The train also appears to be a more modern form of transportation compared to when Ransom first approached the town, which helps remind the audience most of the film is a flashback. We assume, based on their surprise, the town rarely gets visitors with such importance. When they arrive, they are welcomed by energetic and curious new journalists wanting to know about their visit. At first, we have no idea who they are or why they are there. The film stylistically has Ransom and Hallie arriving and leaving the town by train. There seems to be a disconnect between genuine emotion and superficial vanity. Senator Ransom’s “celebrity status” trumps the intimacy of their visit. Regardless of Tom’s funeral being the reason for their visit, the news reporter is more concerned with knowing why they are there. Yet, in the present day, the reporter admits it’s his responsibility to uncover the reason Ransom and Hallie are in town. When the press becomes involved in Ransom’s business, it feels strange because the old town was very traditional in that your business wasn’t everyone’s business. The contemporary scenes, like when Ransom and Hallie arrive in town, appear brightly lit and more progressive compared to the past. What is most interesting about this film is the separation between contemporary and flashback. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance represents what we label as news based on the interests of someone’s success. The town labels him a celebrity whose career is as important as his name. Years later, Tom dies and the myth of Senator Stoddard saving the town continues to be told. Knowing he was inexperienced with violence, Tom fired to save Ransom. After receiving notoriety for saving the town, Tom tells Ransom that it was him who pulled the trigger. Liberty Valance surprisingly dies and the town assumes Ransom was the man who shot him. Yet Ransom and Valance are caught in a gunfight. His law-abiding ways are uncommon in the town. With the help of a waitress, Hallie, and the restaurant owners, Ransom recovers and wants revenge.
After an altercation that leaves Ransom injured, Tom, a strong local, comes to his rescue. Ransom Stoddard is traveling when his stagecoach is taken over by Liberty Valance, a villainous threat to the small town. However, what happens when what we know isn’t what really happened? The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance speaks to historical inaccuracies and the success that comes from it. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: Cultural Attitude of the Press