Analyse Stage Coach film en anglais (niveau Lv1)

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Its also a classic western by its grandiose setting, its history and the typical characters it stages, The Stagecoach allows Ford to develop his favorite theme, that of "the small group of humans introduced by chance under circumstances tragic or dramatic ". And we can see the evolution of the relations between individuals of opposite classes in the confined space of a diligence. Ford draws us through these nine travelers an almost complete panorama of American society of the late nineteenth.

We have some open confrontations : Dallas and Mrs Mallory will be seen throughout the journey. This is also the case in the meal scene; after some hesitation for the allocation of seats at the table, we will have on one side, Dallas and Ringo, the rejects, and on the other, the "good society" with Mrs. Mallory. It means that society keeps its conventions, even in adversity.

The western is intimately linked to the history of the conquest of the West which ended while the cinema was born and that appeared on the screens the first adventures of cowboys. More than any other character in the cinema, the hero of the western has long been characterized by a well-defined profile. John Ford and his favourite actor, John Wayne largely contributed to the creation of this hero wo can be defined as solitary, hard, honest and incorruptible, respectful but clumsy with women, rather silent and always straddling between illegality and the law. The Stagecoach illustrates this character well and gives John Wayne a role in the story that sets him up as a hero.

In his films, John Ford, shapes the myth of the Great West. The Indian becomes the obstacle to eliminate in the conquest. Even if they betray the historical truth, the films show a caricatural red-skin.

But at the same time, with the Stagecoach John Ford revives the genre and deepens his themes. The western becomes more realistic and more social.

Indeed, major social issues and themes (sexual and social prejudice, alcoholism, childbirth, greed, shame, redemption and revenge) are closely mixed together into an exciting adventure story. The Stagecoach is considered a more sophisticated western, with richer themes, in-depth and complex characterizations, and greater and popularity as well

That is why Ford’s reputation was elevated considerably by this film which was nominated for seven Academy Awards.

Later in his career, John Ford participated in the evolution towards the modern western and introduced into his films less moral heroes, uncertainties about the legitimacy of the conquest of the West and even sketches a denunciation of the massacres of the Indians with Les Cheyennes (1964). Less adventurous and less simplistic, the American western lost its entertaining function and became a pretext for critical reflections that go beyond the genre.

To conclude, we can say that although stagecoach is representative of the classic western, it invites a reflection that goes beyond the story of this adventure. For example, the relationship to the authority and the use of violence can lead to a debate. The behaviors of the characters in the film seem to be justified in the context of the conquest of the Wild West where justice and security were not guaranteed. But if this context seems to justify that the heroes make themselves justice and move armed, we can ask if the western, that is mythified in the American imagination, does not encourage the possession of firearms and the idea of ​​personal justice? These questions may lead to reflection on the legitimacy of the authority of the state today. What are the criteria that differentiate the western world from our contemporary societies? At what point does claiming to defend oneself represent a risk for society and no longer a necessity?

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