Spaghetti Westerns are a very interesting sub genre of the western. They are typically filmed in Italy or somewhere in Europe, and often present negative depictions of the United States and its culture. Two excellent examples of “Spaghetti Westerns” are 1966 films The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and Navajo Joe. One characteristic of spaghetti westerns like these two is their overly violent depiction of the American west. In The Good, the Bad and the Ugly for example, we see a large amount of violence, often pointless or discussed as being pointless. The three main characters are all very violent, ruthless people. Tuco and Blondie’s half-hearted attempts to kill each other only serve to further imply that Americans were viewed in Europe as being desensitized to violence. Whereas in classic westerns the films utilize violence so that the hero can save the day from the bad guys and morality prevails in the end, spaghetti westerns depict violence as a form of showboating, as being something Americans deploy nonchalantly whenever they so desire to do so.
In Navajo Joe, we see violence again emerging as a very prominent issue Europe was concerned about in America. The very opening scenes are of a man shooting and scalping a Native American. The film also makes continuous allusions to the very real presence of racism at the time, and race is often very bluntly spoken above in negative ways. For example, at one point the townspeople don’t want to negotiate with Joe because of his race. These movies came at an important time for the American Civil Rights Movement, and reflected the heightened racial tensions of the era.
While in the classic American western, the masculine, powerful hero is meant to be revered and respected, in the spaghetti western genre Europeans make clear that they do not view the same qualities as being necessary in a hero. Whereas in classic westerns our values are typically held in very high esteem, spaghetti westerns tend to look at our culture through less favorable eyes and depict the United States as being a nation corrupted by greed and violence and racism.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
SK "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly/ Navajo Joe"
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and Navajo Joe are two films that fall under the "Spaghetti Westerns" genre. These types of films, which are made usually by Italians, provide European perspectives on the American culture. Violence and greed are emphasized in the Spaghetti Western films and the representation of the alpha male is different from the original Western films.
The European version of the Western is shown to be overly and unnecessarily violent, which gives an idea of how the Europeans are picking on the flaws of America. The extreme violence seems to be influenced by the Vietnam War which was exposed during the time the films were made in 1966. The citizens of America were accessible to the media that showed them such violence that derived from the Vietnam War. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and Navajo Joe focus on greed and it is shown to be significant to the plot of the film. America was in a period of many equal rights movement in 1966, and Americans pushed and worked for equality, which is similar to the characters in the film who searched for gold. The effort to gain a fair and much better life for individuals in America was an important issue during the period.
Navajo Joe introduces the alpha male as Joe, who is a Native American. This is obviously different from the classic Western, in which the alpha male must be the white Anglo-Saxon male while the Native American is under the category of "the others". However, in the film Navajo Joe, the town is initially reluctant to ask for help, but they ultimately do. Then again, in the film The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, cut out Native American figures are shot into pieces by a man. The Europeans had a sense that there was a bad relationship between the Native Americans and the settlers during the time.
The European version of the Western is shown to be overly and unnecessarily violent, which gives an idea of how the Europeans are picking on the flaws of America. The extreme violence seems to be influenced by the Vietnam War which was exposed during the time the films were made in 1966. The citizens of America were accessible to the media that showed them such violence that derived from the Vietnam War. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and Navajo Joe focus on greed and it is shown to be significant to the plot of the film. America was in a period of many equal rights movement in 1966, and Americans pushed and worked for equality, which is similar to the characters in the film who searched for gold. The effort to gain a fair and much better life for individuals in America was an important issue during the period.
Navajo Joe introduces the alpha male as Joe, who is a Native American. This is obviously different from the classic Western, in which the alpha male must be the white Anglo-Saxon male while the Native American is under the category of "the others". However, in the film Navajo Joe, the town is initially reluctant to ask for help, but they ultimately do. Then again, in the film The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, cut out Native American figures are shot into pieces by a man. The Europeans had a sense that there was a bad relationship between the Native Americans and the settlers during the time.
Monday, November 15, 2010
JM "The Good the bad and the Ugly/Navajo Joe"
The western film genre experienced a number of different periods including a period during which Italian filmmakers began to make a series of their own “Western” genre films. The mid 1960’s saw the increasing production of these Italian western films which later became referred to as Spaghetti Westerns. The Spaghetti Westerns were low budget films that were aimed at portraying Europe’s perception of the violence and ethics that were present in American films. These films portray the Italian perception of America.
