Today you are going to write a multiple paragraph response to the following question. Your response should be formal, specific, introspective, thoughtful, and thorough. You should turn in a hard copy and not post your response in the comments section. The topic?
According to the criteria set forth at the start of the unit (see below for a list),
is No Country for Old Men a Western film?
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. Just because a film takes place in the west, does not necessarily make it a Western.
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For extra credit, you may participate in an online discussion about No Country for Old Men in the comments section below. I'll start you off with a comment.
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And here's a special bonus...
