As we celebrate our nation’s Independence Day under polarized politics that grows increasingly similar in tension to an era over one hundred sixty years ago when our union was splintered in turmoil, let’s explore a cinematic tale of likely the most iconic of all American figures in John Ford’s YOUNG MR. LINCOLN (1939). In the role of the young Abe Lincoln is Henry Fonda. Fonda … Continue reading The Fate of Freedom, Ford, and YOUNG MR. LINCOLN
(The following was included as part of my John Ford Film Study course which I taught in the winter/early spring semester of 2023. This is the last film featured in this Ford series. Please enjoy…) For our last film of this John Ford study, it seems rather fitting to end with the film that many consider to be Ford’s last great film, THE MAN WHO … Continue reading Ford’s Cinematic Send Off: THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE
With this Ford film, we’ll continue the themes from rugged wilderness and racism as discussed in my coverage of THE SEARCHERS, into similar territory in SERGEANT RUTLEDGE. We will take a closer look at the ‘Buffalo Soldiers’ of the U.S. Cavalry history, but with the suspense of a courtroom drama. For discussion of this film’s story, it’s important to note the historical relevance of Black … Continue reading A Western Rarity: SERGEANT RUTLEDGE (1960)
[The following was part of my John Ford film study course I taught in the winter of 2023. SPOILERS are included in this handout, so if you haven’t watched this film before, feel free to refrain until you do so.] As we transition to our next film, THE SEARCHERS (1956), we will experience a very different John Ford film, with a starkly darker role for … Continue reading THE SEARCHERS (1956), a Film Study
Outspoken & Freckled 