The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (UHD Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Paramount
Release Date: May 17, 2022
Rating: Not Rated
Film: 4/5

Plot
Four-time Academy Award®-winning^* director John Ford brought together an all-star cast for what is considered by many critics to be a quintessential—and yet pioneering—Western late in his storied career.  Starring James Stewart and John Wayne (together for the first time), alongside Vera Miles, Lee Marvin, John Carradine and Lee Van Cleef, THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE tells the engrossing story of a senator (Stewart), his old friend (Wayne), and a despicable outlaw called Liberty Valance (Marvin). 

My Thoughts
In my younger years, this would have been a movie that I would have avoided because it was in black and white and “old.” As my wisdom has grown in my older years, I’ve come to appreciate these classics for their ability to rely on the actual story versus special effects to get their point across.

While this isn’t a perfect film, it has a lot of likable elements. First, Stewart is excellent as the protagonist and Wayne shows off his star power playing a secondary, but pivotal, role in the production. My biggest gripe is the film is told in a flashback style and the aging process used is pretty rudimentary and doesn’t really give the impression that the proper scope of time has passed, but maybe I’m picking nits in this regard. What the movie does have is a lot of heart and in its own way, patriotism for what a great country the USA is. Are we perfect? No, but there’s no such thing when you are dealing with flawed human beings.

This the fist Paramount Presents (#31 in the series) film to be presented in 4K and I doubt it will be the last. The new 4K restoration of the classic film is excellent and I doubt its ever looked better. Grain looks to be preserved accurately, the image has a lot of depth, and the detail is off the charts. The audio track is a remastered TrueHD 5.1 mix that is sourced from the original mono. Dynamics are pretty lean, which is to be expected given its age, and the presentation is mostly focused on the front three speakers.
   
Video 9/10

Audio 8/10 (Dolby TrueHD 5.1 )

Special Features:

• Filmmaker Focus with Leonard Maltin
• Feature Commentary
• Selected Scene Commentary
• 7-Part featurette, The Size of the Legends, the Soul of Myth
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• UHD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy

Conclusion
I went into the film completely blind and had no idea what to expect. Overall, it’s a great experience and is well worth the time invested. Ford is one of the greatest directors in Hollywood history and seeing two iconic film legends on the same screen is a treat. The 4K restoration is outstanding and this is an easy film to recommend.

Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88” 16x9 Fixed Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
M&K Sound X15+ Subwoofer
Dual JL Audio F-110 (stacked and treated as one sub)
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[AVSCraig]

" In my younger years, this would have been a movie that I would have avoided because it was in black and white and “old.” " - how old are you David? I'm 66, and watched a ton of B & W movies and shows on Sat. and Sunday growing up north of Chicago, IL in the '60's. Everything from the original Buster Crab " Flash Gordon " serials, to the 3 Stooges, to classic WWII movies like Battleground. I need to pick this up - it's been years since I've seen it. 

[David Vaughn]

" In my younger years, this would have been a movie that I would have avoided because it was in black and white and “old.” " - how old are you David? I'm 66, and watched a ton of B & W movies and shows on Sat. and Sunday growing up north of Chicago, IL in the '60's. Everything from the original Buster Crab " Flash Gordon " serials, to the 3 Stooges, to classic WWII movies like Battleground. I need to pick this up - it's been years since I've seen it.

52 (53 in 8 days). Those 13 years make a big difference. Most of the movies on TV when I was young were color  I did watch The Andy Griffith Show and I Love Lucy, which were in B&W.