Stagecoach

As a general overview, when I hear the word 'western' I instantly think of cowboys vs Indians, and how biased it is when the American cowboys always seem to be the 'good guys.' Indiana Jones aside - I don't remember ever watching a western in my life, I'm ashamed to say. Having heard all about Stagecoach, I was pleased to see that it's very different from my preconceived ideas of what a western should be. For instance, John Wayne's character was not your typical goodie, and could actually be described as the opposite having escaped from jail. The mix of the characters in Stagecoach is effective, they would not be the typical group of people expected in a cowboy and indian film, along with the scandalous Dallas and Dr. Boone the drunk for some comic relief. The romance that blossoms between Dallas and Ringo is adds a nice element too it and we discover that Dallas is not as bad as she seems and is in fact a lady. The scene in which Hatfield is going to kill Mrs. Mallory with his last bullet to save her from a more violent death is so sad! What a better time for him to be wounded and help to arrive - a minute later and she would have died for no reason. The ending is satisfying where Ringo is accepting he will be taken back to jail however he is able to 'escape' to start his life with Dallas. In general, I enjoyed Stagecoach a lot more than I anticipated. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be like, in fact, it turned out better.