"Stagecoach" by John Ford has become to be known as one of the all time greatest movies if not greatest western. The film starring John Wayne has become iconic for so many different reasons. With what seemed to be a dying genre, and what seemed to be an washed up actor, John Ford created Stagecoach which eventually became a mold for movies to follow for as long as we know it. The film was a metaphor for what society was like during the western era, and how class structure made it hard for people to truly realize the qualities that one can possess whether good or bad. Every character had a quality about themselves that was not true to how they were looked upon. The prostitute Dallas had humanistic quality and a true heart of gold. The Doctor even though a drunk, was quite good and his profession and was never quick to judge anyone. The Banker who was thought to be an upstanding citizen was a man who stole money from his own town, and the high class society woman who even though appeared to be snobby at first, eventually wore down and realized that everyone is not what they seem to be. Ringo Kid even though seen as a criminal was actually the most gentleman of the bunch. This movie is more than a western, its a movie about judgements, and social status, and the true heart of a person.
While reading reviews, and articles online about Stagecoach there are words and titles that are always appearing, which included influential, blue-print, inspirational, and the best western of all time. John Ford is seen as one of the greatest directors of our time and this movie is living proof of that. It is interesting to know that other great directors have used this movie and a blueprint to create such other famous films. You can see still this mold used today. Even the characters in this movie have been blueprints for future characters to come. Roger Ebert describe how you will always find prostititues with a heart of gold, and corrupt bankers, and gamblers and drunks. To someone a little younger like myself it may be something that I have seen a million times, but I have no realized that this is where it all has come from.
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110801/REVIEWS08/110809999/1004
Once again, I was throughly surprised at how much I actually enjoyed and was invested in this film. Not only did it surprise me and keep me guessing about what was to happen, it also made me question who exactly these people were. This movie is a testament and interpretation of class structure to its truest form, and it begs the person watching to never judge a book by its cover.
