Mohawk; a City on the Hill of the Us-how Was History Narrated if the Couple Wereindian, Black or Tories? -film Review
Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
Mitra Naeimi asked:
Created in 1939, Drums along the Mohawk is a film about American Revolutionary War around 1770s.
The film is based on a novel with the same name by Walter D. Edmonds.
(As I haven’t read the book ,I can ‘ t analyze to what extent it’s adaptation).
Its director, John Ford (1894-1973) is the only director with four Oscars and this film is Ford’s first color film.
Ford was director of about 150 films and sometimes engaged in other works like acting or writing.
In this film, outstanding acting proves that he had selected stars accurately.
Claudette Colbert(1903-1996) as Lana who later, In 1999, was ranked as the twelfth greatest female star of all time in a list by the American Film Institute and Henry Fonda(1905-1982) as Gil Martin who was named the sixth greatest male star of all time in the same list ,played well.
Edna May Oliver as Mrs. McKlennar, who copped an Oscar for best actress in a supporting role, also acted admirably.
And not only actors and actresses but also other companions did
well as Ray Rennahan and Bert Glennon won Oscar award for best color cinematography.
However I think it’s enough to talk about cinematography and mise-en-scene aspects such as setting was good , acting style was natural , lighting and sound especially referring to that time that cinema was young yet, was good too ,the film speed according to genre that is war and adventure is suitable ,the music is beautiful and suitable too and angles of camera and lens were like this and like that and so on.
It ‘s enough because although reading and writing about a film like every other thing has a method and especially a professional method today ,but in my opinion it’ s better to avoid to repeat
that methods one by one ,but to find a new way.
There fore ,beyond these, I ‘d like to add that the writer of novel, sceenwriter and director are American and as we realize subsequently, this background can influence how they narrate the history, and how this film is a film to explain about “a city upon a hill” ,in better word how Mohawk is a city on the hill of America and accordingly a metaphor for the US.
Plot
The action begins with the wedding scene of main actor and actress of the film . Gil Martin (played by Fonda); a rural man brings his city wife; Lana (played by Colbert) to Mohawk valley near New York.
There they settle in a cabin in the frontier. They farm for a living and build a house for themselves with the help of their neighbors. But as the film takes place in 1776, in revolutionary era of America , convenience doesn’t continue. At that time Indians and Tories, who were the Indian allies of British army, were at war with nationalists under the rule of George Washington .
Therefore conflict begins; their farmhouse like many other houses is attacked and burned by Indians and Tories .Then Mrs. McKlennar ,their neighbor, gives them a shelter provided that they work for her.
For defense ,Mohawk nationalists form an army, and Gil like other men participate in army and Lana like other women helped soldiers behind the front .At the end, After a series of battles , nationalists win the war and arise flag of America at the top of the church and film finishes by happy and honor images of men, women, black, white and Indian under the flag of America.
Thus battles and bloodsheds aren’t the whole of the story. The film contains not only victory but also romance and comedy, except wedding of Lana and Gil; birth of their child ,mass dancing and many comedic scenes.
But what about the main theme ,sub-themes and massages of the film?
Analysis
Beginning the History by New Americans
Each film begins with its name and so does this film . Although according to interpretation view, every one has a peculiar and an individual realization of a text, but I ‘d like to clarify my understanding of film’s title; what are “drums” ?What does this word sign; the bell of the church or the march of the army?
Remember that scene that Lana faced ,for the first time,with Blue Back, the Indian who lived friendly with nationalists . As Lana hadn’t ever seen an Indian ,she feared when faced with a man with a strange color skin and strange traditional clothes .But ” Blue Back” gave her a musical instrument, maybe a cane, for showing his friendly manner and reducing Lana` s fear of him. His instrument, was a traditional Indian one,I think, and therefore bestowing it to new comers who I call them new Americans, may be means that Indians(old Americans) trust the history to new Americans .
But is it true that Blue Back was the representative of all Indians regarding some Indian who were allies of British ,and also Lana representative of all Americans?
Hero women
Considering the story of a rich girl who married with a farmer ,at first Lana had worn an expensive huge clothes and she was honor of her background as she liked an old pot which was belonged to her grandmother. And even ,when she faced with Blue Back for the first time ,she only cried and shouted for help ,but step by step she became a hero woman; she adjust herself with a rural life ,she learned farming and working at hand, she helped her husband, she was joyful, although she lost her house and her first child ,she was patient , she gave a birth to another child that was a sign of good future, she fought ,she helped soldiers, even she took up arms , she didn’t fear death and at the end she became an independent woman as at the final scene she had worn a revolutionary army coat.
