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MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (1946)
Among Ford's finest Westerns and one of the greatest of films for its sense of poetic tragedy, My Darling Clementine is pervaded by a feeling of loss—of family, place, honor, and self-worth. The reluctant hero, Wyatt Earp (Henry Fonda), can never find the peace the church-going pioneer families pay him to establish. Equally, he is a reluctant romantic, deeply chivalrous like other Fordian leading men. Among the more elusive protagonists of the Western genre, Earp seems laid back, reserved, or repressed. His friend and ally, Doc Holliday (Victor Mature), is a dentist turned gambler who carries a tragic weight. Earp's sorrow is quieter, more introspective. His gentle attempts to achieve balance on a sunny Sunday morning yield one of cinema's most sublime moments.Ford gave a lonely landscape a particular resonance. No other filmmaker is as identified with a specific location; none has imbued a site with greater meaning. His Westerns are an evocation of his strong feeling for the American past; the frontier is his landscape of memory. My Darling Clementine is a triumph of his unique Western mise-en-scène, rich characterization, and breathtaking black-and-white cinematography. The town of Tombstone, a settlement emerging in the middle of nowhere, is a universe unto itself. The town represents the civilization of the white man, with the Indian nation of no importance. Problems are caused by greed and drunkenness, clannish loyalties, and a thirst for revenge. The film plays freely with myth and legend, often departing from what is known about the historical figures who inspire the tale: the Earps, the Clantons, and Holliday.