One Spaghetti western produced by Sergio Leone The Good the Bad and the Ugly shows the evident negative perception of the American society. The three main characters in the film are portrayed as cutthroat and overly violent figures that care for nothing except to fulfill their goal of finding the hidden collection of valuable coins. In their quests to outdo one another and seek revenge they will do anything and hurt anyone in their way to accomplish their goals. The extent of violence in the movie extends to references of domestic abuse. The film contains a scene where a woman is beaten for withholding information on the location of Bill, possibly eluding to the Italian perception of America’s increasing rate of domestic abuse. Throughout the movie the presence of violence is an ever occurring theme that consumes the actions of all the characters, and seems more extensive then in normal western films. The main difference in the style of spaghetti westerns from normal western appears to be the meaning behind the violence. In The Good the Bad and the Ugly the violence appears meaningless and purely to show the ruthlessness of the characters, where in many domestic western films violence is a trait used by the Alpha Males to protect other characters or to carry out their moral obligations.
Navajo Joe is another Sergio Leone produced spaghetti western film containing senseless violence and a lack of morally based judgment. The films’ opening scene begins with the main character Duncan shooting and then scalping a Native American women. This gruesome display of violence is a clear depiction of the European perception of America. In the conclusion of the movie the main character Joe, who in many senses would normally be considered an other, is able to reclaim the pendent of his murdered wife from Duncan. This scene is very symbolic because Duncan can be seen as a morally lacking individual who thrives on violence and discrimination, and is eventually defeated by the very people he tries to suppress. This depiction seems loosely based on the Italian view of events taking place in America during the 1960’s including the Civil Rights Movement. This negative depiction seems to suggest that the European opinion of the US during this time was that American society was trying to suppress the Civil Rights Movement and all that it stood for.
In conclusion although these movies touched many of the same issues as American westerns, they did so in an overly violent and discriminatory way. In analyzing this it is clear that the classic Alpha Male hero who became revered in American culture was seen as an overly primitive and masculine figure outside of the US.
One Spaghetti western produced by Sergio Leone The Good the Bad and the Ugly shows the evident negative perception of the American society. The three main characters in the film are portrayed as cutthroat and overly violent figures that care for nothing except to fulfill their goal of finding the hidden collection of valuable coins. In their quests to outdo one another and seek revenge they will do anything and hurt anyone in their way to accomplish their goals. The extent of violence in the movie extends to references of domestic abuse. The film contains a scene where a woman is beaten for withholding information on the location of Bill, possibly eluding to the Italian perception of America’s increasing rate of domestic abuse. Throughout the movie the presence of violence is an ever occurring theme that consumes the actions of all the characters, and seems more extensive then in normal western films. The main difference in the style of spaghetti westerns from normal western appears to be the meaning behind the violence. In The Good the Bad and the Ugly the violence appears meaningless and purely to show the ruthlessness of the characters, where in many domestic western films violence is a trait used by the Alpha Males to protect other characters or to carry out their moral obligations.
Navajo Joe is another Sergio Leone produced spaghetti western film containing senseless violence and a lack of morally based judgment. The films’ opening scene begins with the main character Duncan shooting and then scalping a Native American women. This gruesome display of violence is a clear depiction of the European perception of America. In the conclusion of the movie the main character Joe, who in many senses would normally be considered an other, is able to reclaim the pendent of his murdered wife from Duncan. This scene is very symbolic because Duncan can be seen as a morally lacking individual who thrives on violence and discrimination, and is eventually defeated by the very people he tries to suppress. This depiction seems loosely based on the Italian view of events taking place in America during the 1960’s including the Civil Rights Movement. This negative depiction seems to suggest that the European opinion of the US during this time was that American society was trying to suppress the Civil Rights Movement and all that it stood for.
In conclusion although these movies touched many of the same issues as American westerns, they did so in an overly violent and discriminatory way. In analyzing this it is clear that the classic Alpha Male hero who became revered in American culture was seen as an overly primitive and masculine figure outside of the US.
J.O. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly / Navajo Joe
Spaghetti Westerns, unlike the Westerns directed by Americans, portray the outsider view of America. These films, produced mainly by Italians, took the genre Americans utilized to reflect on past American culture and deciphered it to depict the evil nature and violence tendencies of America. Of this new genre, two films produced in 1966, The Good the Bad and the Ugly and Navajo Joe, reflect these outside views of America. These films vastly differ from the classic Western, and with this difference bring a whole new playing field to the mix.
The Good the Bad and the Ugly presented a daunting view of America – that all Americans care about is money and would trample over anyone to get it. The film told the story of three men on a search to find a fortune in gold buried in a cemetery. Encompassing the adventure were numerous scenes of violence, most of them for no reason pertaining to the advancement of the story. The story portrayed distrust and unfriendly alliances which was all surrounded by considerable violence. In a cultural view, America at this time had indeed been on the extreme end of violent activities and heavy distrust. During the 60s, America was plagued with numerous assassinations, public violence significant of the civil rights movement as well as the continuing war in Vietnam. The assassinations, to countries looking at America, depicted distrust among Americans as important figures were assassinated, including Pres. John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Further, the war in Vietnam made America look greedy and lustful in its desire to obtain whatever it wants no matter the cost, as portrayed in this film.
