The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: Film Analysis

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The movie, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, directed by John Ford seems to greatly stand out from other movies released during this era. Many elements were compiled to make this movie unique. The backbone of the film stems from camera elements. John Ford used the camera elements of camera work as well as costumes and make-up to accurately portray his vision of the film, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. The movie, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, incorporates several different varieties of camera work. One element of camera work used was the variety of shot types. The shot types used range from medium shots, consisting of waist up, American shots, consisting of knee up, full shots, consisting of the whole body, and closeup shots of faces …show more content…
Ford worked closely with the costume designer and make-up artist to bring his characters to life. The costume designer did a good job with the costumes. One can clearly identify the affluent people such as the Stoddards because they are dressed nicer and cleaner than others. The clothes of the affluent people are in good condition, and they are not faded, torn, or ripped such as Valance’s and his gang appear. One can also clearly distinguish the cowboys from the rest of the Shinbone residents. The cowboys, like Doniphon and Valance, are dressed in typical western wear which includes cowboy hats, cowboy boots, vests, chaps, and bolo ties and often appear dirty. The town people are dressed in common clothes of the era; the women wear dresses with aprons, and the men wear button up shirts and pants or suits. The costume designer and make-up artist worked closely together. The big highlight of the work came with making the aged Stoddard and Valance look like they were in their twenties for the flashback. Another highlight came from the wounds. The wounds were very realistic, and not over dramatic. The blood loss which resulted from the injuries looked accurate because it was realistic looking. By having the make-up artist and costume designer work closely together, Ford brought his characters to life based on his vision.
The movie, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, directed by John Ford stands out from other

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