Ahhhh, classic cinema! The Technicolor, the optimism, the stock characters, the racism! Coming to you from main man John Ford is a Western/War drama about Gil and Lana, two newlyweds who move to the countryside to start out their lives, promptly to get involved in the militia that fights in the Revolutionary War. Their eagerness and enthusiasm ingratiates them promptly with the surrounding community, and their misfortunes tell the American tale of burgeoning success against oppression through work and freedom.
John Ford is, of course, a great director, and with leads Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert, he paints a very pretty picture that ranges from funny and light-hearted domestic scenes to moments of darkness when the community is surrounded by violent Indians led by the eye-patched John Carradine. His period detail is lovingly built around characters that one can't help but love: the friendly general, the bumbling role-caller, the converted Christian Indian, the gruff but ultimately good-hearted widow, and of course the main characters, Gee-Whiz style Gil and his pretty upper-class beau Lana who both promise to work the land and reap its fruits.
The scenes are mostly entertaining, paying more attention to the workings of the community than to the war surrounding them. The preacher adds his own political commentary explicitly in his sermons. People marry, children are born. The town drunk, doubling as the militia roll-call man, brings in some comedic relief. The town's converted Indian Blueback gives domestic advice in stunted "Me noble savage" English. Some of them are downright nonsensical, such as the scene where the pair of drunken Mohawks attempt to save the old widow and her bed from the fire that they started after appearing out of literally nowhere. But it's all held with the colorful optimism which tends to define the era, as it rounds up symbols of Americana (the villagers, the freed black man, the native) as they all regard the new American flag, reminding the United States about the land that they are fighting for.
--PolarisDiB
John Ford is, of course, a great director, and with leads Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert, he paints a very pretty picture that ranges from funny and light-hearted domestic scenes to moments of darkness when the community is surrounded by violent Indians led by the eye-patched John Carradine. His period detail is lovingly built around characters that one can't help but love: the friendly general, the bumbling role-caller, the converted Christian Indian, the gruff but ultimately good-hearted widow, and of course the main characters, Gee-Whiz style Gil and his pretty upper-class beau Lana who both promise to work the land and reap its fruits.
The scenes are mostly entertaining, paying more attention to the workings of the community than to the war surrounding them. The preacher adds his own political commentary explicitly in his sermons. People marry, children are born. The town drunk, doubling as the militia roll-call man, brings in some comedic relief. The town's converted Indian Blueback gives domestic advice in stunted "Me noble savage" English. Some of them are downright nonsensical, such as the scene where the pair of drunken Mohawks attempt to save the old widow and her bed from the fire that they started after appearing out of literally nowhere. But it's all held with the colorful optimism which tends to define the era, as it rounds up symbols of Americana (the villagers, the freed black man, the native) as they all regard the new American flag, reminding the United States about the land that they are fighting for.
--PolarisDiB