Discussion questions for Dark Victory

1. Compare the Ringo Kid’s compulsion to seek vengeance in Stagecoach (“There are some things a man can’t run away from”) with Judith Traherne’s decision to meet her end “beautifully and finely” in Dark Victory. Describe how these positions are (a) moral principles the films are endeavoring to explore, and (2) as narrative devices that permit certain dramatic scenes to be included in the film.

2. Perform a similar analysis (moral principle vs. dramatic device) for the keeping of secrets in Dark Victory.