Difference between revisions of "329-2010--Week 9 Questions/Comments"
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John Ford was a Lieutenant Commander in the Marines during WWII and also part of the Naval Reserve (http://www.filmreference.com/Directors-Du-Fr/Ford-John.html). With his military background, it makes sense that John Ford would direct a movie with the noble official saving the day and bringing order to the chaos. Western films were growing in popularity during this time period and Ford jumped on the bandwagon making numerous westerns including Stagecoach, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (also a good movie!), and Rio Grande (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000406/bio). The concept of a legend of the West became prevalent in Hollywood. In the foreword of Stuart Lakes’s book, Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal, “Lake noted that the things Wyatt Earp did made him a legend while he lived. But he added: ‘In true perspective, he is recognized as something more, as an epitomizing symbol of a powerful factor…in the history of the Western United States of America. The Old West cannot be understood unless Wyatt Earp is also understood’” (http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umw.edu:2048/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=105&sid=bcb02b64-57ea-490d-9a0c-88d5e423525f%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=29965192). –Samantha W. | John Ford was a Lieutenant Commander in the Marines during WWII and also part of the Naval Reserve (http://www.filmreference.com/Directors-Du-Fr/Ford-John.html). With his military background, it makes sense that John Ford would direct a movie with the noble official saving the day and bringing order to the chaos. Western films were growing in popularity during this time period and Ford jumped on the bandwagon making numerous westerns including Stagecoach, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (also a good movie!), and Rio Grande (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000406/bio). The concept of a legend of the West became prevalent in Hollywood. In the foreword of Stuart Lakes’s book, Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal, “Lake noted that the things Wyatt Earp did made him a legend while he lived. But he added: ‘In true perspective, he is recognized as something more, as an epitomizing symbol of a powerful factor…in the history of the Western United States of America. The Old West cannot be understood unless Wyatt Earp is also understood’” (http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umw.edu:2048/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=105&sid=bcb02b64-57ea-490d-9a0c-88d5e423525f%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=29965192). –Samantha W. | ||
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| + | This movie is a good example of culturally altered storytelling. It is clear the John Ford the director wanted to tell a thrilling tale of the West, but since he not only knew Earp on a personal level and he grew-up in a different time the manner in which he portrayed this story changes everything. Ford tell the story of the O.K. Corral shoot-out like any normal person in the 40s would: there is clearly defined good and evil, the law is upstanding, and justice always prevails. As mentioned many times already, Doc Holiday was very uniquely portrayed-like a 1940s Hollywood bad-boy. He puts on a tough exterior, but on the inside he was a good guy and followed Wyatt's morale code. Wyatt comes across as a "perfect man", he is respectful to women, doesn't cheat, and goes to church. Therefore I would say that this movie is a great primary source to understanding the 1940-1950 definition of good. The lead women knows her place, the lead man is a perfect gentlemen, and the bad guys get their comeuppance. No one-other than the Indian-is show actually being drunk, team Earp actually takes empty shotguns to a gunfight and the character's mustaches are defiantly not big enough. -Isaac Whalen | ||
== Comments on the reading versus the movie == | == Comments on the reading versus the movie == | ||
