John Wayne is America's most iconic western film actor. His film Stagecoach set a new bar for the western genre and made him an icon. The movie takes place over the course of one long stagecoach ride. The inhabitants of the stagecoach are a host of colorful characters including a doctor and town drunk as well as Dallas, a prostitute recently banished from her town. Along the way they pick up Ringo Kid, played by Wayne, who just escaped from prison. Meanwhile, Geronimo and his band of Indians have become hostile towards any travelers through their land. The stagecoach is attacked by Geronimo and the Apaches and Ringo Kid heroically saves the day.What really makes this movie stand out are the colorful characters that travel in the stagecoach. Each one has his own foible, like the doctor and his drinking or Dallas and her prostitution, yet each one has its own depth. The audience can see that Dallas is more than just a prostitute and that she is not a bad person. Life simply dealt her a few bad cards. Wayne sets the genre standard as the stoic and quiet hero, always brave and ready to save the day while sparing very few words. This shows why Wayne is an icon. He created the basis for western heroes for decades to come.
The impressive technical aspect of this film is the scenery. Instead of being shot in front of a studio backdrop, the cameras left the studio and filmed on site in the southwestern United States. This gives much more depth and reality to the movie. It is obvious to the audience that the backdrop is real and the stunning views really add artistically to the film. Because of the use of on site filming, the movie is more realistic and beautiful.
This film deserves to be on AFI's top 100 list because it set an industry standard. Before this film, westerns were seen as subpar one low grade films. After Stagecoach and Wayne's impressive performance, the western became a popular and more serious genre of films. Films like this one, that start a fad and have such an impact on American life, are noteworthy and always worth watching.
