A mysterious stranger, a ruthless villain and a director who excelled in just about every genre. This is there George Stevens’ iconic western classic My Big Friend Shane to admire, which streams for free for a few days (more on that below). You shouldn’t miss this opportunity!
In the western, a mysterious stranger comes to the aid of a family
Farmer Joe Starrett (Van Heflin) has built a simple life in Wyoming with his wife Marian (Jean Arthur) and son Joey (Brandon deWilde). However, their peace is threatened by the henchmen of the ruthless rancher Ryker (Emile Meyer), who wants to force the powerless farmers out.
One day a appears mysterious stranger named Shane (Alan Ladd) in the area. He finds work with the Starretts and becomes friends with Joey. It turns out that Shane is a skilled gunslinger determined to help the farmers fight Ryker’s men.
Clint Eastwood made a secret remake of the western classic
The story convinces with its minimalism and the ending – which of course will not be spoiled here – touches the heart in a way that few other westerns can. Including one of the most famous last lines in film history. The film has been parodied and referenced many times over the years, whether in The Incredible Journey in a Crazy Plane or Logan – The Wolverine and Pulp Fiction.
However, hardly any filmmaker worked as intensively on My Big Friend Shane as Clint Eastwood. With his directorial work Pale Rider in 1985, Eastwood made a kind of dark remake of George Stevens’ classic. In it, the daughter of a gold mining family prays for help against a ruthless industrialist. The next day, a stranger on horseback (Eastwood) appears. The parallels to the story of My Big Friend Shane are obvious.
My big friend Shane hides a brutal core beneath his pretty surface
The western is worth it, not least because of how successful it is Balancing act between character drama and harsh borderland violence. After his experiences in World War II, director Stevens wanted to portray the shootouts typical of the genre more realistically. That’s why the volume of the shots was increased and their effect was visualized using wire ropes. For the ’50s, and especially for a western about the adorable friendship of a child and a former gunfighter, the depiction of violence was surprisingly graphic.
Arthur Penn later used the means for Bonnie & Clyde and Blood choreographer Sam Peckinpah (The Wild Bunch) referred to My Big Friend Shane as Turning point for the depiction of western shootouts. Every (violent) act in the film has noticeable consequences. It’s a stark contrast to the picturesque landscape shots.
Without the figures it would be little more than pretty packaging. They are grouped around Alan Ladd’s angelic Shane, who develops into a figure of longing and a mirror of his surroundings. For little Joey, he is the adventure hero from bedtime stories incarnate. For his mother Marian, Shane embodies the dream of a different life. And for the wonderfully vile villain Wilson (Jack Palance), Shane voices the insight he doesn’t want to admit to himself. That men like him are a thing of the past and the future lies in the hands of the Joe Starretts of this world.
So you can watch My Big Friend Shane on TV and stream it for free
The western will be shown on Arte in the afternoon program on December 24th (3:20 p.m.) and December 30th (2:15 p.m.). But you don’t have to wait that long because it’s currently standing in the Arte media library ready to stream. You can watch it without a subscription or account, but only now until Sunday, December 22nd.