Steven Spielbergonce famously said thatsuperhero movies are bound to “go the way of the Western,”and his comment is reflective of the similarities between the two genres; the notion of exciting gunslingers fighting for justice while dealing with the all-consuming nature of heroism is one that storytellers at Marvel and DC have been utilizing for years. If there’s any of Marvel’s creative filmmakers who knows that better than anyone it’sJames Mangold,who already has a modern western classic under his belt.
Mangold utilizes a high level of Western archetypes and stylistic flourishes with his 2017 masterpieceLogan, but calls out one Western in particular as theone that inspired the final chapterin the story ofHugh Jackman’s Wolverine.Shaneis cited as a childhood favorite of Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), and it’s easy to see why both the world’s smartest mutant and the director ofIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destinywould have so much affinity forGeorge Stevens’ 1953 classic.Shanemay seem tame now, but it introduced a new level of brutality and cynicism into a genre that was reaching a changing point of its own.
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‘Shane’s Connection to Marvel’s ‘Logan’
ShanestarsAlan Laddin the performance of his career as the titular gunfighter, who is oftencited as one of the genre’s most iconic protagonists. He is a gunslinger whose life is re-energized when he has the opportunity to protect a child from danger, and potentially end his career on one good deed. This is something thatLoganclearly emulates.Hugh Jackman’s Logan is left to reflect on his immortality in isolation, but finds a restored sense of purpose when he’s called on to bring the mutant child Laura (His Dark MaterialsstarDafne Keen) to safety when she’s targeted by government agents.
Shane has reached the end point of his career and seeks retirement, but unfortunately his attempt to escape the perils of his profession to live out the rest of his days as a quiet farmhand is cut off when the cruel cattle baron Rufus Ryker (Emile Meyer) threatens to overrun the local community and take over their property. Shane often doesn’t take an interest in local duels, but he’s become smitten with Marian Startett (Jean Arthur), the wife of his new employer Joe (Van Heflin), and becomes a paternal figure to Marian’s son Joey (Brandon deWilde), who idolizes him but knows nothing of his violent ways. When Ryker hires the similarly skilled gunslinger Jack Wilson (Jack Palancein a performance of aWestern villain we love to hate) to take down the Starrett farm, Shane must return to his brutal past in what became a breakthrough moment for the genre.
After being hailed as a turning point in the genre,Loganbecame the first superhero movie to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay; similarly,Shanewas honored with an Oscar for Best Cinematography, as well as nominations for Best Picture, Best Director (Stevens), Best Writing (Pulitzer Prize winning authorA. B. Guthrie Jr), and twice for Best Supporting Actor (deWilde and Palance) It’s easy to see why both films were such a breakthrough in their receptive genres, and felt like such a breath of fresh air. They were both very much about the end of a hero’s journey, and showed that these heroes weren’t literally immortal. Despite all his heroism, Shane is not a young man, and his heroic obligations don’t let him sleep easy at night. He’s forced to realize that as much as he wants to be Joey’s father, his violent past makes him an unsuitable role model.
‘Shane’ Was Much More Violent Than Past Westerns
Whilemany great westernsend with a triumphant moment when it feels like the hero will go off on yet another sweeping adventure,Shaneis about a tired, heartbroken hero who wants nothing more than to sit back and live out the rest of his days as Marian’s partner and Joey’s paternal figure. However, he knows that spending any more time with this family will only put them in more danger, and he can’t risk their safety any further. This level of emotional nuance isn’t one that the genre had often reckoned with. The violence inShaneis just as emotional as it is literal, but that doesn’t mean that Stevens skipped out on delivering some sensational action set pieces.
It wasn’t just the lack of sentimentality that madeShanesuch a change of pace; it was much more violent than previous films had been. The “Golden Age of Westerns” didn’t arrive until afterthe pre-Hays Code era,so any level of bloodiness like that of Shane’s final duel against Wilson was shocking at the time. Ladd’s performance reflected that he was a vulnerable hero who had earned his scars, and it felt like any of Shane’s battles could be his last. While at the beginning of the story, Shane may not have cared about saving his own life, he finds a reason to invest in the future as he bonds with Joey. Shane himself is also a man that simply cannot change his nature; he notes to Marian that he “tried it, and it didn’t work for me.”
‘Shane’ Is One of the Greatest Westerns of All-Time
This is another reason thatShanefelt so different from previous Westerns, as it did not overwhelm the viewer with constant set pieces. A majority of the early half of the film is simple moments of Shane teaching Joey to ride a horse, something that his real father had neglected to do. Knowing that this relationship isn’t suited to last turnsShaneintoa more tragic take on the genre, which may be why it was considered to be more “prestigious.” Despite the occasionally obnoxious nature of deWilde’s performance, Joey’s heartbroken cries of “Shane, come back” as he watches his hero ride off into the distance are enough to generate tears from even the most steel-hearted Western fan. The brief glimpses of blood on Shane’s hands as he rides off are another note of brilliance on Stevens’ part.
Shanewas honored asone of the greatest Westerns of all-time by the American Film Institute,andLoganisn’t even the only film that it has inspired. It serves as the source of an argument betweenSamuel L. JacksonandKevin SpaceyinF. Gary Gray’s 1998 crime movie classicThe Negotiator,and clearly inspiredClint Eastwoodduring the making ofPale Rider, another classic Western about a mysterious stranger that arrives to save local civilians from danger. Perhaps Western fans like seeing the darker side of the genre, butShane’s unsentimental look at it made it a timeless classic.
