American Cinema Entry 6: The Western

The film genre we know as the western is defined in the text as being, at its heart, mythological. It is described as the genre where the stories of the eastern part of the continental United States meet the western part. In the telling of these stories fact and fiction commingle to produce a film style that is larger than life.
The prevailing theme of east meeting west in the traditional western genre can be seen in many conventional story arcs. One example is the traditional story of an easterner, usually a city type or an early colonist seeking new territory, traveling west to take on the new style of life necessary in his/her new environment. Another example would be that of the heroin who is unable at first to understand or adapt to her new life in the west. As she learns the customs, and culture of her new environment, she comes to accept and enjoy it. She may even try extreme actions to force herself to assimilate, such as dressing as a man or acting like one by using firearms. Another conventional storytelling device found in the traditional western is that of the city slicker who has no concept of the more rural and gritty lifestyle found in the west. As he tries to assimilate to this lifestyle, he is apprenticed by a more manly cowboy type. One last conventional device found in westerns is the female character who embodies the western way of life in herself and her acts. She may have an Indian mother and an American father and therefore metaphorically embody the meeting of east and west in the new frontier. She may also help shape the rural environment of the west into a more urban, eastern city.
The western genre may also reflect various biases and a glamorization of the physical space of the frontier itself. The setting may reflect the main characters' need to escape civilization. However, the modern conveniences afforded them in this setting, such as coaches or buildings, may reflect the taming of this uncivilized region. It, in effect, represents the meeting of East and West. As the main characters' deal with native Americans, cultural biases come glaringly to the forefront. Native Americans are routinely treated sterotypically, like savages or in other negative contexts, and if given any credit at all, played by white actors. Dances With Wolves tried to humanize the native Americans but relies on the audiences' empathy of them in the context of their mutual disdain for the rival Sioux tribe.
Another important convention found in the western genre is that of the anti-hero. The main character is often a lone gunman type who lives by his own set of internal rules. When he saves the day at the end of the film, he will probably leave society and walk into the sunset. He may even be so individualistic that he simply refuses to face the impending society crushing down on him. He wil meet a new railroad being built, the Easternization of his small town, or other societal advancement with combativeness. It may even lead to his downfall.