Rating: 
Summary: Early Ford and Wayne - a classic Western
Review: This landmark Western served as both the beginning of John Wayne's landmark film career and his relationship with director John Ford, who would make some of his best films with Wayne, including The Searchers. The film involves a group traveling across the desert to the town of Lordsburg. The first part of the film introduces us to the group, which includes a drunken doctor, a meek man, a prostitute with a heart of gold (Claire Trevor), the bumpkin of a driver (Andy DeVine) and the wife of a soldier. There are numerous moments of comedy here, with some working better than others. The second part of the film surrounds the trip, during which the group is attacked by Apaches in what is a breathtaking sequence filmed on location in Monument Valley, Utah. Ford would return to use this location again in his other films, since it provided such beautiful scenery. An important early film and one of the classic Westerns.
Rating: 
Summary: A Landmark
Review: With this picture, John Ford took story and form from the B-western and raised it to the level of great filmmaking, a work of art. Ford's pioneering use of deep focus, his exceptional composition, the magnificent exterior sequences shot in Monument Valley, all make this a first-rate film and a tremendously influential work. The broader story, emblematic of the Western mythos, involves a desparate run for safety from Geronimo. Against that backdrop, the film uses character types to explore the relationships among the American classes. John Wayne is pure innocence as the Ringo Kid, surrounded by a group of top-notch players. Thomas Mitchell's performance as the drunken Doc Boone stands out particularly, for both sheer amusement and occasional glimpses of real greatness. This film is a delight to watch, for simple entertainment or for the richness of its cinematic artistry.
Rating:
Summary: this is...a great movie
Review: A classic western right up there with the best, but you are reminded it was filmed in 1939. With that said, this is a great movie and excellent DVD transfer. Stagecoach is both epic and a very good character study. John Wayne plays an outstanding character and the supporting cast is great. Good story and a must have.
Rating: 
Summary: Age Has Been kind
Review: The years haven't been kind to STAGECOACH, and it has little to do with the fact that so many westerns borrowed from it. The expository dialogue and character set-ups are ponderous, and they were ponderous from the beginning. And John Wayne was simply unable to impart much depth to his character, he was still doing b-westerns and it wouldn't be until THEY WERE EXPENDABLE, RED RIVER and SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON that he'd begin to show some acting chops. What remains wonderful is John Ford's panoramic sweep, Yakima Canutt's stunt work and the rich score. Compare this to William Wyler's THE WESTERNER, a mere year later, to see how one film has aged beautifully (THE WESTERNER) and one hasn't. Of course, John Ford is a darling of the auteurist cult, and William Wyler isn't, so STAGECOACH is still heralded as classic. Incidentally, why didn't the Indians just shoot the horses pulling the stagecoach? End of chase, end of passengers ... hmmmmm.
Rating:
Summary: Dated, but a milestone
Review: This movie was crying for a dvd release. The dated vhs copies available distorted the lighting and ruined much of the fine detail of john ford's camerawork. There is great character develpment here, even though I personally find only the doctor's personality interesting. The others while interesting at first, quickly get old. There are a few other problems as well. John Wayne wouldn't start to act until red river and the searchers, and I dont' find his relationship with a marvelous claire trevor believable at all. The duel at the end feels like an afterthought. It's the pacing and the tension it builds that really sustains this movie. The stuntwork has never been equalled, and the indian battle (even if it is somewhat racist) is an epiphanous release. This is one of the rare movies that even if it was mediocre otherwise, one stunt renders it worth the price of admission (other candidates would be romancing the stone, which is a good movie, and swashbuckler, which is a terrible movie). Believe me, you will go to yakima canutt's two unbelievable stunts over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: MADE DUKE A STAR
Review: THE classic western, unequalled and without peers, STAGECOACH is John Ford's greatest epic of the frontier. Filmed in the magnificent Monument Valley with broad panoramas of weathered plains, mesas, and majestic clouds, Ford creates a universe of natural order which dwarfs the actions of the men who travel through it. There is, however, the implication that those who live by the spirit of the land instead of by society's dictates will live most nobly. Mood and atmosphere are effectively established by an outstanding score utilizing 17 American folk songs (the score won the AA) The performances by the principle playcers are extraordinary: as Doc Boone, Thomas Mitchell won his best supporting actor AA. One of the brightest examples of the American Western, this movie is one of Ford's more mature films (he was honored as best director for 1939) A must.
Rating:
Summary: 'THE' Classic Western
Review: This is THE classic Western and richly deserves to have been copied as many times as it has. You are torn between admiration for the movie as a movie -- the cast, the photography, the stunts, the interwoven character driven plot; and hysterical laughter. Since EVERYBODY has copied it from every b - western to Raiders of the Lost Ark, it can be viewed as an endless series of film cliches (or archetypes) -- the drunken doctor, the dancehall gal with the heart of gold, the bad guys in black hats, the good bad-guys and the bad good-guys, and of course the calvery to the rescue! On both levels it is a treasure worth enjoying many times -- even with it's racist, sexist tone, it is a wonder!
Rating:
Summary: A timeless classic
Review: It's hard to believe that this movie is 60 years old. It is just as entertaining today as ever. The ensemble cast is terrific, the physical beauty of Monument Valley is striking, and the musical score is haunting. John Ford's use of lighting and closeups is magical. The movie crescendos with one of the most action-packed battles ever on film.
Rating:
Summary: The Best in the West
Review: The greatest character development ever seen on screen
Rating:
Summary: Events depict an America struggling for an identity.
Review: Stagecoach is a typical movie that reflects an American society trying to get in touch with what it really is. In order to describe who we really are, we must first understand what we were. Unfortunately, sometimes we do not really like what we have evolved from, and must search for ways to cover up past atrocities. John Ford takes this in full stride by trying to ignore the fact there were Native Americans already in the west. In a sort, he is creating a cultural myth that allows us to treat Native Americans as part of the scenery: an object of nature, paralleled to a rock or mountain, that merely stands in the way of civilized progress. This is easily seen when the Native Americans continually attack the stagecoach (like animals bent on killing the travelers?) even though they are being butchered. The movie also plays with life's backwardness. The banker, gambler, and the Coloniel's wife are all seen to be the rich, snobby upper-class. In the end, it is actually the prostitute, the drunken doctor, and the fugitive (John Wayne) that rise above the rest.
|
