This Western Inspired a Major Superhero Movie – And It’s Not Logan!

A Western has inspired the greatest superhero film of all time. Rated an average of 4.5 out of 5 on AlloCiné, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is regarded as one of the pinnacles of comic book adaptations on screen. Its unmatched atmosphere drew inspiration from a classic cowboy film, as Nolan revealed to THR:

“It Was Unlike Anything Ever Seen”

“Shane, or L’Homme des vallées perdues, was a major inspiration for me. The evil in that movie was so palpable. There had never been anything like it. I strive to draw from large-scale, larger-than-life iconic worlds. And you find that in the great Westerns of the past.”

In The Dark Knight, the second outing for Christian Bale’s Batman, this concept of pervasive evil was directed at the Joker (Heath Ledger), a character Nolan envisioned without any redeeming qualities:

“We knew we wanted to use the Joker as a growing threat, but we didn’t want the Joker to have any emotional arc. So we looked to the comics for an emotional story—and Harvey Dent/Two-Face’s story seemed perfect for that.”

Shane, A Monumental Influence

Originally titled Shane, L’Homme des vallées perdues is an extraordinary Western directed by George Stevens. Its atmosphere and the on-screen portrayal of good versus evil have permeated the minds of many filmmakers, including those from the New Hollywood era. The hero could have found a family and perhaps healed his wounds, but he chooses to remain alone, heading toward an almost certain death. This rejection of the conventional happy ending was groundbreaking at the time.

It was also a major source of inspiration for another highly regarded superhero film, Logan by James Mangold, which still holds a 4.1 out of 5 rating from AlloCiné viewers. The Western is even featured in the film, watched by a weary Charles Xavier played by Patrick Stewart.

A big fan of the film, Christopher Nolan will even host a screening of the movie at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in December 2023. This speaks volumes about the high regard he has for this timeless Western released in France on October 15, 1953.