0:01
0:02
Genre is a way to categorize film. Films in a particular genre share common narrative, stylistic, and iconographic conventions. Westerns emerged in the early days of cinema, capitalizing on history, popular fiction, and touring Wild West shows. What do you expect to see in a Western?
Introduction: Genre and the Western in Stagecoach
0:01
0:40
Genre conventions are shared properties that re-appear in films. These commonalities unify the films and help us characterize them as falling into a particular genre. These can include plot elements, themes, film techniques, and iconography. Are there aspects of Westerns that you can see in STAGECOACH's credit sequence?
Definition: Genre Conventions
22:36
23:00
One of the most common themes in Westerns is people's relationship to the undeveloped, often dangerous frontier. STAGECOACH articulates this relationship repeatedly through the use of long shots. In this sequence, the miniscule stagecoach moves across the vast, unending frontier.
Example: Genre conventions--Camera distance
11:52
13:40
Westerns frequently depict a conflict between civilization and the lawless frontier. Here, the Calvary informs the driver how the threat of encountering Native Americans is high. The driver then opens the stagecoach to inform the passengers of the danger and asks if they want to stay. This helps establish how the coach interior and its passengers represent the civilization as the coach journeys eastward towards New Mexico.
Example: Genre conventions--Thematic Meaning
12:41
13:40
Consider how each of the passengers in the stagecoach represents larger civilization: Dallas, the prostitute; Lucy Mallory, the pregnant officer's wife; alcoholic Doc Boone; Hatfield, the Southern gentleman gambler; and the uneasy Reverend. Consider how costuming and the ways in which these characters interact in this short sequence exemplify larger social conventions.
Example: Genre conventions--Theme and Character
1:31:21
1:33:30
One of the key scenes common to many Westerns is the final shoot out. The one in STAGECOACH occurs within the final moments of the film. Ringo has sworn revenge and is determined to follow through. He and his nemesis walk towards one another on the abandoned thoroughfare where the shootout occurs and our hero, Ringo, emerges victorious.
Example: Genre Conventions--Plot
1:11:25
1:11:55
Iconography refers to symbolic images that carry meaning from film to film. These can include particular objects, setting, costumes, and even stars.
Definition: Iconography
1:09:03
1:09:31
Another way the theme between civilized order and the lawless frontier is reinforced is through iconographic character pairings: this time through the civilized white stagecoach passengers and the wild, dangerous Apache.
Example: Iconography--Characters
2:17
2:40
One of the things Westerns have in common is their settings; both in place and time. Westerns take place from roughly 1865-1890 on the Western frontier of North America. This sequence establishes a conventional Western town where all the buildings are arranged on the main thoroughfare. Other iconic images in the town include the saloon, sheriff’s office, and jail.
Example: Iconography--Town Setting
22:36
23:00
Like the Western town, the Western landscape is a regular setting. Since the genre focuses on individualism and unexplored places, the vast landscape helps establish the obstacles with which civilization has to contend. Director John Ford shot this and nine subsequent films in the Monument Valley, giving this particular location its own iconographic status in Westerns.
Example: Iconography--Landscape Setting
18:21
18:46
John Wayne is the star arguably most associated with Westerns, and his numerous roles in films like STAGECOACH create that association. In this film, Wayne is the Ringo Kid, a loner obsessed with revenge. Not only does Ringo typify cowboy iconography through his costume and demeanor, but this role establishes the types of characters Wayne would play throughout the rest of his career.
Example: Iconography--Stars