Bruce Springsteen has a song called “Land of Hope and Dreams” that talks about a glory-bound train that carries “Saints and Sinners… losers and winners… whores and gamblers” and “lost souls.” Now that I have seen John Ford’s “Stagecoach” I’m reasonably convinced that he had this film in mind when he wrote it.
Of all the genres of movie I have encountered, westerns have been the ones that have agreed with me the least- “Stagecoach” has softened my hostility considerably.
“Stagecoach” begins by introducing us to a group of very different people in a random Southwestern US town who all wind up on a stagecoach together for various reasons. The coach driver Buck is the typical chubby, cowardly bumbler. He whines about his life to anyone who will listen and is likely a drunkard. Representing the law is Curley, a marshal who is defending the coach against possible attacks from the feared Apache warrior Geronimo as well the infamous Ringo Kid who has recently escaped from prison. The other “respectables” are Mrs. Mallory, a pregnant military wife who is on her way to see her husband at his isolated duty station and a mysterious but gentlemanly Southern gambler/former Confederate soldier Mr. Hatfield, who is an old acquaintance of Mrs. Mallory and vows to defend her in her travels.
The rest of the passengers on the outbound coach represent various societal dregs. A harmless, meek whiskey salesman Mr. Peacock, who everyone respects initially when they think he is a priest but look down on when they discover his true profession. Mr. Gatewood is the town banker who embezzles $50,000 in miner’s wages and flees town. Dr. Boone is the town doctor and town drunk who has been forced out of practice by the sanctimonious citizens of the small town. A young blonde woman named Dallas, who on the surface appears to be very normal, is very tastefully and subtlely revealed to be a prostitute. She has fallen victim to a vigilante group of bored religious old maids and is proverbially run out of town on a rail.
The last passenger picked up along the way is the Ringo Kid (John Wayne) himself, giving credence to Curley’s suspicion that they would encounter him in their travels. Initially thought to be a threat Curley realizes that Ringo might be a valuable ally in case of an attack by Geronimo’s gang and exercises leniency. The passengers are all forced to reevaluate their own prejudices and preconceived notions as they learn more about each other, which of course conveniently allows for seamless character development but also gives us the opportunity to see the various sides of many characters at once based simply on their reactions to each other and their actions, both silent as well as defined.
One of the greatest examples of this occurs in a scene where the group stops for dinner at a small restaurant along the way. Dallas seats herself across from Mrs. Mallory and everyone awkwardly looks around the room and shifts their gazes from Dallas to Mrs. Mallory, who does not make any effort to hide her disgust and relocates herself to the other side of the table. Mr. Hatfield, who is also very judgmental but also ever gentlemanly at least attempts to come up with a half-assed excuse for moving, claiming that Mallory should be sitting closer to a window in the hot building. Ringo, who is sitting directly next to Dallas shows both chivalry and sensitivity by first trying to shoulder the blame himself and, even after Dallas acknowledges that it’s because of her instead of him, still comments that he is the one who technically does not belong in society due to his status as a fugitive.
“I guess you can't break out of prison and into society in the same week.” (The Ringo Kid, “Stagecoach”)
This dinner scene is also relevant because it is the first period of extended dialogue from both Dallas and the Ringo Kid who speak at length on their side of the table while the rest of the party has its own conversation going- though they are shunning Dallas and Ringo, the two don’t seem to notice because they are seemingly engrossed in each other’s company; the two biggest outsiders finally find mutual counterparts.
As the trip proceeds the insight into the characters deepens even more. The “evil” whiskey salesman is a very devoted family man who has fallen upon hard times and simply mules booze as a way of making a living- and NEVER partakes himself. Conversely, Dr. Boone is revealed to be a very competent and caring physician, even recognizing Ringo as the brother of a boy he had treated for a broken arm many years earlier. His drinking problem is relatively incidental, as it has seemingly never affected his ability to practice medicine or function in society- he is simply a victim of the attitudes of the times.
Even the hard criminal Ringo turns out to have a good excuse for his circumstances. He was jailed after defending his brother and father against an attack a notorious gang known as The Plummer Boys. His bloodthirsty pursuit for revenge suddenly makes much more sense and from a certain point of view can be justified.
