03-26-2017, 09:48 AM
Yep, A John Ford western. The Queen and I prepared for the trip into Arizona by watching a film shot in Monument Valley.
In some case, it's pretty hokey. But in others, it was strangely relevant. The prime example is when the banker in the Stagecoach, who has just robbed his bank of $50k complains that the country would be so much better if a businessman were the President. Seriously? The moment of that line made both the Queen and I sit up an take notice.
Yep, the indians are bad and kill because they can. Oddly the film baddies are Apache but Monument Valley is Navajo and Hopi country. I know leave it to me for that complaint.
Oddest of all is the morality at the center of the movie. Dallas is a fallen woman who everyone shuns and is being kicked out of town and being sent back to her bordello. Everybody in the Stagecoach treats like dirt, going so far as to not even eat in her company. The exception to this is John Ford's Ringo. He treats her like a woman and goes out of his way to get equal treatment for her. And yet, he is the criminal in this picture on the run after escaping from prison.
Probably the hardest thing for me to watch in these old westerns is when they make the horses trip, knowing that they didn't care all that much if the horse broke his leg during the stunt. That was off putting.
I enjoyed the film more than I thought I would. My sole motivation was to see Monument Valley back in the day. But the story wasn't horrible and the odd characters made stand above a run of the mill oater. Plus, it was a Criterion Edition film so there were lots of extras.
In some case, it's pretty hokey. But in others, it was strangely relevant. The prime example is when the banker in the Stagecoach, who has just robbed his bank of $50k complains that the country would be so much better if a businessman were the President. Seriously? The moment of that line made both the Queen and I sit up an take notice.
Yep, the indians are bad and kill because they can. Oddly the film baddies are Apache but Monument Valley is Navajo and Hopi country. I know leave it to me for that complaint.
Oddest of all is the morality at the center of the movie. Dallas is a fallen woman who everyone shuns and is being kicked out of town and being sent back to her bordello. Everybody in the Stagecoach treats like dirt, going so far as to not even eat in her company. The exception to this is John Ford's Ringo. He treats her like a woman and goes out of his way to get equal treatment for her. And yet, he is the criminal in this picture on the run after escaping from prison.
Probably the hardest thing for me to watch in these old westerns is when they make the horses trip, knowing that they didn't care all that much if the horse broke his leg during the stunt. That was off putting.
I enjoyed the film more than I thought I would. My sole motivation was to see Monument Valley back in the day. But the story wasn't horrible and the odd characters made stand above a run of the mill oater. Plus, it was a Criterion Edition film so there were lots of extras.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm
