Westerns have come a long way and changed a lot since
three guys stared each other down.
By Dan Ashby
January 15, 2019
Westerns should seem an easy genre to define. They
usually involve a gruff, lone rider arriving at some backwater town, the vast,
wide landscapes of America, a classic showdown between good and evil and an
epic score underlying it all. But slowly over time, the Western has developed
and changed. What we are now left with is a hybrid of styles and approaches.
Although entertaining, many of the earlier incarnations
of the Western were basic in their concept and design. Although the
protagonists were supposed to be wild outlaws, they had that classic Hollywood
look, aided by heavily applied make-up and flamboyant costumes. It was more of
a show with lavish gunfights, quippy dialogue and a love interest. Despite
being set in the era of cowboys, many of the earlier Westerns were shot in
studios. Even worse still was the lack of Native Americans present in many of
this films, and it wasn’t uncommon for white actors to apply darker make up in
a dismal attempt to pass off as them.
In the 1940s and 1950s, many of the lead cowboys were
presented as heroic, dashing and brave. Actors such as Gary Cooper, John Wayne
and James Stewart, for instance, played cowboys who were confident, capable and
charming. It wasn’t until later on when actors such as Clint Eastwood appeared
on the screen that the cowboy began to develop into something else. Spaghetti
Westerns often pioneered by Sergio Leone introduced the grumpy, gruff and
grumbling protagonists that audiences are more accustomed to.
As Westerns ventured into the 1960s and 1970s, a more
stylized approach began to take shape. Although still evident in some earlier
films, Spaghetti Westerns utilized colour, camera and sound to reinforce the
setting, characters and story of the piece. This isn’t to say that the Western
genre changed completely. On the contrary, many of the trademarks and signature
styles of the classic Western still remained. Although cowboys were grittier
and more disheveled, they still had a decent application of make-up and stylish
clothing. There was also still more often than not a love interest, who ends up
falling for the protagonist about halfway into the run time.
Westerns are an interesting genre because although they
have exploded into a plethora of different categories, they all share
similarities. Even films that aren’t technically Westerns utilize its style for
cinematic effect. It has come to a point where it is hard to define what
exactly a Western is. Take No Country For Old Men for example. Is it a modern
Western or does it just incorporate styles from that genre? It involves a
shootout at the beginning, a man on the run from a bad guy, who is in turned
pursued by a sheriff of the law. On the face of it, that sounds like a Western
but it has a contemporary setting, meaning it can also be regarded as a crime
thriller. This makes the lines somewhat blurry.
One aspect that has undeniably changed is the realism.
This can be seen visually in the authenticity of violence, the advancements in
cameras and cinematography and the development of dialogue and writing. This
can be easily identified when studying remakes. The remakes of 3:10 to Yuma and
True Grit show just how much has changed in the Western since their originals.
What is great about these films in particular is that both the remakes and the
originals are enjoyable for different reasons.
It is not only in films that this change has occurred.
Clint Eastwood is a prime example of an actor who has changed in his
representation of a cowboy since he first donned his hat and spurs. He wasn’t
exactly one dimensional in his earlier films, but his backstory and arc were a
little simpler. With later works such as Pale Rider and The Outlaw Josey Wales,
his character is given a deeper backstory which plays an integral part in the
development of the overall narrative. Then much later in his career, his role
evolved even more so as he plays a washed up and rusty retired cowboy, who is
forced back into a life he left behind in Unforgiven. Even actors such as John
Wayne, who played a very particular type of cowboy, was presented differently
in the original True Grit. It is fascinating to see how the medium of the
Western has grown and morphed throughout the course of these actors’ careers.
The Western has changed even more significantly in the
last ten years with films such as Django Unchained and Cowboys vs. Aliens. It
is almost impossible to place Quentin Tarantino’s film into one genre as it is
such a hybrid of different styles and genres. Cowboys vs. Aliens just downright
defies to be quantified into one specific genre, as the title suggest.
While many later Westerns did include Mexican and Native
American actors, it was not often that they were the leading stars. Recent
Westerns such as Hostiles and the remake of The Magnificent Seven have sought
to rectify this. Django Unchained is another example. Admittedly, the violence
can be a little gratuitous, but the fact that it is told from a black man’s
perspective is highly important. It is unusual for a black actor to star as a
main lead and one of the few other examples I can think of is Blazing Saddles.
It is an exciting time for Western films in particular as
we are now in a place where the genre has a lot of expanded potential going
forward. Cameras are better than ever, there are some very talented writers and
directors on the scene and good budgets can mean top quality actors, varied
locations and impressive action sequences. Additionally, you have a rise in
contemporary Westerns with films such as Hell or High Water and Three
Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri. One is technically a heist film and the
other a black comedy drama, but they incorporate a great deal of the Western
style.
Westerns are now a decidedly hybrid genre but still so
familiar in their presentation that you never fail to recognize them. Looking
forward it will be interesting to see where the Western will take us next. The
genre will have to change and develop if it has a chance of remaining popular.
This could be tricky as popular films are predominantly faster paced and action
packed and although more recent Westerns have upped the violence and action,
they are still slower paced than other genres.
In terms of films and particularly Hollywood films, the
natural evolution will be to hybridize with another genre. With the recent rise
in science fiction films, it is more than likely that these genres will be combined.
The space cowboy is a character who has taken many forms from Han Solo to
Starlord. So it makes sense that this would be the next logical step.
n terms of the traditional Western, it seems better
placed on a streaming platform such as Netflix. It is a much more effective
tool for pulling in viewers, as it has a huge audience and following. Although
Netflix do produce some not so spectacular original films, they also have a
strong reputation for some truly great features.
The format is also changing. Western TV shows have
developed a bigger presence in recent years. As a genre it seems to be at home
in the medium of television. A good Western is like a fine wine: it develops
and matures over time. This doesn’t necessarily mean slow, merely that the characters
and scenarios need room to breathe. The whole point of an effective Western is
to gradually build up the suspense and tension. With a TV show, the setting,
characters and plot can unfold at the correct pace.
Westerns have the capacity to carry on being a strong
presence in cinema and television but in order to do so, certain changes and
shifts in the genre are necessary in moving forward. Although Westerns have
stayed true to a lot of the core concepts, styles and approaches, they have
also changed quite a lot throughout the history of film. Hopefully the genre
will continue to evolve, as it will be interesting and curious to observe where
the Western film takes us next.
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