Despite the fact that The Battle of Elderbush Gulch (1913) and Stagecoach (1939) were made in two separate generations, there is an immense amount of similarities. D.W. Griffith's silent film was produced in a short amount of time and had a low budget. John Ford’s talkie used innovative camera angles, music and conversation to drive plot and action. Although different stories, during the rising action, both films had settlers surrounded by shooting Indians and were saved at the last second by soldiers. Characters followed a pyramid of importance, where white men were held in the highest regard and Native Americans were seen as primitive savages.
Starting at the bottom of the pyramid, there wasn't an individually unique Indian, always being seen in a group. By having Native Americans seen as a setting, it sharpened “the moral issues and dramatic conflicts for the white principles”. The Native Americans were woken up from being passed out drunk and were called to brutally attack the villagers of Elderbush Gulch. Similarly in Stagecoach, they were not seen until the climax but were a constant ever looming threat to the concerned white travelers. Even though the Indians initiated the attack towards the group of travelers in …show more content…
Unlike Indians, Mexicans did not pose a threat of taking white settlers’ land, so they were seen as compliant towards the main characters. In The Battle of Elderbush Gulch, the hispanic character was sent for more reinforcements.The Mexican, played by Chris-Pin Martin, accommodated the people from the stagecoach and was seen as unintelligent, often ending his sentences with “I think”. Having a “savage”, as Peacock shouted when he saw her, as a wife made for more comical opportunities. Martin’s horse was irreplaceable while his wife was exchangeable. Hispanics were able to help white men, so they were able to have some character traits, that fit into a