Similarly, Navajo Joe also depicts America as a country eager to take what it wants whenever it wants. Most notable from this film is that in speaking about the alpha male cowboy, there was none in this film. The only character that came close to being the alpha male cowboy was the Indian, Joe. Joe, usually considered an “other” in classical Westerns, was the major character in this film. Similar to the alpha male cowboy, Joe was strong, rugged, self-reliable, keen, very skilled, and not afraid of anything. Joe always fought against the odds, triumphing every time. However, unlike the alpha male cowboy, Joe did not fight for duty; instead, he was driven by revenge and also took some payment near the end. In the film, Joe makes a key point when he states that his father was born in the land, while the “American’s” father was actually born in Scotland. This point is significant of the civil rights movement occurring during the time as the Blacks were fighting for civil rights however they were not treated as equals because they were not “Americans.” However, truly, none of the Americans indeed came from America; they are all immigrants, just like in the film, only Joe is the true American.
The film also depicts the greed of America and the violence used to further that greed. Duncan and his crew kill Indians for scalps, just to sell at a dollar a scalp. Furthermore, the gang kills everyone relentlessly in the train just to get to the fortune in the safe. Similar to The Good the Bad and the Ugly, the film shows America as a country bent on its own desires, raining down violence to further its goals. Moreover, a final point notable in the film is the scene where the immigrants are talking about how they hope to have a good life in America. The immigrants mention that they love the scenery, the land and that they know their son will love it too. However, the immigrants soon meet their deaths when Duncan’s gang sabotage’s the train. At the time, immigrants in America usually came with high hopes for a better future. However, when finally reaching the States, they met discrimination, low wages, and unsanitary living. The American dream was only a dream; the ideas of working hard to make a living amounted to nothing other than America’s screensaver. The immigrants met harsh conditions, just like the immigrants in Navajo Joe.
DS Navajo Joe / Il Buono, il Brutto, il Cattivo
The films Navajo Joe and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly fall under the "Spaghetti Western" sub-genre. "Spaghetti Western" is a catch-all term that has come to mean a low-budget, European film (usually Italian). These films offer a European perspective of American culture, often in the form of a critique. Necessarily, the spaghetti western sub-genre differs greatly from the classic American western.
Violence and greed are integral to both films, and serve to mock America's glorification of and capacity for each. The films portray violence as senseless and to the amusement of the characters perpetuating it. By the time each of these films were produced in 1966 the Vietnam war was already being broadcast to the television sets of hundreds of thousands of Americans, effectively exposing the country to the harsh realities and violence of war as well as desensitizing the American public to the exposure to such violence. Similarly, greed and the pursuit of money guide the plot and the actions of the main characters within the films, as opposed to the duty-driven American alpha male cowboy. This depicts a European distaste for the cutthroat nature of American capitalism and the seeming imperialistic tendencies of the American government around the world leading up to 1966. The European immigrants in Navajo Joe see the potential in coming to America only to end up dead when they're caught in a wake of violence in the name of greed.
These films also portray the glaring inequalities that are espoused in American society. The character of Navajo Joe is a surprise for a leading role in a western because typically Native Americans are cast aside as "other" in the backdrop of the story of the alpha male cowboy. Joe represents the role of oppressed minorities in American culture, and his ability to overcome an adverse society represents the black, women's, and Native American civil rights movements which characterized the 1960s. The sheriff of Esperanza informs Joe that even if he could stop Duncan's gang he could never take up the position of sheriff because he is not "American." Joe retorts by stating that he is in fact more "American" than the Scottish-descendant sheriff despite not being white, challenging the notion of what really makes someone "American." This scene epitomizes the American tendency that places white men in a ignorantly superior position to all others.
NL "Navajo Joe" and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"
The European films Navajo Joe and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly are clearly not American-made Westerns. There are several notable differences that reflect the difference in attitudes among the Americans and Europeans concerning the West in these films. As a result of the difference in attitudes about the American West, the European products feature an alternate-reality of the duty-driven, hard working, tough, white, alpha male cowboy that America adores. Instead, his world is replaced with violence, greed and an obvious play upon the inequality in America.
Americans have an obsession with violence; the Western film highlights the extent to which Americans have become desensitized to violence. In the European play upon this, there was significantly more ruthless violence and outright gore; the main characters of each of the films had no reserves to the use of force. Furthermore, the motives that the Europeans drew upon was not the duty that Americans were proud of in their Western: it was greed. American capitalism was something that in the 1966 global community, had already become an icon of almost ruthless greed and power. While the American Western focused on an almost manifest destiny version of expansion, the Europeans plotted it into what it really was: outright greed.
