Among the most beloved and well-remembered Western films of the 20th century are High Noon and Shane, two classic 1950s dramas that appeared alongside a mere four other Westerns on the AFI’s Top 100 Movies list for the century. Each has a unique and fairly different plot line, but both possess similar themes common within the Western film genre: good versus evil, pride of man, and of course, guns. Western movies are famous for their portrayal of shootouts and frequent usage of guns. High Noon and Shane are no exception. In the following paragraphs, we will be comparing some of the themes of firearms between the two films.

High Noon, released in 1952 by United Artists, was directed by Fred Zinnemann and starred Gary Cooper in the lead role of Will Kane, the newlywed retiring town marshal who finds himself in the midst of one last predicament on the very day of his intended departure from town. I was intrigued by the film’s nearly-realtime nature, as it followed the town’s reaction after news suddenly broke that murderer Frank Miller had been released from prison and was bound to arrive in town on a train at high noon–hence the title of the movie. Kane’s pride and his personal beef with Miller will not allow him to flee to safety consistent with his original plans, and much to his new wife’s chagrin, he decides to stay to confront the killer.

Shane is a dramatic Western film released the year after High Noon, starring Alan Laad in the lead role and directed by George Stevens. Released via Paramount Pictures, the film is about ongoing land disputes between local farmers that settled in the area, and another group led by the infamous Rufus Ryker, an older man whose goal is to drive the farmers out in order to gain possession of their property. Along comes the titular character, a wandering retired gunman who befriends one of the farming families–the Starretts, especially their young son, Joey–and ultimately faces off against the Ryker gang and their hired gunman. Guns serve as an important symbolic theme throughout this movie.

In High Noon, Kane’s wife opposes his refusal to back down due to her religious objections to weapons and use of deadly force, which also explains why, upon the day of their marriage, Kane must retire from his post as marshal and leave town pursuant to her wishes; her dislike and disapproval of the usage of guns is apparent.

Similarly, Marion Starrett in Shane voices her strong contempt of guns, telling Shane “We’d all be much better off if there wasn’t a single gun left in this valley – including yours.” She is evidently troubled by her son’s intrigue with such weapons, only further driven by the influence of the retired gunman.

In the end, both films come to respective resolutions in which the “good guys” are victorious, having gunned down their evil counterparts. However, such conclusions are not reached without both films at least hinting that solutions beyond violence and use of firearms are worth considering.🔹