UNCONQUERED

US, 1947, 146 minutes, Colour.
Gary Cooper, Paulette Goddard, Howard Da Silva, Cecil Kellaway, Henry Wilcoxon, Ward Bond.
Directed by Cecil B. De Mille.

Unconquered is a big-budget Cecil B. de Mille historical extravaganza. He introduces the film, as he often did, with an explanation about American history.

The setting is the 1760s, the decade prior to the War of Independence. The setting is Virginia. However, the focus is on the relationship between the American settlers and the Indians, the good versus the bad. In the background are the British – but, as they are about to lose their colonies, they are presented as somewhat incompetent.

Gary Cooper, who had appeard for de Mille as Wild Bill Hickock in The Plainsman in the 1930s and in the World War Two story The Story of Dr Wassell, as Dr Wassell, is a captain who buys a felon, transported to America to be a slave. He intends to set her free. However, in a Cecil B. de Mille epic, things are not so easy and the heroine has to go through an extraordinary amount of difficulties, adventures and tortures before the happy ending. The villain of the piece is Howard de Silva.

Some de Mille regulars like Henry Wilcoxon appear and there are some good character actors including Boris Karloff, Cecil Kellaway, Ward Bond, C. Aubrey Smith and de Mille’s daughter Katherine.

The heroine is Paulette Goddard who had appeared for de Mille in the early 1940s in Reap the Wild Wind.

In the film, everything is larger than life, a kind of grandiose comic book presentation of American history, simplifying it into a struggle between good and evil. The film, however, nominated for an Oscar for its special effects.

1. The appeal of the Western: the atmosphere of the West and its convention, Indians, military, the Western expansion, clashes, the American heritage?

2. De Mille's reputation: colour, sets, size and length of film, rousing music, big scope?

3. The De Mille opening: his narrative about American history and its heritage, his explanation of the title? The morale boosting approach?

4. The importance of the British prologue and America? America as under England in the 18th century? The judicial background for America? Justice and the administration of justice, Abigail ad her being the victim of the law, the choice of hanging or transportation and her choice? Audience response to this kind of justice, sympathy for and interest in Abigail?

5. The detailed portrayal of ship life, Garth and his arrogance, his transporting, his making of trouble in the
colonies? His attitude towards Chris Holden? The wager? His imposing himself on Abigail? The sale and the various tones between Chris and Garth? The comic addition of Jeremy? Audience response to the re-sale of Abigail? Bone and his character, his work for Garth, liaison with the Indian, his cruelty? The use of Abigail in the slave sale, her compassion of husband and wife, her being whipped? Garth in his manipulation of Bone and Abigail? Her working and scrubbing, serving drinks? The humiliation? The attitude of Garth's Indian wife?

7. Chris Holden as the hero of the film? Gary Cooper and his style, his reputation in the west? His fiancee, his meeting of Frazier and the alert about the Indians? His breaking off with his fiancee? His hostility towards Garth? His acceptance of the mission on behalf of the military? The dangers and his willingness to undergo these? The ambiguity of his response to Abigail?

8. The presentation of America west of Kilalo mountains? The nature of expansion in the 18th century, forts, relationships with the Indians, intermarriages like that of Garth? The trading, of arms? Politics? military, administration from England? The introduction of Washington and other historical figures?


9. The rescue of Abigail and using her as bait at the ball? The transforming effect on Abigail, her disillusionment?

10. Garth and his deal with the Indians? The possessiveness of his wife? The Indian chief and his attitude towards Garth? The capturing of Addy, her torture, death?

11. Response to Holden's recapturing of Abby? His daring, his use of the compass? The river and the waterfall, their trek, the encounter with the dead family, the town and the dying man sending them on a mission, even though it meant slavery and court martial? The emphasis on American heroism?

12. The response to the court martial, the attitude of the deputy commander, Garth arguing his case, Holden admitting his guilt and hoping to save the fort?

13. The irony of Abby's arranging for Holden's escape? Garth's betrayal and the irony of shooting his wife? The importance of Holden's getting through, the plan for the siege, the atmosphere of surrender to the Indians during the siege, the relief even though it was the dead men?

14. The build-up to the confrontation between Garth and Holden? The use of Bone, Abigail and her being saved?

15. How appropriate the happy ending for this kind of film?

16. How important was character delineation, the presentation of American types, typical Western situations and issues? How well?