Furthermore, the European play on the Western really highlighted some of the inequality of the Western film. In no right would an Indian every be the alpha male cowboy of a Western. In America, the Indian is not the power of the West, but just a troublesome nuisance that the alpha male cowboy overcomes. The film Navajo Joe really twisted this: making an Indian the focus. Yet at the same time, there is still a reflection on the annihilation that takes place, as the Indian village is pillaged.
Americans have an obsession with violence; the Western film highlights the extent to which Americans have become desensitized to violence. In the European play upon this, there was significantly more ruthless violence and outright gore; the main characters of each of the films had no reserves to the use of force. Furthermore, the motives that the Europeans drew upon was not the duty that Americans were proud of in their Western: it was greed. American capitalism was something that in the 1966 global community, had already become an icon of almost ruthless greed and power. While the American Western focused on an almost manifest destiny version of expansion, the Europeans plotted it into what it really was: outright greed.
Furthermore, the European play on the Western really highlighted some of the inequality of the Western film. In no right would an Indian every be the alpha male cowboy of a Western. In America, the Indian is not the power of the West, but just a troublesome nuisance that the alpha male cowboy overcomes. The film Navajo Joe really twisted this: making an Indian the focus. Yet at the same time, there is still a reflection on the annihilation that takes place, as the Indian village is pillaged.
JP "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly/Navajo Joe"
During the 1960s and 1970s, a competitor to the Classic American Western emerged from Europe, called spaghetti westerns. Spaghetti westerns are low-budget films made in Europe. This sub-genre western embodies a very violent illustration of the frontier life, arranged gunfights and "close-ups of confrontational eyes". Through spaghetti westerns, the audience is confronted with the European perception of the American society.
In the 1966 film, Navajo Joe, the audience watches this spaghetti western lead by a Native American playing the role of the alpha male cowboy. This is a very big change from the traditional alpha male cowboy of the classic western. The alpha male has always been portrayed as a white, fit and clean-shaven man. Due to his acting out of the sole motive of revenge, Joe can be referred to as the film's protagonist. Having a heroic role being played by a Native American, is truly what connects the film to the equal rights movement during this time period. The Equal Rights Movement was very important and prominent in the United States in the 1960s.The entire film is based on the perception that the Europeans have of Americans; violence is the answer, money is very important and Americans are prejudice. Many people lose their lives within the numerous fights that are staged throughout Navajo Joe. The interest of money is at the top of most peoples priorities. Lastly, people are risking their lives time after time to stand up for who they are, no matter the color of their skin.
In another 1966 spaghetti western, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, America is yet again perceived in a negative connotation by the Europeans. This film guides the audience through a storyline of three men who are all on separate missions to find lost gold. The producer shows the film’s so-called heroes, the Good (Blondie), the Bad (Angel Eyes), and the Ugly (Tuco), as selfish and immature men. However, when up against the absurdity of war, their self-serving behavior looks rational, and is a common attitude shared through many spaghetti Westerns. The three men are observed to resort to unnecessary violence and have no moral compass guiding them through decisions; they are simply guided by the desire to find the lost money and don’t have a care in the world who they may have to kill in order to get to it first.
In the 1966 film, Navajo Joe, the audience watches this spaghetti western lead by a Native American playing the role of the alpha male cowboy. This is a very big change from the traditional alpha male cowboy of the classic western. The alpha male has always been portrayed as a white, fit and clean-shaven man. Due to his acting out of the sole motive of revenge, Joe can be referred to as the film's protagonist. Having a heroic role being played by a Native American, is truly what connects the film to the equal rights movement during this time period. The Equal Rights Movement was very important and prominent in the United States in the 1960s.The entire film is based on the perception that the Europeans have of Americans; violence is the answer, money is very important and Americans are prejudice. Many people lose their lives within the numerous fights that are staged throughout Navajo Joe. The interest of money is at the top of most peoples priorities. Lastly, people are risking their lives time after time to stand up for who they are, no matter the color of their skin.
In another 1966 spaghetti western, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, America is yet again perceived in a negative connotation by the Europeans. This film guides the audience through a storyline of three men who are all on separate missions to find lost gold. The producer shows the film’s so-called heroes, the Good (Blondie), the Bad (Angel Eyes), and the Ugly (Tuco), as selfish and immature men. However, when up against the absurdity of war, their self-serving behavior looks rational, and is a common attitude shared through many spaghetti Westerns. The three men are observed to resort to unnecessary violence and have no moral compass guiding them through decisions; they are simply guided by the desire to find the lost money and don’t have a care in the world who they may have to kill in order to get to it first.
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