Stagecoach

A perfect movie. From Ford’s return to westerns (now with sound), to the epic, sprawling cinematography capturing monument valley, to that thrilling chase scene which established the blueprint of what a Hollywood action chase should be, to the arrival of a megastar in John Wayne (you can actually pinpoint the moment it happens too). Stagecoach is a movie with hefty themes. Chief among them? Manifest Destiny was a lie. An ideal that promised fortune & freedom & the chance at a new life, to escape the ghosts of your past for a new frontier, just like our weary travelers in the titular vehicle. But for some, manifest destiny is a fools wish. There are elements of class division, greed, corruption, duty & honor interwoven but despite all of that, Ford plays things relatively straightforward & simple. Which helps ground the story & make it all the more accessible. There's a reason that Stagecoach is looked upon as progenitor of the Western. All the beats are here. In fact, not just the western, but it feels like it blazes the trail for action movies of the next 60 years. Stagecoach is a breathtaking ride, through the very idea of the west itself.