Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

the benches for Ringo. He is made to sit on the floor of the coach, the bottom rung of civilization. He is an
escaped criminal, and while Ford alludes that he may have been innocent, the film is clear that he has been
in jail the past five years. Ringo has been cast out of society. He is cognizant of his outsider status, stating, “I
guess you can’t break out of prison and into society in the same week.” Wayne lives on a different plane
from the people in the coach. When exiting the coach, Ringo seems to flow out. Still seated on the
cramped floor he reaches up, grabs the roof of the coach, pulls himself up and swings his legs out. This is all
done in a fluid motion which contrasts greatly with the stiff movements of the “civilized” passengers. Ringo
belongs in the wide open; it is his natural state, dividing him from the rest of his companions.
The other characters’ interactions with him are key in examining society of the time. The key
characters in the films are an alcoholic doctor, a liquor salesman, a gentleman gambler, a snooty military
wife, a corrupt banker, and a prostitute. The team is being led by the driver and the marshal, who
eventually apprehends Ringo, absorbing him into the civilization of the stagecoach. The inhabitants of the
coach are members of civilization, while Ringo, who is picked up outside in the Valley, is clearly set apart
from them.
Monument Valley is impressive and expansive, and a clear representation of free space. The scene
introducing Wayne shows him standing as a lone figure with all of Monument Valley as a backdrop. The
camera begins showing Wayne at his full height, holding a saddle and rifle in hand. A tight close up of his
face introduces him as important to the audience and the backdrop shows that he is synonymous with the
Valley. He is the personification of the freedom that comes from living outside of civilization. Wayne, as
The Ringo Kid, appears brash, young, and hopeful. He is intimidating without being menacing, and friendly
without seeming weak. Marshall Curley, the sheriff, is there to arrest Ringo, yet it is clear to the audience
that Ringo is only taken into custody under his own choice. Ringo is “pretty handy” with his Winchester and
willingly gets into the coach. The Marshall doesn’t restrain Ringo in any way. Handcuffs or rope would not
bind Ringo. The gambler Hatfield, Mrs. Mallory and the salesman are framed in the windows of the coach,
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