The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) was referenced in an episode of Mad Men previously, so I was intrigued to see what it was about. I also recently read an internet post discussing the best westerns of all-time, and this film was mentioned often. I readily admit that westerns are a genre that I don't know a lot about. John Ford in particular always gets high praise from contemporary directors and is known as a modern master of the medium. I do know that he is excellent at using on location sets and this film has a fairly compelling storyline. My biggest complaints are stock characters like the cowardly, hedonist Sheriff and stereotypical Mexicans with their sombreros and ponchos. I think John Wayne's performance is regarded as one of his best and Jimmy Stewart also puts in a fine performance. I think I liked it more than The Searchers and Rio Bravo. I still have some more seminal Ford films to see, most notably Stagecoach.
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