The form of this film was both minimalist and grand; Ford's classic location was Monument Valley, Arizona, with wide shots of human figures against an overpowering wilderness. Ford didn't use a lot of close-ups, and had very little camera movement and minimal dialogue. Contentwise, on the other hand, this film was far from moderate or conservative in policy. Using several techniques such as framing, costumes, specific shots, and music, Ford continually probed the edges of frontiers, physical, psychological and

This idea is also addressed through the clothing and demeanor of characters. Wayne’s costume in the opening scenes (very similar to the mixture of uniform Buffalo Bill wore) of Confederate apparel and saber, “western” hat, and Indian buckskin rifle fringe, not only are there to send the idea of “Wow, this guy is a bad ass,” but also to say that the West was in the Civil War and addresses the idea of what a true Western man really is.

Ford uses several instances of “framing” a scene in order to convey a particular feeling of space, whether it be the domestic or the isolated. For example, in the opening scene, the screen goes black and a title appears: "Texas 1868." The film begins with a cabin door opening onto the frontier wilderness. This setting presents the visual motif of the framed doorway and threshold between the two worlds. The internal area in the cabin of the Edwards represents civilized values and the domestic, settled family. The overpowering, sunny outdoor region represents the untamed and menacing land of the western frontier loner which is what Wayne is depicted as. As the scene continues, the black silhouette of a woman moves from the darkness through the door to the bright wilderness outside through which Monument Valley is seen. Moving excitedly to the porch, she notices a man approaching - in the center of the frame (an excellent move by Ford) - who slowly rides in from the desert in a classic entrance - the man is framed between two distant buttes--(his hat later on resembling the shape of one of the buttes--connecting him to the rougness of the region as well) . It also important to note that this opening scene is almost identical to the last one in the film, except that the character in the doorway is different. His face hidden by the low, broad brim of his hat, Ethan dismounts from his horse and wordlessly shakes hands with his brother Aaron. He wears his sun bleached Confederate cloak with his saber hanging at his side. His sister-in-law, Martha greets him first, and when he kisses Martha on the forehead - she closes her eyes during the kiss. It is obvious that they have an unfulfilled mutual love for one another, although it has long been suppressed and only hinted at. The children join in the greeting. Martha swirls around in front of the door and enters backwards, drawing him also into the homesteader's cabin. This is a move to include Ethan in the domesticity. In another “doorway episode” later that night after a family dinner and introduction of his moral counterpart Marty, Ethan is left alone on the porch with only the dog for company and a somber, reflective look on his face. As he turns back to gaze into the door frame of the house in longing, he sees his brother taking Martha to their bedroom and closing their door for the night. The two doorways--both the one to the home, and the one to the bedroom, make him an outsider to society and to his desire to be with Martha as well. The next scene--a morning scene--is another well directed instance of framing. The Texas Ranger/ Preacher Clayton, who has come to the breakfast table to round up Ethan earlier on in the film, is sitting at the kitchen table drinking his last cup of coffee. After kicking the front door shut with his foot, he is left alone in the main room of the cabin. Because of this, he is able to see Martha through the doorway of her bedroom, taking out and gently stroking and caressing Ethan's Confederate cape in an mysterious gesture. Standing in the foreground while staring straight ahead and pretending not to notice from the corner of his eye, Clayton finishes his coffee and deliberately averts his eyes from the intimate scene. In the backdrop, Martha brings out Ethan's coat and hat, and is rewarded with what should seem to be an innocent kiss to the forehead. Experiencing uneasiness at witnessing and sensing their tender feelings for each other, an intimacy that is a clear transgression of accepted n

Some topics in this essay:
Ethan Marty, Valley Arizona, Monument Valley, Ethan Martha's, Gather River”, Ethan’s Aaron, Ethan's Confederate, Martin Ethan, Ethan’s Ethan, Beginning Twain, ethan marty, front door, martin ethan, framed doorway, civil war, scene ethan, framing device, earlier film, monument valley, domesticity family,