She Wore A Yellow Ribbon [1949]
Released a year after Fort Apache, She Wore a
Yellow Ribbon, the second installment in Ford’s famed ‘Cavalry Trilogy’, was easily the most sentimental and nostalgic of
the lot. However, John Wayne gave a stirring performance as an ageing Captain
on the verge of retirement, thus elevating the film beyond just another
light-hearted fare. Nathan Cutting Brittles (Wayne), stationed at Fort Starke,
is only a few days from a well-deserved retirement that he’s looking forward
to. Meanwhile the Native Americans are getting stronger by the day. So, when
he’s given charge of escorting his commanding officer’s wife and pretty niece
(Joanne Dru), two officers are vying for the attention of whose, his job is cut
out. The mission doesn’t succeed; but he knows that if he takes the easy route
out by calling it a day as his boss wants him to, his sense of duty wouldn’t
let him be and that, given the perils at stake, the young men need his experience
and guile in order to succeed. So, by using a technicality, he takes charge for
one last night while on his way out, in order to facilitate the passage for his
men and prevent unwanted loss of life. The Duke brought an incredible amount of
warmth, humanism and easy charm into his lovingly etched character, thus
lending the film a strong emotional depth. That, combined with the comical interludes
involving his garrulous and alcoholic sidekick, and the love triangle, made
this a soothing and mellow, if a trifle corny and reductive, watch. The
stunning colour photography of Ford’s beloved Monument Valley was another of
its memorable facets.
Director: John Ford
Genre: Western/Cavalry Film
Language: English
Country: US
2 comments:
"The Duke brought an incredible amount of warmth, humanism and easy charm into his lovingly etched character, thus lending the film a strong emotional depth. That, combined with the comical interludes involving his garrulous and alcoholic sidekick, and the love triangle, made this a soothing and mellow, if a trifle corny and reductive, watch. The stunning colour photography of Ford’s beloved Monument Valley was another of its memorable facets."
Your final sentences really frame this particular film in a definitive way. Wayne does triumph in a tour de force performances, and even with some corny scenes the film is so humane and imbued with humor that most people prefer it to the other films in the trilogy, FORT APACHE and RIO GRANDE. Winton C. Hoch's magnificent Technicolor cinematography is indeed the deal-breaker for most.
Thanks a lot Sam. Yes, allegiances tend to vary a lot insofar as the films of the trilogy. Though I'd rate it lower than the other two, there's no doubting Wayne's towering performance and the truly magnificent cinematography.
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