Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) - Film directed by John Ford

* * 1/2

I personally found this film one of those special ones that was a good because it was so bad. It was racist, sexists, inaccurate and repetitive. It is based on the American frontier where some good white Christians are just trying to have a peaceful life when the evil Native Americans come to burn their houses without just cause! (Literally at one point the characters discuss why the Native Americans are attacking them and do not know what they have done wrong to deserve it.)

The blatant racism in the film is actually excusable because it's probably a fair depiction of the time, however the film should have proved the characters' perceptions wrong rather than validating them with seemingly unprovoked violent attacks. It's based on an important time in American history, when they got their independence from Britain, and so it is understandable that they strongly promote American values within the film but it is just too potent for modern audiences.

There was one really interesting character, played by Edna May Oliver, who was an empowered widow. She was very likeable, funny but also strong willed. She's almost the definition of a good 'strong female character' because she is her own person and happy with that. Most of the other women in the film are rather flimsy. The main star faints too often and only seems to find strength when she is looking for her husband, which demonstrates a dependence on men as a source for strength. Most war films depict women badly because the men go off to fight and the women wait at home but this one did a particularly bad job because the women literally sat by the window at home rather than doing anything productive.

There are some funny moments in the film, although the funniest are unintentionally so, and humour can make any film slightly more endearing. Watching a remastered version makes the film appear so much more beautiful (there is a purple sky at one point which I particularly liked) however this is not a film to watch online because it's cinematography was probably the main thing going for it.
It's a very American film depicting very archaic American ideas and to most modern audiences that can cause offence. It's entertaining because it seems so unaware of how bad it is but you find yourself laughing at the film, not with it.