SHANE (Masters of Cinema) STANDARD EDITION (BLU-RAY)

Seen this movie years ago and always liked it , so now i am glad to have it on blu ray as it is a classic

Films such as this set the stage for the Westerns to follow, back in the 50's and 60's Westerns were what 'Sci-Fi' has becometo today's movie fans.Often starring childhood hero's such as 'Alan Ladd' ...'Shane' is seen by many as one of the all-time 'Classic' Westerns.A drifter 'Shane' rides onto a homestead seeking only for a cup of water, the owner 'Joe Starrett' (Van Heflin) is at first suspiciousof the stranger because he seems to quick to re-act to quickly to his son 'Joey' (Brandon De Wilde) cocking his unloaded rifle.'Joe' asks 'Shane' to leave when riders approach not wanting to encourage any trouble, it's land-baron 'Ryker' (Emile Meyer) andhis men.....'Ryker' wants 'Joe' and his family along with all the other homesteader's off the lands they'd staked a claim on, he washere before them and see's the lands as his.....'Shane' hadn't left the property and stood alongside 'Joe' as 'Ryker' had his say.'Joe's' wife 'Marian' (Jean Arthur) suggests that 'Shane' share's a meal with them and beds down for the night in the barn.Some while ago 'Joe' employed help, 'Ryker' had scared them off, though 'Shane' has no roots the offer of a job and a place to stayfor a while seems like a good idea.When riding into town to collect a few supplies 'Shane' is given a cold reception by one or two of 'Ryder's' men and told by 'Calloway'(Ben Johnson) to stay away from town, 'Shane' knows the score but the retired gun-fighter walks away...this time.'Rylker' see's 'Joe' as the main obstacle in his attempt to drive the homesteaders off their lands, he's the one person holding themtogether, without him, they would all leave.'Ryker' decides to hire himself a gunman to ensure he reclaims the lands in the shape of 'Jack Wilson' (Jack Palance ( who back then still carried the name 'Walter' ahead of 'Jack' on the credits)After taunting and killing one of the homesteaders 'Stonewall' Torrey (Elisha Cook jnr) 'Joe' to keep the homesteaders from runningfor the hills decides to face 'Ryker' and his killer 'Wison' however drifter 'Shane' knows his friend cannot out-gun 'Wilson''Shane' will set out to stand alone against 'Ryker' and his hired gun.This is truly a Classic-Western from yester-year that many will remember admiring as a child perhaps....it's old-school, typical of thosethat graced our cinema's back in 1953 and beyond.There are some well-staged fist-fights along the way leading to the final showdown.Good Upgrade to the Blu-ray format.This is a two-disc set which offers viewing in 1,37:1 on disc one, 1.66:1 in either mono or stereo on disc two.(Sub-Titles for the hard of hearing)Audio-Commentary by George Stevens jr. and producer Ivan Moffat - and Video interview with scholar Neil Sinyard.Complete Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of Shane - plus original Theatrical Trailer.The package also comes with a 36-page booklet....with writings from film-criitc Penelope Huston and an unpublished interview withStevens........and more.

The simple story of a Wyoming range war is elevated to near-mythical status in producer/director George Stevens' Western classic Shane. Alan Ladd plays the title character, a mysterious drifter who rides into a tiny homesteading community and accepts the hospitality of a farming family. Patriarch Joe Starrett (Van Heflin) is impressed by the way Shane handles himself when facing down the hostile minions of land baron Ryker (played by Emile Meyer), though he has trouble placing his complete trust in the stranger, as Starrett's wife Marion (Jean Arthur) is attracted to Shane in spite of herself, and his son Joey (Brandon De Wilde) idolises Shane. When Ryker is unable to drive off the homesteaders by sheer brute strength, he engages the services of black-clad, wholly evil hired gun Jack Wilson (Jack Palance). The moment that Wilson shows he means business by shooting down hotheaded farmer Frank Torrey (Elisha Cook Jr.). This is the film's most memorable scene: after years of becoming accustomed to carefully choreographed movie death scenes, the suddenness with which Torrey's life is snuffed out, and the force with which he falls to the ground - are startling. Shane knows that a showdown with Wilson is inevitable; he also knows that, unintentionally, he has become a disruptive element in the Starrett family. The manner in which he handles both these problems segues into the now-legendary "Come back, Shane" finale. Cinematographer Loyal Griggs imbues this no-frills tale with the outer trappings of an epic, forever framing the action in relation to the unspoiled land surrounding it. A.B. Guthrie Jr.'s screenplay, adapted from the Jack Schaefer novel, avoids the standard good guy/bad guy cliche: both homesteaders and cattlemen are shown as three-dimensional human beings, flaws and all, and even ostensible villain Ryker comes off reasonable and logical when elucidating his dislike of the "newcomers" who threaten to divest him of his wide open spaces.George Stevens' classic Western "Shane" stars Alan Ladd in one of his most memorable screen performances. Beautifully filmed in Technicolor in the great Wyoming outdoors, under the towering peaks of the Grand Tetons, it may be said to be a rich and dramatic mobile painting of the American frontier scene.Like other Westerns, "Shane" deals with the genre's perennial issues and embodies its basic social types: the "man of action" (Alan Ladd), the "anti-violent pacifist" (Van Hefflin), "the hired-gun and incarnation of evil" (Jack Palance), the "naive wife-mother" (Jean Arthur), who initially resents the stranger for teaching her son how to handle a gun, until she realises its necessity. The movie features two parallel stories: the social conflict between hard-working farmers and just as stubborn ranchers, and the mythic confrontation between right and wrong, good vs evil.Splendid in every way, "Shane" is one of the most poetic American films about childhood and growing up. The film features breathtaking cinematography, which won an Oscar Award."Shane" is one of those rare films that achieved both critical acclaim and box-office popularity. Released right after the psychological and introspective High Noon, some critics saw it as a refreshing return to classic American issues of "man against man" and "man against nature" in the construction of the West - in reality and myth.Oscar Nominations: 6Oscar Awards: 1 (Best Cinematography)DVD extras include: Original theatrical trailer, limited-edition film poster, chapter selection & language options. Aspect ratio is full-frame.