Stagecoach (John Ford, 1939)

"Stagecoach" is a very unusual Western because it focuses on its characters and how they interact with each other. It is a film about prejudice, hardship and human relationships. The story follows a group of strangers in an increasingly dangerous journey through Apache territory. Along the way, we encounter binge drinking, romance, corruption, spies and even the birth of a child. The journey culminates with a memorable fight in the sun in which all the travellers finally unite in spite of their differences, and the aftermath that follows is as captivating as the peak of the action.

If you have seen a John Wayne film before, I hope we share the same sympathy for this actor who always has a very own personal integrity no matter the circumstances of the characters he plays. Any murderer incarnated by him would be as honourable as a king —provided kings are still worthy of our trust—. In "Stagecoach", he was introduced for the first time, with the freshness that accompanies newcomers: he was yet to be corrupted by Hollywood's hungry jaws. However, he already had the presence of an old star, with that concerned look he gives and his caring attitude towards Claire Trevor's character, disregarded by the rest. She also shines with her bittersweet performance, constructing the battered mindset of an experienced prostitute. She alternates moments of youthful spontaneity with a lethargy characteristic of the elderly. Her suffering is stuck in her long gazes, yet she still lends a hand to anyone who needs it, taking care of the newborn child like her own, trying to feel, perhaps, like a "real" woman. Her counterpart, Lucy Mallory (Louise Platt), is the opposite: a proper lady with high manners, committed to find her husband. There are many polar opposites that Mr Ford plays with like a master of chess, like the amicable drunkard played by Thomas Mitchell and the whisky salesman (Donald Meek) who seems more like a clergyman. Following conventions but placing them in unlikely combinations and circumstances, a new effect is achieved: the audience is certainly moved, they are left thinking about their own preconceptions. 

The film's structure is traditional, and the ending satisfactory, thus the ingredients for success are served. Innovation comes from the approach to characters and performances, very mature for the time and the conventions of the genre. The thrill of adventure and the uniqueness of solitary struggle  are blended together, making "Stagecoach" a masterpiece worthy of your full attention. ⧫⧫⧫⧫/⧫⧫⧫⧫⧫