“Drums Along the Mohawk”

“Drums Along the Mohawk” is the Adventure film of Hollywood which was directed by John Ford (I), one of the famous directors in the first half 20th century in USA. Mohawk Valley, where Gilbert and Lana Martin (Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert) a young couple trying to make their new life, is the symbol of American society(late 18th century) that some events like attack, protection, joining together and participation happened in it.

Summery
Gilbert Martin and his bride Lana marry shortly before the revolutionary war starts. They settle in Upstate New York and began their couple life with hope. Something like communication with neighbors was strange for them especially Lana but the series problems like Indian attacks resulted to burned out their village with intriguing Tories. So for the next six years Gilbert fights in the war as he and Lana try to establish their homestead.Story and its WritersThe story of this film is belong to a interesting novel, Walter D. Edmonds wrote it in (1939) and William Faulkner, Sonya Levien and Lamar Trotti tried to formed it to screen written for “Drums Along the Mohawk”.

Main Characters
Feel our life
Alfred Newman is the composer of this film, he was later known variously as "the Boy Conductor" and "the Youngest Conductor in the United States." By the time he entered films with the 1930 Goldwyn production Whoopee. Nominated for 45 Academy awards, Newman won the award nine times. His last composition was the driving, intensely up-to-date main theme for Universal's Airport (1970). Also in 1995 he composed Hollywood Sound.
In Drums Along the Mohawk, every situation has its music, with the background of hope or something that new couples feel it, sadness, happiness, expectation, patience, fear and confusion , are some of these situation that Alfred Newman composed it artistically.
From Timid Lady to Brave Woman
Claudette Colbert is the main actress of this film. She was born in Paris, Seine, France. At first her complete name was Lily Claudette Chauchoin but in 1923 when she went to Broadway (a place like Hollywood), she adopted the name Claudette Colbert. Her first successful film was The Lady Lies in (1929) and she could accept her started situation in American cinema in 1930s, such unique situation that her name symbolized good movies in America. “Drums Along the Mohawk” (1939) was her film that kept fans coming to the theaters and the movie moguls happy. By the late 1940s and early 1950s she was not only seen on the screen but the infant medium of television, where she appeared in a number of programs.
We could consider her different play in “Drums Along the Mohawk”, her different conditions like, at the beginning of film, when enter to life with a man, and after that when she migrated with her husband to new place and etc. in these times we could see her in timid lady role but with passed another film’s events, she received to brave woman who could take a weapon and protected of her neighbors in lake of her husband! So Claudette Colbert believed this role and played it.
War for The Life
Henry Fonda was born in Grand Island, Nebraska, USA, (16 May 1905). His ancestors came from Genoa, Italy, and fled to the Netherlands around 1400. Among the early Dutch settlers in America, they established a still-thriving small town in upstate New York named Fonda in the early 1600s, named after patriarch Douw Fonda, who was later killed by Indians. Henry Fonda's paternal grandparents moved to Nebraska in the 1800s. He started his acting debut with the Omaha Community Playhouse, a local amateur theater troupe directed by Dorothy Brando. His first major roles in Broadway include "New Faces of America" and "The Farmer Takes a Wife". One of his best films was Young Mr. Lincoln (1939); James Stewart and John Ford (the director of Drums Along the Mohawk) were his best friend. His two children are screen stars of American Cinema today. He spanned almost 50 years in American theater and television and finally died in 12 August 1982.
A kind of pride and self confidence is obvious in his face, it seems that he could manage the problem even when he came back from war and he was very upset of it, another thing that he live with all of his energy and war was not only conflict for him, he fought for his life. In all of the film Henry Fonda didn’t distance from his role.
Portray of Americans Unity
John Ford (I), was born in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA (1 February 1894) he was one of the most respected directors in the business especially in his westerns, which were not considered "serious" film. He won six Oscars and received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Richard Nixon in 1973.He has won more directing Oscars than any other director: four, for The Informer (1935), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), How Green Was My Valley (1941), and The Quiet Man (1952). He also won an Oscar for Best Documentary, Short Subject for The Battle of Midway (1942) and an Oscar for Best Documentary for December 7th (1943).
It seems that John Ford (I) was successful to direct a historian Film. In regard of American narrative of their history, they try to build their house, their city and their country and they are not only immigrants but also they are creators of this land and this history. So this film could give this belief that every group of immigrants (the young couple) who came to this land for their interest, finally joined to his society and his United Nation. Ford could portray it during the film and ended it in unity of settlements when the flag was raised.

American Society in Late Eighteen Century
Tom Tyler (Capt. Morgan), Chief John Big Tree (Blue Back) and Edna May Oliver (Mrs. Sarah McKlennar) are the best representative of this society, Capt. Morgan who is introduced with his single eye, wanted to keep Tories’ domination on settlements, in fact he wanted to access to this land. Mrs. Sarah McKlennar who is introduced with her naked language has role of respectable land owner even in lake of her husband (General McKlennar) and she doesn’t leave her land, her home, her bed until last moment! Blue Back, the Indian man who is introduced with his ancient hat, his broken English accent and his emphasis on putting the hat could be a sign for trying to keep his Indian culture and keep situation in new American society. These three representatives in the time shortly before American Revelation (1776) are good choice for showing some challenges in American History and American Identity. The central role of this new couple also helps to perceive the new society better. May be this couple were representative of common American people that try to find their place in new society and in this way they had to accept some prices.