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It must
be one of the most iconic Westerns ever. It has to be. The image of Marshall Kane (Gary Cooper) walking down the street in
his town is recognizable even if you haven't seen the film. And it's a good film, however not a great film. Much of the movie
revolves around Kane attempting to band men together to confront a returning convicted murderer who is out for revenge upon
Kane for arresting him and condemning him to die. And aside from the wedding at the beginning of the film and the gunfight
at the end, there is not much of a plot. Nothing much happens after the telegram arrives proclaiming Frank Miller's arrival
until Kane confronts Miller and his men at the end. The characters are hard to sympathize with as well. We root for Kane because
he is the hero and we feel sorry for him because he is almost certainly going to die and no one will help him (they are too
selfish and would rather live than help a friend), but we don't know much about him other than he was formally marshall of
Hadleyville and he is recently married (other things are implied, such as a past relationship with Mrs. Rodriguez and trouble
with the Miller gang, but not explicitly stated). His new wife isn't very likable either. She would much rather run off with
Kane rather than let him fulfil his need for duty and remain in the town. She is selfish and refuses to support him even when
he needs her the most. It is implied that they reconcile at the end when they leave town together, but something will have
to be done in the future about their previous quarrel. We also don't like the townsfolk, for they refuse to back Kane and
help him with his mission (they are even so shallow as to place bets on his life and try to determine how long he will last
in the fight). Miller and his men are not truly despicable villains, but as is natural with films (particularly Westerns,
especially Westerns from the era this film was made during) we want the bad guys to lose and the good guys to win. Kane does
triumph, but he must do so alone. He represents the iconic Western hero so noticeable in Western films: he stands alone against
the villain (even though here Kane looks for support) even when he can't find help; he is brave even if he is fearful; and
he has a strong sense of duty and loyalty to others. Loyalty is what brings Kane back to town to face Miller, loyalty to his
town and townsfolk, loyalty to his job as marshall, and even loyalty to himself. It's a classic Western film with a classic
ending (a gunfight in the street), although I was expecting a showdown and quick-draw fight rather than a sneek-attack fight
(Kane and the Miller gang face off by hiding behind buildings and in barns rather than actually facing each other; at one
point Miller sets fire to a barn and smokes out Kane so that he may kill the marshall). I was cheering for Kane throughout
the film and certainly felt sorry for him and angry at the other characters (especially his good friend Harvey) when they
refused to help him. One thing must be said for Harvey: even though he will not confront Miller along with Kane, Harvey is
so determined to save his friend's life and keep him from fighting that he punches Kane and knocks him out, then attempts
to tie him to a horse and send the horse off away from the town. True Harvey is drunk during this scene, but it still shows
his loyalty and desperation to keep Kane from his suicide mission. Some of the acting in the film seems a little wooden, but
it is important to keep in mind that acting and directing ideals were different in early Hollywood than they are today. Still,
Cooper is entertaining and likeable as Kane, but it was awkward that Kane marries a woman (the lovely Grace Kelly) who is
obviously much younger than him. The film was not boring by any means, but it didn't hold my attention as much as I thought
it would. If you like Western films, do not miss this one. It is certainly not the best Western, but it is iconic and is a
forerunner for many later Westerns. It is a classic and not to be missed.
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