This text explores the major movies through discussion of their themes and techniques and reveals how much Ford was concerned with the very issues that are central to us today: gender, race, the treatment of ethnic minorities and social outcasts, the nature of history and the relationship between myth and reality. Unlike most books on Ford, which approach the man and his work chronologically, this one is designed around a collection of ideas which provide a better sense of the coherence of the great director's thinking and creative output of film-making through the exploration of specific films. The framework of the book is designed to give the a coherent overview of Ford's work by introducing, then developing discussion of various aspects of the films.