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One hour down! It’s a momentous time in any film; a time to take stock and true to form, this minute is a recap of information the audience has been told a dozen times already. 125 names on a death list, fifty dollars a head, the immigrants are poor, using ‘hung’ instead of hanged, the Stock Grower’s Association declaring war… it’s all the hits of the previous 59 minutes you’ve come to know and love! Order now and receive the one-time limited offer ‘Hit’s of the Pointless Prologue’! Actually, that’s more of a concept album.
With every reveal of an important plot point, a caption containing the information should appear and stay on screen for the film’s duration. Better to be clear than risk the audience forgetting things like, cattle owners want cattle thieves dead. It would have kept Hollywood caption makers in business and even fuelled a caption renaissance. Bring a bunch of intertitle writers out of retirement. Most would have worked in one of John Hurt’s silent cow comedies. And if you’re going to bankrupt a studio that originated from the silent era, you may as well bring back some of its principals to be involved with the downfall.
