The Western

Here are some things I know about Westerns...


1.  Westerns take place in one of three eras: (I) conquering the Western Frontier,  (II) establishing law and order, and (III) the death of the Western Myth and the birth of the Industrial Age.















2.  In the Western, the code of the West is founded in the notion of personal honor and private justice, not the abstract philosophy of law and government.





3.  Common Western motifs include few against many, the life of the nameless nomadic gunfighter, man against the harsh ruggedness of nature and 'savagery.'





4.  Early-to-mid century Western tales are often morality tales; later Westerns explore the ambiguity of such naivete and question whether or not life actually does have value.








5.  The wandering protagonists of Westerns are quite similar to the ronins (masterless samurai) of Japanese culture.







6. Just because a film takes place in the west, does not necessarily make it a Western.



Any comments or questions?