by Webster Wade

Created on: February 19, 2008   Last Updated: February 21, 2008

In John Ford's 1939 film "Stagecoach", the story relies on the connections between characters to carry it across the dangers of the open desert. These relationships are not only created by events and conversations, but solidified in the audience's mind with the use of music, which also effectively communicates mood and drama.

The film opens with a montage sequence accompanied by a medley of some of the songs featured in the film, which outline perfectly the order of things to come. There is the "riding theme" proclaiming the title and weaving throughout, the sentimental love song, and the pounding war march of the Apache tribe. When we meet all of our other characters in town, no music accompanies them. Instead, he only music wedged between the opening sequence and the riding theme when the coach first departs is that which accompanies the scene of Dallas and Dr. Boone being driven out of town. This is because the movie's central theme of social rejection is being established, and the music subliminally adds importance to this scene over the others around it. The tune is somber at first, reflecting on the sadness of this forceful rejection, but when the two lock arms and proudly trod to the coach, it is humorous and cartoon-like, demonstrating the resilience of these two characters.

The riding theme thunders as the coach speeds off on its journey and remains fairly loud throughout Curly and Buck's conversation, but is muted when the scene shifts to the interior of the stagecoach. This emphasizes the difference in space and condition between the environments: the interior is small and quiet, whereas in the drivers' seat, things are vast, open, and loud due to wind. Once inside the coach, the music drifts in and out of different ideas and occasionally back to the riding theme until the coach stops for Ringo. The mention of the telegram line evokes a certain melody when Gatewood inside or Curly outside speaks of it. Geronimo's name also prompts a few moments of the war march theme. As the day wears on, the tempo of the riding theme slows and its mood is infused with a melodramatic quality when Ringo discusses his dead brother or Doc Boone suggests Hatfield shot a man in the back. At the first town, we are without music again until certain members of the group clearly separate themselves from Dallas; this once again reinforces the social outcast theme. Two pairs are also assigned their own songs: Ringo and Dallas have their love song from the title and Mallory and

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