Holding your ground against your greatest foes.
- Will Kane's devotion to his marshal role and protecting his city. He was getting ready to retire right after he had gotten married, but then he heard that his old rival, Frank Miller was returning for revenge on Kane, and someone suggested that Kane leave town. Rather than follow the request, he turns back around and states that he's still a hero with or without his marshal status, and the replacement marshal hasn't shown up yet. That's loyalty right there; he deserves his marshal status.
- During the scene in the church where Kane's trying to get deputies to help him fight Miller, most of the Christians didn't want to work with him, but there were a handful of people who defended him. Too bad those people get turned down.Ezra: I can't believe I've heard some of the things that have been said here! You all ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Sure, we paid this man and he was the best marshal this town ever had. It ain't his trouble, it's ours. I tell ya, if we don't do what's right, we're gonna have plenty more trouble. So there ain't but one thing to do now, and you all know what that is.Female Christian: What's the matter with you people? Don't you remember when a decent woman couldn't walk down the street in broad daylight? Don't you remember when this wasn't a fit place to bring up a child? How can you sit here and talk and talk and talk like this?
- Helen Ramirez gets a lot of awesome moments.
- She's one of the only people who knows about how insensitive and careless the townspeople are and tried moving out to somewhere that would work out better.
- And she tries to convince Amy - a Quaker - to break her pacifist code and help her husband fight Miller's gang.
- The fact that a 14-year-old boy with almost no experience in combat was willing to fight with Will against Miller and his experienced gang. Kane turned him down and sent him home because of how young he was, but still, that's much better than not trying at all, like most of the townspeople did.
- Plus, when the city of Hadleyville comes out of hiding and thanks Kane for protecting their image, the teenage boy is the only one didn't get the stink eye from Will Kane, because of his willingness to stand up for the town.
- Gary Cooper's performance as Will Kane deserves a mention alone. We get to feel for him as he's trying and failing to get support, losing his wife, and his pressure as he's actually fighting the gang. He also deservedly won an Academy Award that year.
- Kane standing in the street waiting for Miller. Alone. Forget the fight itself, forget the disgust you feel for the townspeople, the mere fact that Kane was willing to stand up and fight for the decency of the town takes so much integrity and courage you can't help but call it awesome.
- You then also have to admire Kane's decision to straight up leave the town with Amy after the fight.
- The climax of the film in general was pretty awesome. Will managed to keep his ground against four armed men nearly completely by himself, including Frank Miller. Will used the element to surprise to sneak up on Frank's brother and kill him, he lead Colby to an abandoned barn and killed him while he was still looking for Kane. Then, when Frank set the barn on fire as an attempt to lure Will out, Will starts a horse stampede with horses that were in the barn, and rides low on one of the horses.
- Isn't it funny how the Actual Pacifist Amy, who had been urging her husband to leave town for the whole movie, is one of the few people to help him take down the bad guys at the end of the film?
- Then, when Miller finds Amy and holds her captive, Amy claws into Miller's face, and he pushes her to the ground, leaving himself open for Will to shoot and kill.
