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Stagecoach

1939

John Ford

John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Thomas Mitchell, Andy Devine ...

8.0

28,336

Western A stagecoach is set to leave Tonto, New Mexico, for a distant settlement in Lordsburg, with a diverse set of passengers on board. Dallas (Claire Trevor) is a woman with a scandalous past who has been driven out of town by the high-minded ladies of the community. Lucy Mallory (Louise Platt) is the wife of a cavalry officer stationed in Lordsburg, and she's determined to be with him. Hatfield (John Carradine) is a smooth-talking cardsharp ... [+]

	Media	Author	Review
		Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"'Stagecoach' holds our attention effortlessly and is paced with the elegance of a symphony (...) We see here Wayne's extraordinary physical grace and capacity for tenderness (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"
		Frank S. Nugent The New York Times	"They've all done nobly by a noble horse opera, but none so nobly as its director. This is one stagecoach that's powered by a Ford."
		Variety	"Directorially, production is John Ford in peak form, sustaining interest and suspense throughout, and presenting exceptional characterizations. Picture is a display of photographic grandeur."
		Nigel Floyd Time Out	"[A] magnificent film (...) The contrast between the innocence of the wilderness and the ambiguous 'blessings of civilisation' are brilliantly stitched into a smoothly developed narrative"
		Simon Braund Empire	"Featuring groundbreaking editing and camerawork (...) it is still an incomparable piece of adrenaline-fuelled action cinema (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Dave Kehr Chicago Reader	"The visual contrast of claustrophobic interior spaces (...) with the expanse of Monument Valley provides a vivid physical correlative to the film's thematic push for freedom"
		Walter Addiego SFGATE	"'Stagecoach' both revived and elevated the Western (...) Visually striking"
		Fernando F. Croce Slant	"Ford never fails to perceive the fragility of his utopia (...) The film continues to feel both classical and startlingly modern (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Steve Uhler Austin Chronicle	"Ford knew how to exploit Wayne's awkward line readings, giving him minimal dialogue, but plenty of silent, telling reaction shots."
		Jen Chaney The Washington Post	"It remains a beautifully shot, flat-out great motion picture (...) What makes 'Stagecoach' so compelling is the fact that it transcends its genre, acting as both a character study (...) and an action movie"

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