Who could guess that the John Ford western “Stagecoach” from 1939 would still be considered one of the greatest films of all time – not just from an objective viewpoint, but rather a subjective one? That is the approach taken by TIME magazine’s film critic Stephanie Zacharek in her article titled "
How TIME’s Film Critic Chose the 100 Best Movies of the Past 10 Decades" dated July 26, 2023. As a recipient of the Newswomen's Club of New York award and 2015 Pulitzer Prize finalist, Zacharek puts that subjective, critical thought into selecting the one hundred movies for this
list. Surprisingly, “Citizen Kane” (1941), “The Godfather” (1972), and “Casablanca” (1942) did not make Zacharek’s list – films which often make the ubiquitous “Greatest Movies of All Time” lists compiled by other film critics.
One article which takes a definitive look at this movie, which received an Oscar nomination for Ford’s efforts as director, is written by David A. Punch, “
Stagecoach: Defining the Western”. As a canonical film, “Stagecoach” certainly revived interest in the western genre at a time in Hollywood when most westerns of the oater variety dominated the 1920’s to 1930’s. While the cinematography, direction, and screenplay are a major cut above everything done at the time, what really makes the movie stand out is the complex character development. In steps Tom Tyler, who eventually became a member of Ford’s company, appearing in “Drums Along the Mohawk” (1939), “The Grapes of Wrath” (1940), “Red River” and “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”, to name a few. Even better, Tom also had the required background for the demanding role he played as Luke Plummer, as minor a role – and character – in “Stagecoach”. No doubt one of the most memorable scenes in the movie is where the viewer is introduced to Luke Plummer, his personality, and character development – primarily in belated silent film form, with only a few spoken lines. Tom’s performance received accolades from film critics. I wrote extensively about Tom’s performance, and the likeliest reason for it in the article located
here.
Whether subjective or objective as a movie choice, “Stagecoach” is sure of one thing: even first-time viewers will be as impressed with it as much as weathered fans of the film.
