Context
Westerns are the unique mythology of America. They are distinct and home made in America. By the late 1930's, westerns where considered a "pulp" genre in Hollywood. However, in 1939 it's popularity grew with big studio productions of films such as Doge City and Union Pacific.
Codes and Conventions
Westerns are filled with many codes and conventions such as:
Card games
Saloon
Tumbleweed
Piano
Spurs
Horses
Cowboys
Cowboy hats
Smith & Wesson revolvers
Shootouts
Native Americans
Mexicans
Bandits
Cigarettes and cigars
Desert
Dirty
Conforming and Subverting Codes and Conventions
Westerns have many codes and conventions which create different ideas or themes. The desert setting isolates the characters and also creates a lawless land. Many other codes and conventions are important to advancing the story like Native Americans and Mexicans. Many people are marginalised in westerns including African Americans and women. However films can subvert these expectations like Django Unchained(2012,Quentin Tarantino). Another film to deconstruct these expectations is Blazing Saddles(1974,Mel Brooks). Both films feature an African American main character. There are many films that subvert other codes and conventions like Jeremiah Johnson(1972,Sydney Pollack) takes place in the snowy terrain of the mountains subverting the desert setting but still instilling isolation and loneliness. Others where made to subvert Hollywood standards and promote ugliness and the truth that the hero isn't always pure and win. This is best represented in
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly(1966,Sergio Leone) a legendary spaghetti western where everything feels dirt, ugly and horrible.
Ideology
Westerns create a mythology of the formation of the United States. They offer a great insight into American National identity throughout the past 200 years. They ideologically create a new history for America to distract from the actual tragedy's that occurred. They portray the struggle and demise of the new frontier often showing the civil war.
"Key Films" for the Western Genre
Jeremiah Johnson Trailer
Blazing Saddles Trailer
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Trailer
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