Stagecoach First Impressions

First off, I’ve never been a huge fan of Westerns. I’ve never really been interested in the subject matter, the storylines, or the characters. Whenever I think Westerns I think long, dull, corny, and unrealistic. With that being said, I honestly don’t know if I can name another Western film that I have seen all the way through.
There are so many obvious things to talk about after watching Stagecoach- The predictable dramatic music, the over the top performances, the extreme long shots of western landscapes, and the introduction of John Wayne in the film. But the one thing that I noticed more than anything else was the interesting and unexpected story line that appeared to be, in my opinion, more of a character study that focused on human communication and relationships rather than just action.
Now like I said before, I know almost nothing about Western films. But coming into this film, I was under the assumption that they were mainly centered on action scenes including the killing of Indians and fast-paced horseback chases. Although Stagecoach contains these elements, it is extremely limited, really only showing up in two climactic scenes of the film. And although this element of danger is apparent from the first time we hear the name “Geronimo” mentioned so over dramatically, the rest of Stagecoach focuses on the trip taken by a group of strangers.
Stagecoach is in some ways a road film with more moments of comedy and drama than action. Nowadays, films can’t go more than 15 minutes without having an action beat. I remember watching a Q and A with writer/ director Kevin Smith. Smith claimed that while working with producer John Peters on a Superman screenplay, Peters claimed that he needed to have an action beat every ten pages. As I continue to watch older films I’m beginning to realize that this was not always the case. In many older films, the directors had the courage to hold their shots and were able to more easily tell stories centered on inner conflict. Today, film watchers become bored whenever there is not an action scene or collection of fast cuts every couple minutes.
In Stagecoach, director John Ford goes over an hour without showing his audience one scene containing action. In my opinion, this was incredibly effective. Ford didn’t completely leave out elements of action he just used it as a way to build suspense throughout, and therefore made the final showdown between the “Cowboys” and the “Indians” as well as the Ringo Kid's revenge all the more satisfying. The majority of the film however, focuses on the stagecoach ride taken by the drunken doctor, Sam Peacock, Dallas, Lucy Mallory, Hatfield, Gatewood the banker, Buck the driver, the Marshal, and of course the Ringo Kid.
I think the most memorable moments of the film come out of the unforgettable characters. The comedy created out of Doc Boone’s need for alcohol as well as Buck’s stupidity and whiney voice is a highlight of Stagecoach. The love story between The Ringo Kid and Daisy as well as Mrs. Mallory’s yearn to find her husband become the heart of the film.