Abstract
One of Ford’s lesser known works, Wagon Master (1950), utilizes Mormonism’s affinity for dancing to build bonds between diverse groups, thus epitomizing the director’s optimistic vision of a united and progressive America. Through the development of the narrative and Wagon Master’s mise-en-scène, Ford displays a keen awareness of Mormon culture and the reasons dancing still holds such significance to members of the religion. Surprisingly, the film also captures a core tension of LDS culture: the desire to receive the inclusion of the rest of society whilst remaining a distinct and faithful people. For the Saints in the film, dancing navigates a path for them to temporarily resolve this conflict.
Recommended Citation
Pettigrew, Ian Dwayne
(2015)
"“I Ain’t So Sure but What the Lord Done Put These Folks in Our Path for a Reason”: Latter-day Saints Building Communities Through Dancing in John Ford’s Wagon Master,"
Journal of Religion & Film: Vol. 19:
Iss.
2, Article 5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32873/uno.dc.jrf.19.02.05
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/jrf/vol19/iss2/5
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
VolNum
19