Another crucial stop along the way yields two of the best and most important scenes in the film. Mrs. Mallory’s baby unexpectedly arrives early, with the rest of the passengers up in arms Dallas takes control of the situation and, with the help of Dr. Boone, successfully delivers the baby and treats Mallory afterward.
Not only is this scene important because of how far it goes in illustrating how competent (and modest) Dr. Boone is, but it represents a major change of heart, be it forced or not, for Mallory to not only just tolerate Dallas’ presence, but far more significantly, for her to acknowledge a need for Dallas. Also, there is a significant amount of unspoken genius in the implication that Dallas knows how to deliver a baby- suggesting that she has either had to do so on her own or for a colleague from her prostituting days.
The night after Dallas delivers the baby her and Ringo walk through the town where they are laid-over. The two begin to express their feelings for each other in what builds up to the single most powerful and perfectly executed scene in the film. As the two discuss the possibility of a life together and lament their circumstances we see the lights from various saloons and shops illuminate their faces on the dark streets, clearly suggesting the presence of light even in complete darkness. The level of intensity crescendos as the two quietly and awkwardly walk by a whorehouse; Ringo silently tries to ignore the landmark while Dallas suddenly becomes overwhelmed by the reminder of her old life. The scene is shot from the waist up and even though there are no close-ups or zooms you can visibly see tears form in her eyes from out of nowhere. While this part of the film showcases Claire Trevor’s amazing acting ability you also can’t ignore John Wayne’s surprisingly poignant pantomime.
Of course like every great (or bad) western, there is of course the obligatory gunfight- though “Stagecoach” provides two- the first is much more climactic- an encounter with Apache warriors who ambush the coach, the first casualty being the most harmless man in the group, Mr. Peacock. Yet another example of saying so much without saying anything at all occurs when Mr. Hatfield cocks his gun and puts it to Mrs. Mallory’s head as she looks out the stagecoach window, his plan being one last gentlemanly act of killing her rather than subjecting her to the unspeakable implied horrors of what Indian warrior supposedly did to white women at the time is foiled when he is killed before he can pull the trigger. Notwithstanding the racist overtones in the depiction of the Native Americans, the ensuing fight and subsequent rescue courtesy of the Cavalry Unit led by Mrs. Mallory’s husband makes for a thrilling and surprisingly advanced scene for its time with lots of tracking shots of the Apache on horses and the moving coach.
The second, less dramatic and significantly shorter conflict erupts when Ringo finally confronts the Plummer gang. He makes short work of them by flinging himself to the ground and firing at them on the way down. However the way this scene is filmed we are led to believe Ringo has been carved up, as so much emphasis is given to Ringo’s dramatic fall and one of the Plummer boys takes several steps after the shots ring out. It isn’t until he collapses dead that we realize the good guy has won.
Cue the happy ending for Ringo and Dallas when the law decides to look the other way and allow him to “escape” and you have a very textbook but somehow still very unique western. Rather than the corny old spaghetti western we get a full-on drama film, with character development (with everyone except the crooked banker who really could have been explored in more depth), flawed protagonists, unorthodox depictions of class and status and ultimately beautiful cinematography.
The other films directed by John Ford I am familiar with feature huge, sprawling outdoor shots, but somehow he manages to make tiny, confining shots work to this movie’s advantage. In fact the cramped stagecoach as well as the tiny huts the characters find themselves in help to illustrate the incredibly close quarters the group of misfits is contained in. The closed-quarters also are ideal for maximizing the amount of onscreen time all the characters get so that we are equally acquainted with everyone.
In my previous review of “The Searchers” I commented on John Wayne’s sucky acting- the performance he turns out in “Stagecoach” makes me see him in a completely different light now. The biggest testament to this film’s credibility is the fact that it was nominated for Best Picture at the 1939 Academy Awards- which means it held its own against films like “Gunga Din,” “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” “The Wizard of Oz” and a movie called “Gone With the Wind…” Maybe you’ve heard of it…
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