"ALL$EYES$ON$YOU"$/$FORCED$PRESENTATION$OF$OTHER$

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Stagecoach$ is$ a$ toponym$ in$ motion,$ a$ transient$ place$ where$ a$ group$ of$ people$
which$ in$ other$ circumstances,$ due$ to$ social$ differences,$ would$ not$ be$ found$
seated$"at$the$same$table",$is$compelled$to$meet$in$order$to$travel$to$their$desired$
destination.$The$stagecoach$is$the$place$where$they$unwillingly$become$equals.$It$
is$interesting$that$the$relations$between$the$characters,$though$indicated$before$
they$ enter$ the$ vehicle,$ become$ clearly$ established$ only$ after$ they$ leave$ the$
stagecoach,$ at$ the$ dinner$ table$ which$ can$ be$ viewed$ as$ a$ symbol$ of$ social$
hierarchy$considering$that$there$are$specific$types$of$behaviour$at$the$table$(for$
example$ children$ sit$ at$ one$ end$ of$ the$ table,$ grownNups$ at$ the$ other,$ how$ they$
use$the$cutlery$and$similar).$
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Dallas$whom$Ford$clearly$marks$as$lower$class$(with$the$supposition$that$she$is$a$
woman$ of$ easy$ virtue,$ though$ it$ is$ never$ explicitly$ mentioned$ during$ the$ film)$
becomes$the$object$of$examination$and$staring$in$the$scene.$By$watching$her$and$
by$the$way$they$treat$her$the$group$finds$its$social$structure$(their$proper$place$
at$the$table)$N$we$are$what$she$is$not.$The$crucial$i.e.$"all$eyes$on$me"$moment$is$
Ringo$Kid's$line$"Sit$down$here$ma'am''$after$which$all$present$direct$their$gaze$
at$Dallas.$This$moment$is$also$the$culmination$of$the$tension$which$enables$the$
reestablishment$of$relations$between$the$characters$and$further$development$of$
the$plot.$In$the$analysis$of$"Stagecoach",$Nick$Browne$interprets$the$development$
of$the$scene$from$the$aspect$of$the$direction$of$glances$and$narrative$structure.$
His$ idea$ relates$ to$ the$ fact$ that$ the$ direction$ of$ glances$ of$ the$ two$ groups$ is$
presented$asymmetrically$in$a$shot/countershot$structure$N$Dallas$cannot$look$at$
Lucy's$group,$but$Lucy's$group$can$watch$Dallas.$Lucy's$group$has$the$"power"$to$
look$ beyond$ the$ frame$ (out$ of$ field)$ and$ their$ look$ is$ appraising,$ while$ Dallas$
looks$away.1$In$the$course$of$the$scene$it$becomes$clear$that$the$passengers$do$
not$approve$of$her$presence,$not$simply$because$Dallas$is$poor$and$belongs$to$a$
lower$social$class,$but$because$of$a$perceived$moral$problem,$the$false$morality$
of$the$dominant$social$group.$
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1$Nick$Browne,$The$spectator$in$the$text:$The$Rhetoric$of$Stagecoach,$1975$
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The$ original$ script$ of$ the$ "Stagecoach"$ was$ rejected$ outright$ by$ the$ censorship$
board$ N$ "The$ Breen$ Office",$ primarily$ because$ it$ depicted$ a$ character$ of$ a$
prostitute$ with$ sympathy.$ The$ censors'$ objections$ were$ accepted$ and$ all$
specificities$which$could$directly$point$to$Dallas'$prostitution$were$removed.$Let$
us$ assume$ that$ the$ director$ was$ forced$ to$ find$ more$ subtle$ ways$ to$ use$ film$
language$ to$ depict$ the$ seriousness$ of$ the$ conflict$ between$ the$ two$ groups$
(decent$people$and$authentic,$vivid$creatures$with$their$flaws).$In$fact,$by$doing$
this$ Ford$ avoids$ banality$ in$ the$ presentation$ of$ Dallas'$ character$ because,$ all$
things$said,$it$makes$no$difference$whether$Dallas$is$a$prostitute$or$a$maid,$the$
tension$stems$from$otherness$and$animosity$where$the$danger$does$not$only$lie$
in$ the$ Apache$ attack,$ but$ it$ also$ comes$ from$ "within"$ and$ threatens$ the$ still$
