What is not in doubt is that this new two-disc release is a thing of beauty. The print of the film is not only superb, but it comes with a an audio commentary track by Peter Bogdanovich which also includes archival recordings with Ford and Stewart. Hearing Ford and Stewart reminisce about the making of this true classic is an experience to behold; each is brilliant storyteller. There is also selected scene commentary with Dan Ford and recordings of John Ford, James Stewart, and Lee Marvin. The second disc contains the usual trailers and galleries and a multi-part documentary focusing on the film, the people involved in it, and the time in which it was made.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was one of the last films Ford made; it was made years after Stagecoach, My Darling Clementine, and other Ford classic westerns. It is a rumination not just on what was lost when civilization encroached on the “wild west,” but on the other works in Ford’s canon. It not only makes myths, but it deconstructs them, too.
The film is, perhaps, the perfect western — created by a master working with a wonderful cast. It is more than just a legend, it is legendary.
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