Review of Stagecoach (1939) by Trevor C — 08 Jul 2011

A fantastic John Ford western starring John Wayne, Claire Trevor, and many others in excellently acted roles. I've always sort of stereotypically seen John Wayne as a sort of character actor, and in many of his films he sort of plays this tough guy character who talks real slow, but here I see him as a person with raw emotion. I was very impressed with his simple, non-theatrical (less is more) sort of acting, and though it didn't really blend well with his lover's theatrical acting, it was fascinating to see this star in one of his early roles. John Wayne really shines in this film as the Ringo Kid.

Visually this film is epic, and though it can't compare with Gone With The Wind (which is comparable only for the reason it came out the same year), it is vaster and more exciting in its own way. There's also a very sweet side to the paranoia of the characters as they work to get to understand each other and grow to trust each other. This sort of development in story and character is very impressive for such an early Western - most others I've seen of this era, though I can't think of a good example, is more about two people, a hero and a villain, or a hero and a bunch of bandits having a showdown, and that's all the movie is really about. But this is about survival, and fear of what lurks in the wild west, and there's a very Hollywood western flare to it that keeps it warmly entertaining.