unformed$ concept$ of$ the$ American$ dream.$ The$ American$ society's$ double$
morality$ is$ at$ work$ here,$ imaginary$ and$ real$ (imaginary,$ within$ the$ diegesis$ of$
the$ film$ and$ real$ embodied$ in$ the$ censorship$ board$ which$ decides$ whether$
something$will$be$filmed$or$not).$
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In$ modern$ postNwar$ Europe,$ Luis$ Buuel$ in$ one$ of$ the$ scenes$ of$ the$ "Discreet$
Charm$ of$ the$ Bourgeoisie"$ offers$ a$ different$ perspective$ in$ the$ presentation$ of$
"other",$ from$ a$ different$ point$ of$ view$ N$ the$ theatre$ audience$ watches$ i.e.$
scrutinizes$ the$ bourgeoisie.$ In$ the$ film$ the$ meal/dinner$ is$ an$ ideological/class$
category$ with$ clear$ and$ established$ rules$ N$ the$ process$ of$ dining$ is$ not$ here$ to$
establish$ hierarchy.$ The$ bourgeoisie$ dinner$ can$ be$ the$ motive/symbol$ of$
presenting$ the$ privilege$ of$ high$ society$ in$ the$ context$ of$ protocol$ and$ certain$
rules$ that$ have$ to$ be$ obeyed.$ The$ inability$ to$ carry$ out$ established$ relations,$
plans$and$agreements$creates$confusion$and$anxiety$which$in$the$practical$sense$
manifests$ as$ inability$ to$ cope$ with$ unforeseen$ circumstances$ (so$ much$ so$ that$
the$group$of$friends$cannot$fulfil$a$simple$physiological$need).$
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The$moment$of$tension$that$offers$a$new$perspective$to$their$failed$attempts$to$
eat$happens$in$the$dream$of$one$of$the$characters$where$the$group$of$friends$is$
first$ forced$ to$ face$ an$ outside$ factor$ i.e.$ the$ theatre$ audience$ which$ is$ in$ the$
position$ to$ observe$ and$ examine$ their$ existence,$ that$ is$ their$ inability$ to$ cope$
with$ their$ own$ ridiculousness.$ Standing$ on$ the$ stage,$ amid$ the$ scenography$
(which$simulates$space$i.e.$diningNroom),$consuming$props$(false$food$and$drink)$
and$placed$in$front$of$the$theatre$audience$they$immediately$lose$their$identity$N$
they$do$not$know$the$lines,$that$is$they$don't$know$how$to$make$the$gestures$and$

sentences$ they$ usually$ easily$ articulate$ in$ the$ familiar$ circumstances$ fashioned$
from$norms$of$conduct.$In$this$case$the$"all$eyes$on$them"$moment$is$not$there$to$
identify$ with$ the$ other$ in$ order$ to$ understand$ one's$ own$ identity,$ the$ moment$
reveals$that$the$identity$of$the$dominant$class$actually$depends$on$routine$norms$
of$speaking$and$gesticulating$i.e.$codes$of$conduct.$
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*I!think!the!comparison!i.e.!juxtaposition!of!these!two!examples!is!clear!and!the!idea!
I!would!like!to!work!on!is!possible!to!recognize.!What!troubles!me!is!the!fact!that!I!
failed!to!find!the!same!gesture!used!in!a!different!way!which!would!underscore!the!
line!of!thought!and!offer!a!different!perspective!(not!to!mention!I!have!no!idea!
where!this!gesture/motif!comes!from).!I!think!it!is!essential!to!find!an!example!that!
would!distance!the!story!from!dogmatic!approach!and!the!concept!of!social!groups!
(dining!table!)!and!open!up!new!room!for!thought.!I!was!thinking!about!Paul!
Thomas!Anderson!and!his!film!Boggie!nights!where!Jack!Horner!uses!film!
technology!to!watch!his!life!partner!Amber!enjoying!sex!with!Dick!Diggler.!What!is!
new!in!this!example!is!the!presentation!through!a!film!lens.!Also,!in!Apocalypse!
Now!when!Captain!approaches!the!Colonels!village!he!confronts!himself!with!the!
surveillance!gaze!of!Colonels!people.!But!somehow,!everything!seems!off!topic!now.!!
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