Review of Stagecoach (1939) by Matt C — 25 Nov 2011

"Well, I guess you can't break out of prison and into society in the same week.".

With rumors buzzing about a potential Indian raid, a mélange of troubled passengers climbs aboard the Overland Stage headed for Lordsburg.

The question is not "is the film important?", as anyone who is even reasonably into film knows that Stagecoach is one of the all time greats, even if they know little else about the picture. I had no idea why the picture is considered a landmark, and so before I sat down for my debut screening, I did some research. Appearently, the film's claim to fame is the simple fact that it's a serious attempt at an artful western, in a time when nearly all westerns had a B-movie script with poor and stereotypical western archetypes and extremely low budgets, Stagecoach launched with breathtaking natural vistas (Ford's favorite Monument Park), and a script where western archetypes (mainly the archetypes dealing with character development) are turned on there head to mold a profound, insightful, and decidedly mature yarn about social classes and instantly turned the western into a respectable film genre. So as stated before, the question isn't "is the film any good" but "does it hold up today".

Although the film industry's fear of showing pregnant women onscreen at the time make for a relatively off the wall moment, the film absolutely holds up to present day viewing. Those few that do not take the time to research the film's impact may wonder why it's considered one of the greats, but they will undoubtedly walk away satisfied. John Wayne here is simply fantastic, and his introduction in the film (and to the world) may be the most badass introduction committed to celluloid.

Though many new viewers that do not do industry research may wonder why it's so great, it's impossible to walk away disappointed. As Stagecoach not only turned the western into a serious film genre, it's still damn entertaining even today, more than 70 years after it's launch.