homesteader conflict

Ford's westerns like 'My Darling Clementine' and 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance' explore the clash between frontier settlers and wilderness, examining the moral costs of civilization's expansion.

Malick's 'Days of Heaven' poetically depicts the struggles of migrant workers and homesteaders against natural forces and economic hardship in the American heartland.

Campion's 'The Piano' and 'Top of the Lake' examine tensions between settlers and indigenous peoples, tradition and progress, in isolated frontier communities.