Review of Stagecoach (1939) by Martin Z — 01 Aug 2008

[size=1]Before comparing "Stagecoach to "The Breakfast Club," I?d like to discuss why I believe romances in old movies are often as immoral as the sexual affairs in modern films.[/size].

[size=1]I?m not thrilled with sexually explicit movies featuring virtual strangers sleeping with each other, but I think people who say classics are morally superior are wrong. Old films often feature pretty young women going crazy over every guy they see even if the man is middle-aged and ugly, people who just met discussing spending the rest of their lives together, and passionless marriages. These romances are NOT virtuous.[/size].

[size=1]In "Stagecoach," John Wayne?s Ringo Kid proposes marriage to Claire Trevor?s Dallas on the day they met. Before his proposal, they spent just a few minutes alone, never kissed, and often weirdly stared at each other. He has NO idea who she is. More alarmingly, he is under arrest, but wants Dallas to move to his ranch in Mexico and wait for him for years while he?s in jail. Ringo is very stupid, selfish, and immoral.[/size].

[size=1]The romance would have been better if they snuck off and, well, did it ? or at least did something passionate. Instead, as he thinks he?s about to go to jail for several years, he says goodbye to Dallas by shaking her hand. I?m not kidding. This is NOT a virtuous romance.[/size].

[size=1]But, director John Ford deserves credit for raising the quality of Westerns by making "Stagecoach" (1939) a character study rather than a shoot-em-up. Like "The Breakfast Club," it is mostly about characters with major problems or flaws. Ringo is a convicted ? albeit framed ? killer. Lucy is pregnant. Dallas is a hooker, Doc Boone an alcoholic, Hatfield a gambler, Peacock a whiskey salesman, and Gatewood a thief.[/size].

[size=1]The above seven characters are in a stagecoach that?s traveling from Arizona to New Mexico through Apache territory. Their interaction is reminiscent of the relationship of the characters in 1985's "Breakfast Club" ? five teens sent to the same room for detention because they violated school rules.[/size].

[size=1]"Stagecoach," like "Breakfast Club," has an accepted vs. unaccepted plot. Representing the good are Gatewood, a bank president whose thievery is not known by the other passengers, and Lucy, a pious, married woman with snobbish friends. Gatewood and Lucy think they?re morally superior. The bad are represented by Dallas and Doc Boone, who are both being kicked out of town by the Ladies Law and Order League.[/size].

[size=1]Gatewood, Lucy and Hatfield ? who boarded the coach to protect Lucy?s virtue ? avoid the others. Ringo was picked up away from the town where the others boarded so he doesn?t know Dallas is a whore. During the characters? travails, everyone learns that Gatewood is a selfish misanthrope and Dallas is a very good person. Lucy and Dallas bond the way that people from different backgrounds in "Breakfast Club" do.[/size].

[size=1]Ford was very effective in satirizing pillars of society and demolishing the stereotypes of outcasts. He brilliantly conveyed the film?s ultimate lesson when Ringo didn?t cancel the marriage after learning about Dallas? profession. However, his characters are too black and white. While watching the movie, I kept thinking "Stagecoach" was a trendsetter as a character portrayal, but had less depth than future films of its genre which had more multifaceted characters, better dialogue, and faster pacing. I nodded off a few times.[/size].

[size=1]In addition, portraying Apaches as savages who kill Americans for no reason is offensive, and Wayne can?t act around females. He?s great as a tough guy, but he has limited acting skills. Watch Jimmy Stewart and Wayne in "Liberty Valance" if you want to see the difference between two men?s romantic acting skills.[/size].

[size=1]In 1939, I would have given "Stagecoach" a 10 for exploring topics that earlier adventures shunned. Today, I?m unsure what to rate it because it has been surpassed by other character portrayals. I chose 8.[/size].

[size=3][size=1]ZWrite[/size].

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