I would have to agree with the way Matheson describes the two alpha males in this movie Liberty Valance and Tom Doniphon. Liberty is the outlaw of the town. Both of these men believe as Matheson puts it, “In Shinbone, the individual does not enforce the law: he is the law.” Residents do not consider the Marshall an authority figure in this town; they take things into their own hands. Tom tries to make that clear to Ransom when he first enters the town injured that his law skills mean nothing out there in the west. Another interesting aspect of this film is how Tom, the cowboy, is falling for Hallie. Even though he builds the addition to his house for her, in the end, she chooses Ransom over Tom. This plays back to the tension and difficulty “The Cowboy” had with women.
When I first saw Liberty in the bar, I was a little surprised at his attire. Matheson illustrates Liberty’s attire as, “Valance’s screen image is also unrealistically static. Wearing a black hat an elaborately embroidered vest over a long sleeved white shirt and brown trousers, he papers to be a dandy dressed for a part in a drama”(895). This is exactly what I was thinking when I saw him. I felt as his clothes were a little too bold for the time and it looked as if he didn’t belong in the scene. It really made his character stand out and personally made me laugh a few times.
Ransom Stoddard brings a new character to our collection of western figures. Ransom has never experienced the west and does not understand the how society is upheld. When Ransom tries to stand up for the woman in the carriage, Liberty Valance starts to beat Ransom. Valance states, “I’ll teach you the law. Western Law.” Ransom has tough time grabbing the fact that his legal accreditation has no value in the west.
Monday, September 28, 2009
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