So after losing the old pot which was an honorable sign of her background, she didn’t become angry because she began to write a new history in new world, in Mohawk , in New York, in America.
Therefore Lana was the representative of all Americans ,although she was a woman and although in reality all American women didn’t have an effective role in revolutionary era as Lana.
So this film shows the beginning of the new history of America by new comers; new Americans that substitute old Americans ;Indians. And also it shows the impact of war on changing the role of women in early history of the U.S .
But what about Blue Back? Was he the representative of all Indians regarding some Indians who were allies of British ?
Indian and Savage Indians
In the whole of the film the only Indian that wasn’t shown as a savage is Blue Back, although Lana for the first time that Blue Back appeared , was so frightened because in Lana ‘s point of view he had an uncommon image .But during the film he was the only Indian that had converted to Christianity, spoke English although not fluently and assimilated Americans and therefore hasn’t been shown as a savage.
But other Indians who were allies of Tories , were savage ,they only shouted and made strange sounds ,they had been shown as humans with no culture.
There fore Blue Back was the representative of new generation of Indians who were allies of new Americans, convert to Christianity, speak English and devolve America to new Americans.
A person with Black eye patch ;
Either an Indian or an Enemy
Only two people in this film wore black eye patch; first one of the Tories, second Blue Back.
However what does a person with a black eye patch look like?
Undoubtedly a pirate , and a pirate is a wicked .
As Indians had been shown as savages , Tories like pirates and even the Blue Back who assimilated whites had been shown like pirates too, so the only good people in this film are white revolutionaries.
Therefore American exceptionalism is obvious in director ‘s view.
Ronald Steel(Steel:1995) explains exceptionalist sentiment in referring to the American film hero well :” The American film hero is a lonely fighter for civilization, for society, for virtue. He uses harsh means to achieve good, employs force not for its own sake but for a morally higher goal.”
And this statement is devoted to all revolutionaries in this film and this means this statement isn’t devoted to Tories and Indians.
Colonist for Colonist
Another wonderful scene is about Mrs. McKlennar ,when Indians fought and attacked her house, she refused to leave her bed and fought face to face against the Indians ,she was ready to sacrifice her life in order to save her bed ,she had accepted homicide.
But although the film clarifies how colonists were concerned about their family and their community, this scene breaks this image because Mrs. McKlennar wasn’t concerned about Lana and other members of house, she was worried about her bed ,therefore her individual benefits.
This scene in fact explains the role of individualism in construction of a new America.
A Christain Is A soldier
Remembering the speech of Arthur Shields ,a priest who invited all men from sixteen to sixty to military serve and alerted : ” any man failing to report to duty will be promptly hanged “.
This is the story of church and army at that era. A Christian means a militant and diverse .So we face the parallelism of duty and faith.
Through this way Mohawk nationalists formed an army and at the end, the American flag was placed upon the church .
Ignoring Black Discrimination
If we look more carefully, we find out that every person in this movie except children are fighting ; white, Indian and even the only black person in this movie who is a servant ,is fighting and happy because of victory.
But the director didn’t say anything about discrimination against black at that period.
Genre
In this film, narrators were the couple, and especially Lana. But how was history narrated if the couple were Indian ,Black or Tories ? In better word if the filmmakers weren’t white American?
Can we call this film ,a ‘ historical film’ regarding this point that filmmakers don’t narrate completely reality?
In fact as this film has been produced near the World War Two,the director may be liked to strengthen the American exceptionalist sentiment ,this idea that all Americans can live in a community for the good of all ,for the purpose of government, and therefore constructing a city on the hill.
But we should consider this point that although the screenwriter and director have drawn their self understanding of history ,regarding this fact that they are themselves Americans ,and although they ignored some aspects of real history of that era as black discriminations and Indian culture, but they explained peculiarly the steps of forming America from a colonial life to independence, also the role of main institutions ;family, religion( church),politics (army),and economy (farming).
Marriage of Lana and Gil, building home, forming a sincere community ,bearing child, strong link between army and church, Indian’s converting to Christianity and fighting and fighting until forming a community and arising the American flag .
