Based on the best selling novel by Walter D. Edmonds, “Drums along the Mohawk” became Ford’s first color film. A huge commercial hit, mainly because of its two stars, Fonda and Colbert, it went on to be an overlooked, thus by many considered a minor, film by Ford in the shadow of “Young Mr. Lincoln” and especially “Stagecoach”.

The story deals with a newly wed couple, who travels from “civilised” New York to the Mohawk valley and settles downs as farmers. Hardly have they arrived, before they are caught up in the revolutionary war.

Where Ford’s westerns are about history, about the men and women, especially men, who created the USA, “Drums Along the Mohawk” differs in motif, as its not so much about the war itself or the men, but about a woman, as the story concentrates on the transformation of Lana from naïve rich girl to an independent frontier woman. Initially, she gets into a hysterical fit when seeing an Indian for the first time, but towards the end, she is a woman of action, fearing not even death, in protecting her community. This transition is beautifully underlined by her costumes. as she to begin with comes complete with bonnet and huge dresses, then changes into rural farmer clothes and finally she wears a revolutionary army coat.

Alongside this stands the parallelism of duty (military) and faith (church). It is by the words of the church unity is formed, which is underlined time and time again, from the speeches of the minister to the notion, that only a Christian Indian is a good Indian. At the end, however, the church is replaced by the American flag, in a very moving sequence, where the American flag is placed upon the church tower, juxtaposed by images of men, women, black, white and Indian, all in awe of their flag, accompanied by the end tunes of “Star Spangled Banner” (Home of the free, land of the brave).

The problem with “Drums Along the Mohawk” is however, that it shifts focus on and off. Where the overall text deals with how American arose by victory over the Tories, the story never leaves Mohawk Valley, so when the men are off to war, we stay with the women, especially Lana. Thus it becomes a story about Gil and Lana, which uses the war as a dramatic sub theme.

But despite being a minor Ford with an uneven structure, this is still a beautiful film. It is full of Fordish humor and humanism and deserves attention.

Henrik Sylow