SEVEN MEN FROM NOW

SEVEN MEN FROM NOW - 1956

RATED - NR but at least PG for western violence.

RATINGS - 45 Amazon (4.5/5), 5,795 Netflix (3.6/5), 827 IMDB (7.6/10).

STARRING - Randolph Scott, Gail Russell, Lee Marvin.

THEMES - Justice, relationships, honor.

STORY - First of all, this is in color and widescreen and the scenery is fantastic - the Arizona desert. This is not just a formulaic western with the good guys versus the bad guys, although it is that, too. The problem is we're not sure who the good guys are and who the bad guys are and sometimes they change. If you don't like westerns, this probably won't change your mind but if you're at all interested, this is worth watching for the complexity of the characters as well as some beautiful western background. Lee Marvin is a cool, cold blooded character like the kind he became known for. Randolph Scott is the somewhat detached ex-sheriff hunting for the seven men who held up Wells Fargo and killed his wife, an innocent bystander. Along the way he helps Gail Russell and Walter Reed, a married couple trying to get to California. Everything is not as it seems with them, also. When Lee Marvin and his sidekick join the trio, the tension mounts as you discover there was a past relationship between Marvin and Scott that still smolders. An underrated and not well known gem of a western. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 10/26/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, NY TIMES REVIEW.

SHANE

SHANE - 1953

RATED - NR but probably PG for non-graphic violence. Several all-out fist fights and a point blank shooting.

RATINGS - 164 Amazon (4.5/5), 123,588 Netflix (3.8/5), 10,006 IMDB (7.7/10), Roger Ebert (4/4).

STARRING - Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Jack Palance, directed by George Stevens.

AWARDS - Academy Award for Best Cinematography plus five nominations including Best Picture. AFI Top 100 Movies. BAFTA nominee for Best Film & Best Actor.

THEMES - Good vs. Evil, justice, community.

STORY - The film opens with the Grand Tetons in the background and Shane (Alan Ladd) riding up to a farmer (Van Heflin as Joe Starrett) working outside his home and asking permission to cross his land. The farmer's young son is playing with a gun and the noise causes Shane to react strongly. We can see that in his world he is used to watching his backside. As Shane is leaving, a group of open range ranchers ride up to intimidate Starrett and his wife (Jean Arthur as Marion Starrett) with whom they have an ongoing battle in the valley. Shane returns and with his gun and presence resolves the situation. He ends up staying and working for Starrett as a hired hand. We become more involved in the ongoing war between the community of farmers who have settled here and the ranchers who want them off the land. On the surface, it seems a classic good versus evil battle. Shane and his white hat against the hired gun of the ranchers(Jack Palance as Jack Wilson) in his black hat. But there is a lot more going on than that at different levels. Who is Shane? Where did he come from? Will the subtle but obvious chemistry between him and Marion develop into anything? How will this dispute be settled when the law "is three days away" from this remote little town with a saloon, general store, hotel and cemetery stuck in the middle of nowhere? These are people who have left everything behind (somewhere) to begin a new life, a harsh, difficult life. Sociological studies have shown that those who became 'pioneers' were often people on the fringes of society - loners, criminals, etc., people who didn't want or need the law to solve their problems. More often that not, the 'gun' became the law and those most skilled in the use of the gun were the winners. More than just a good vs. evil western, this is an entertaining look at the settling of the western frontier and the people who were involved. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 05/26/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, ROGER EBERT