tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-478111043202609148.post6312897300412037112..comments2008-02-14T10:54:23.315-05:00Dan Sallitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13136066978329749513noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-478111043202609148.post-8037921501848294082008-02-14T10:54:00.000-05:002008-02-14T10:54:00.000-05:00

Jonah - yeah, <B>Wagon Master</B> is "seeded" with the symbolism of the covered wagon journey, and Ford's sense of national myth takes it from there. It's interesting how Ford films so easily arrive at that feeling of the present as an imagined past.<BR/><BR/>I wish I'd been able to catch <B>Wee Willie Winkie</B> in the MoMI series - it might be my favorite pre-1939 Ford film, actually.

Dan Sallitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13136066978329749513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-478111043202609148.post-87385908086711230752008-02-14T03:08:00.000-05:002008-02-14T03:08:00.000-05:00

WAGON MASTER is like sensual, visual poetry, transposed into film language. <BR/>Peter

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-478111043202609148.post-47384261941147058792008-02-13T21:52:00.000-05:002008-02-13T21:52:00.000-05:00

The historical content of WAGON MASTER seems to function through metaphor -- the Mormons are retracing the journey that's at the heart of the American story. Ford is manifestly uninterested in anything about the Mormons aside from their ability to embody this mythical movement. I sometimes forget that it's about Mormons at all (it's still considered PC to malign this group, just as in the film).<

jonahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-478111043202609148.post-1673612786315667112008-02-13T09:55:00.000-05:002008-02-13T09:55:00.000-05:00

Peter - I'm eager to revisit <B>Wagon Master</B> - I haven't seen it in years. In the context of this discussion: it's really interesting how that film hasn't got much too overt historical content, and yet Ford still plays down the immediacy of the drama, and plays up an abstract sense of national/historical import, mostly through music and compositions.

Dan Sallitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13136066978329749513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-478111043202609148.post-88126961567178833592008-02-13T01:26:00.000-05:002008-02-13T01:26:00.000-05:00

Dan,<BR/>Although I have not yet seen Ford's "The Iron Horse", it sounds like a very interesting film. Whenever I think of Ford, I automatically seem to think of "Wagon Master", my favorite Ford by far.<BR/>Hopefully I will get the opportunity to see "The Iron Horse" soon.<BR/>Peter

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com