cinema discussion very easy 3 – www.savvyessaywriters.net
cinema discussion very easy 3 – www.savvyessaywriters.net
Please answer the following questions and respond to at least one classmate for 2 points.
HISTORICAL/CULTURAL CONTEXT
I’d like you to think about the time period this film’s story 1880s.
“Stagecoach was produced in 1939 during the Great Depression. Europe was at war, although Americans would not be drawn into this world conflict until 1941. The film’s cast of characters would have resonated with audiences of the times, who recognized Gatewood as representative of the corrupt bankers who had caused America’s economic collapse. “What’s good for the banks is good for America,†he pontificates during the journey. More importantly, the class warfare played out within the rocking coach reinforced social prejudices of the times. The film argues for the dignity of all people, regardless of class. The divisiveness inside the coach, contrasted with the rugged landscape outside, will destroy all unless they can find a way to rise above their intolerance and work together. No doubt many who viewed Stagecoach were immigrants who were themselves struggling for acceptance in America. The film changed the Western genre significantly, from B-grade to A-class feature status. In 1995, the National Film Preservation Board named Stagecoach to the National Film Registry as a film of historical, cultural and aesthetic significance.” The American West and the Western Film Genre. © The Film Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
QUESTIONS
1. How did you feel about this film? Did you like it or not? Why?
2. The Western genre rose to great popularity and we still see it’s success in films like Django Unchanged and many others. As we watch Stagecoach in 2016, about 1880s, made in 1939, what themes still resonate? Please be specific about scenes and correlations to modern events.
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