[1] Ronald Steel, Temptations of a Superpower (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1995), 38.
Created in 1939, Drums along the Mohawk is a film about American Revolutionary War around 1770s.
The film is based on a novel with the same name by Walter D. Edmonds.
(As I haven’t read the book ,I can ‘ t analyze to what extent it’s adaptation).
Its director, John Ford (1894-1973) is the only director with four Oscars and this film is Ford’s first color film.
Ford was director of about 150 films and sometimes engaged in other works like acting or writing.
In this film, outstanding acting proves that he had selected stars accurately.
Claudette Colbert(1903-1996) as Lana who later, In 1999, was ranked as the twelfth greatest female star of all time in a list by the American Film Institute and Henry Fonda(1905-1982) as Gil Martin who was named the sixth greatest male star of all time in the same list ,played well.
Edna May Oliver as Mrs. McKlennar, who copped an Oscar for best actress in a supporting role, also acted admirably.
And not only actors and actresses but also other companions did
well as Ray Rennahan and Bert Glennon won Oscar award for best color cinematography.
However I think it’s enough to talk about cinematography and mise-en-scene aspects such as setting was good , acting style was natural , lighting and sound especially referring to that time that cinema was young yet, was good too ,the film speed according to genre that is war and adventure is suitable ,the music is beautiful and suitable too and angles of camera and lens were like this and like that and so on.
It ‘s enough because although reading and writing about a film like every other thing has a method and especially a professional method today ,but in my opinion it’ s better to avoid to repeat
that methods one by one ,but to find a new way.
There fore ,beyond these, I ‘d like to add that the writer of novel, sceenwriter and director are American and as we realize subsequently, this background can influence how they narrate the history, and how this film is a film to explain about “a city upon a hill” ,in better word how Mohawk is a city on the hill of America and accordingly a metaphor for the US.
Plot
The action begins with the wedding scene of main actor and actress of the film . Gil Martin (played by Fonda); a rural man brings his city wife; Lana (played by Colbert) to Mohawk valley near New York.
There they settle in a cabin in the frontier. They farm for a living and build a house for themselves with the help of their neighbors. But as the film takes place in 1776, in revolutionary era of America , convenience doesn’t continue. At that time Indians and Tories, who were the Indian allies of British army, were at war with nationalists under the rule of George Washington .
Therefore conflict begins; their farmhouse like many other houses is attacked and burned by Indians and Tories .Then Mrs. McKlennar ,their neighbor, gives them a shelter provided that they work for her.
For defense ,Mohawk nationalists form an army, and Gil like other men participate in army and Lana like other women helped soldiers behind the front .At the end, After a series of battles , nationalists win the war and arise flag of America at the top of the church and film finishes by happy and honor images of men, women, black, white and Indian under the flag of America.
Thus battles and bloodsheds aren’t the whole of the story. The film contains not only victory but also romance and comedy, except wedding of Lana and Gil; birth of their child ,mass dancing and many comedic scenes.
But what about the main theme ,sub-themes and massages of the film?
Analysis
Beginning the History by New Americans
Each film begins with its name and so does this film . Although according to interpretation view, every one has a peculiar and an individual realization of a text, but I ‘d like to clarify my understanding of film’s title; what are “drums” ?What does this word sign; the bell of the church or the march of the army?
Remember that scene that Lana faced ,for the first time,with Blue Back, the Indian who lived friendly with nationalists . As Lana hadn’t ever seen an Indian ,she feared when faced with a man with a strange color skin and strange traditional clothes .But ” Blue Back” gave her a musical instrument, maybe a cane, for showing his friendly manner and reducing Lana` s fear of him. His instrument, was a traditional Indian one,I think, and therefore bestowing it to new comers who I call them new Americans, may be means that Indians(old Americans) trust the history to new Americans .
But is it true that Blue Back was the representative of all Indians regarding some Indian who were allies of British ,and also Lana representative of all Americans?
Hero women
Considering the story of a rich girl who married with a farmer ,at first Lana had worn an expensive huge clothes and she was honor of her background as she liked an old pot which was belonged to her grandmother. And even ,when she faced with Blue Back for the first time ,she only cried and shouted for help ,but step by step she became a hero woman; she adjust herself with a rural life ,she learned farming and working at hand, she helped her husband, she was joyful, although she lost her house and her first child ,she was patient , she gave a birth to another child that was a sign of good future, she fought ,she helped soldiers, even she took up arms , she didn’t fear death and at the end she became an independent woman as at the final scene she had worn a revolutionary army coat.
