Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin

A weary gunfighter attempts to settle down with a homestead family, but a smoldering settler/rancher conflict forces him to act.

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78% liked it

3,267 ratings

Critics

96% liked it

27 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 58 min.

Directed by: George Stevens

Release Date: April 24, 1953

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DVD Release Date: August 15, 2000

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Flixster Reviews (650)


  • October 17, 2007
    ah, the old west! where men were men, and livestock were nervous.
  • September 30, 2007
    Elisha Cook Jr. is the Kenny of his generation.

    Great performances all round. Kudos to a young Jack Palance as well.
  • June 6, 2007
    excellent, Ladd is good, but Jack Palance is great as the man in black.
  • May 31, 2007
    One of those films all hail as an all time classic, and as such, I kept feeling that I should be liking it more. But for me, the family dynamic was too steretypical and apple pie, and I found the story simplistic and uninvolving. I am clearly a philestine.
  • January 31, 2007
    Another classic "death of the West" film; they rarely make them like this anymore. Not a lot of flash, Shane plays out as a slowly paced dirge for the days of the Wild West, now giving way to "civilization." Shane is of the old breed: the problem solver whose best argum...( read more)ent is to be quickest on the draw. Shane really must leave in the end because the dawning "modern" world holds no place for him. Alan Ladd's understated and thoughtful performance makes this a truly great movie.

    Jean Arthur's final fllm : ( Perhaps she was not one who wanted to leave when she'd found the bottom of her career, or maybe she was struck by the idea that it might not be good to see her aging self chronicled on the big screen. Maybe we'll never know why she walked away from the business. Hey, and why not go out when you're on top?

    Jack Palance: a villain for the ages. Man, was he ever a deep dark persona.

  • November 7, 2009
    The dazzling cinematography exploring the bucolic and idyllic landscapes, together with the strong ensemble cast, helps create this fantastic western tale about a complex, divided hero and his relationship with a peaceful family.
  • October 18, 2009
    É triste a forma como o personagem do Alan Ladd tenta parar de usar sua arma, de matar pessoas (por mais que elas sejam más) e no final não consegue, como se ele nunca fosse conseguir deixar de ser um pistoleiro. Enquanto ele tenta parar, a criança do filme tem como sonho aprende...( read more)r a atirar e vê nele o heroismo em pessoa.
  • October 15, 2009
    Very good western but very slow. Ending boosted this from a 4 to a 4.5 rating.

    Shane is a film full of beauty. The landscape and the dazzling way the cinematography shows it off. Then there is the stark and powerful contrast in the form of the dark and gritty tale. Themes are ...( read more)explored throughout this film in an amazing way, Love and its effects. Hate and its effects. Greed and its effects.

    There are plenty of Iconic scenes to savour. The very end, the climax that preludes it, the various scenes where Shane bonds with the son of a family he takes sides with in a bitter war over land, the viscious bar fight and so many more scenes on the same powerful and deep level.

    George Stevens diretcs this so well. He creates am astonishing atmosphere of the old west and portrays the characters that inhabit it in such human ways.

    Although I found this film to be perhaps a bit too long and drawn out, allowing your mind to wonder off the film on sveral occasions, it is technically brilliant, aswell as the many other great parts that outweigh the few bad points.
  • September 18, 2009
    A fine, fine western to be appreciated. Shane is a story about love, perseverance and partnership.

    81/100
  • September 16, 2009
    Probably still my all-time favorite western, edging out High Noon.

Critic Reviews


January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

There are intriguing mysteries in Shane, puzzles and challenges, not least in the title character and the way he is played by Alan Ladd. full review

View more Shane reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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