HD pour les amateurs avec une distribution prestigieuse

'Shane' has always been one of my favourite westerns and the film looks (and sounds) wonderful on this Masters of Cinema blu-ray release. Directed by George Stevens in 1953, the story of Shane (played by Alan Ladd) unfolds very slowly and the shooting and violence is, very intelligently, kept to a minimum. Shane wanders into town and soon becomes involved in a fight between a group of Wyoming homesteaders and an unscrupulous cattle baron who is trying to seize their land using all the means available to him. 'Shane' is beautifully shot and at times very atmospheric. All the leading players (Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin and a very young Brandon de Wilde) are excellent. The film also features a number of first-class character actors, including Jack Palance, Elisha Cook, Jr. and Edgar Buchanan. I've heard it said that if Elisha Cook, Jr. is in it, then it must be good, 'Shane' is certainly no exception. Furthermore, the ending is unforgettable and always brings a tear to my eye. 'Shane' is a classic and deserves a place in every western collection.