So after losing the old pot which was an honorable sign of her background, she didn’t become angry because she began to write a new history in new world, in Mohawk , in New York, in America.
Therefore Lana was the representative of all Americans ,although she was a woman and although in reality all American women didn’t have an effective role in revolutionary era as Lana.
So this film shows the beginning of the new history of America by new comers; new Americans that substitute old Americans ;Indians. And also it shows the impact of war on changing the role of women in early history of the U.S .
But what about Blue Back? Was he the representative of all Indians regarding some Indians who were allies of British ?
Indian and Savage Indians
In the whole of the film the only Indian that wasn’t shown as a savage is Blue Back, although Lana for the first time that Blue Back appeared , was so frightened because in Lana ‘s point of view he had an uncommon image .But during the film he was the only Indian that had converted to Christianity, spoke English although not fluently and assimilated Americans and therefore hasn’t been shown as a savage.
But other Indians who were allies of Tories , were savage ,they only shouted and made strange sounds ,they had been shown as humans with no culture.
There fore Blue Back was the representative of new generation of Indians who were allies of new Americans, convert to Christianity, speak English and devolve America to new Americans.
A person with Black eye patch ;
Either an Indian or an Enemy
Only two people in this film wore black eye patch; first one of the Tories, second Blue Back.
However what does a person with a black eye patch look like?
Undoubtedly a pirate , and a pirate is a wicked .
As Indians had been shown as savages , Tories like pirates and even the Blue Back who assimilated whites had been shown like pirates too, so the only good people in this film are white revolutionaries.
Therefore American exceptionalism is obvious in director ‘s view.
Ronald Steel(Steel:1995) explains exceptionalist sentiment in referring to the American film hero well :” The American film hero is a lonely fighter for civilization, for society, for virtue. He uses harsh means to achieve good, employs force not for its own sake but for a morally higher goal.”
And this statement is devoted to all revolutionaries in this film and this means this statement isn’t devoted to Tories and Indians.
Colonist for Colonist
Another wonderful scene is about Mrs. McKlennar ,when Indians fought and attacked her house, she refused to leave her bed and fought face to face against the Indians ,she was ready to sacrifice her life in order to save her bed ,she had accepted homicide.
But although the film clarifies how colonists were concerned about their family and their community, this scene breaks this image because Mrs. McKlennar wasn’t concerned about Lana and other members of house, she was worried about her bed ,therefore her individual benefits.
This scene in fact explains the role of individualism in construction of a new America.
A Christain Is A soldier
Remembering the speech of Arthur Shields ,a priest who invited all men from sixteen to sixty to military serve and alerted : ” any man failing to report to duty will be promptly hanged “.
This is the story of church and army at that era. A Christian means a militant and diverse .So we face the parallelism of duty and faith.
Through this way Mohawk nationalists formed an army and at the end, the American flag was placed upon the church .
Ignoring Black Discrimination
If we look more carefully, we find out that every person in this movie except children are fighting ; white, Indian and even the only black person in this movie who is a servant ,is fighting and happy because of victory.
But the director didn’t say anything about discrimination against black at that period.
Genre
In this film, narrators were the couple, and especially Lana. But how was history narrated if the couple were Indian ,Black or Tories ? In better word if the filmmakers weren’t white American?
Can we call this film ,a ‘ historical film’ regarding this point that filmmakers don’t narrate completely reality?
In fact as this film has been produced near the World War Two,the director may be liked to strengthen the American exceptionalist sentiment ,this idea that all Americans can live in a community for the good of all ,for the purpose of government, and therefore constructing a city on the hill.
But we should consider this point that although the screenwriter and director have drawn their self understanding of history ,regarding this fact that they are themselves Americans ,and although they ignored some aspects of real history of that era as black discriminations and Indian culture, but they explained peculiarly the steps of forming America from a colonial life to independence, also the role of main institutions ;family, religion( church),politics (army),and economy (farming).
Marriage of Lana and Gil, building home, forming a sincere community ,bearing child, strong link between army and church, Indian’s converting to Christianity and fighting and fighting until forming a community and arising the American flag .
[1] Ronald Steel, Temptations of a Superpower (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1995), 38.
