Shane has all the trademarks of a classic Western, including horses, the beleaguered homestead, and guns. The film decidedly seeks to meet audience expectations regarding what the setting should look like and how the characters should act. Since the film is based on the novel by Jack Schaefer, Shane tends to follow its plot almost exactly, meeting the needs of the book's readers as well as new viewers unfamiliar with the story.

The making of Shane involved much consideration and effort, and some of the lead actors had to make sacrifices in order to play their roles effectively. During the filming of Shane, actor Jack Palance (Wilson) was scared of horses, so he underwent extensive practice mounting his horse; however, in the end, only one good shot was taken of the mount, and it was used repeatedly throughout the film. In addition, Shane, as...