Stagecoach is an old-school movie in every sense of the word. The characters are stripped down, traditional, Western stereotypes. The plot is a straight-forward race through hostile territory, with drunk doctors, a pregnant woman, a dubious banker, and, oh yeah, a shoot-out at the end. It was John Ford’s first Western using sound, John Wayne’s first highly acclaimed role, and the first Western shot in beautiful Monument Valley, Utah, and all of these elements truly elevated this film to a true classic.

The film begins with a stagecoach, naturally, about to depart through the Wild West, with Geronimo leading aggressive Indian attacks against white settlers in the area. The travelers include, a pregnant army wife trying to reach her husband, a banker who just stole $50,000 from his own bank, a drunk doctor, a whiskey salesman, a Marshall, a prostitute, a southern civil war vet, and of course the legendary local cowboy, the Ringo Kid. As the going gets tough, the characters start to come together and get on each other’s nerves at the same time. With all of the building tension surrounding each character and the ever present threat of an Indian attack, once they reach their destination, the Ringo Kid aims to settle a score with a trio of brothers who killed his father and brother.

Stagecoach is a truly entertaining film, with many memorable characters, and scenery. John Wayne steals every scene he is in, and his entrance is legendary in every way. The incredible, sweeping landscapes are contrasted nicely by the confined stagecoach. Despite all of the wide open space, the characters are forced to stay close to each other, for better or worse. The film really has good balance, each character is important and developed, there is great pacing between the action and the buildup, and there is even a hint of romance that really seems natural.

Stagecoach is one of the most definitive Western films of all time, from which all other Westerns borrow or flat out copy. Despite the fact the film was made over 70 years ago, it is still an exciting, thrilling movie that any film fan could still enjoy. This film is where it all begins, and a must see for any Western fan. The only reason this movie doesn’t get a 10 from me, is it’s just not as good the true Western elites such as The Searchers or The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a very complex Western that pits a traditional gun-slinging setting with a reformist mindset and the resulting tensions are intriguing and exciting. The movie stars two of the biggest stars ever, Wayne and Stewart, as conflicting protagonists with different views of how to handle a ruthless outlaw. The depth of the main characters immensely adds to the drama as the plot builds to a satisfying finish.

The film starts out with an aging senator from Washington returning to a small town in the West to pay respects to a deceased friend. The town’s newspaper editor is dumbfounded as to why a big wig from Congress would travel so far to attend the funeral of an unremarkable rancher. The story of how the two men met is told through flashbacks set nearly 30 years ago in the same small town.

Jimmy Stewart is Ransom Stoddard, the future senator, and freshly graduated law student bent on opening a small practice in the fairly lawless town of Shinbone. His stagecoach is robbed by the ruthless Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) who operates with impunity as the local sheriff is a fat, drunk man who is visibly scared of Valance. Ransom wants to bring the man to justice, but local ranch hand (John Wayne), the local hero, knows the only way to deal with a man like Valance is with a gun. The two man battle ideologies, Liberty Valance, and for the heart of a local women (Vera Miles).

The film is all about contrast. Jimmy Stewart is a small, intelligent, well-spoken lawyer from the East. John Wayne is a large, respected, local cowboy. The townsfolk respect both men in very different ways. One represents the changes of a modernizing, growing Western town, while the other symbolizes the traditional, independent, cowboy way of the old Wild West. The ideal of law enforcement, the town sheriff, is a travesty of authority, easily manipulated and scared. Even the title is a contrast, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance seems like a straight-forward spoiler title, but even that is called into question as the plot twists and turns, as each man becomes more polarized.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is the kind of intelligent Western that can really draw in a viewer and is an excellent choice for a movie fan looking to start enjoying Western films. Great acting and direction sets an entertaining pace which makes it easy to see why this movie is considered a classic.