Wagon Master

Wagon Master

John Ford's lusty successor to "Fort Apache" and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"

Directed by John Ford

Produced by Argosy Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures

195086 min6.7 / 10

A Ford Western that balances adventure and moral challenge as two guides shepherd a Mormon caravan westward through danger and hardship toward spiritual redemption.

Two young horse traders guide a Mormon wagon train to the San Juan Valley and encounter rugged terrain, the cutthroat Clegg gang, hospitable Navajo, and moral challenges on the journey.

Questions people ask

  • Does Wagon Master end with hope? Yes. More hopeful than 81% of films.

  • Is Wagon Master sad? Not especially. Less sad than 67% of films.

  • Is Wagon Master easy watching? Somewhat. More comforting than 67% of films.

  • Is Wagon Master violent? Somewhat. More violent than 60% of films.

  • Is Wagon Master scary? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

Written about

53/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Familiar shape, done well.

Rarity92

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise23

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love55

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like Wagon Master

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Wagon Master

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Wagon Master, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Wagon Master, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Wagon Master, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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