The End of the Frontier

In My Darling Clementine, the church bell scene summarizes an important aspect of the film. We see the end of the wild west, and the crude, frontier civilization. The latter is also represented by Mr. Thorndike and the theater productions. The fact, however, remains that the church is unfinished and the production is canceled when Mr. Thorndike doesn't show up. Mr. Thorndike relies on Doc to continue his recitation of McBethThis represents a backlash against civilization, and the fight between frontiersmen and homesteaders. The actual shots of the church contrast with the Arizona mountains and the desert scenes. It represents the introduction of settelers and shows how they have only begun to tame the landscape. Other symbols of the East include Clementine, the barber's cologne, the church bells, Doc's diploma, et. cetera. In my opinion, it is an important theme of the film that is never addressed outright. In that way, it begs interpretation and analyzation.