In The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, there is a distinct paradox in the idea of the law of the book and the law of the gun. Because Rance Stoddard is from the city, and happens to be a lawyer, his life is defined by gaining justice through the law. On the other hand, Tom Doniphon is a typical alpha male cowboy. He knows that out West, the only way one can truly find justice is by using his gun.
In Sue Matheson’s article, The West-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne’s Westerns, she describes the movie as being a prime example of “moral individualism and pervasive corruption” (896). The only way that Rance Stoddard can get revenge is to join the locals of the Shinbone Cowboys in living outside the law, one of the traits of a real alpha male.
John Wayne’s character, Tom Doniphon, also acts with typical alpha male qualities. As Matheson points out, Doniphon “could have secured his relationship with Hallie by standing aside and letting Valance kill Stoddard…but he does not. Doniphon destroys his personal happiness by acting in good faith” (897). Having strong moral values is considered to be one of the core values in any alpha male qualities. However, Matheson brings about a good point stating that although Tom Doniphon seemed to be the strong brave man of the town, he is essentially the “existential antihero” who doesn’t feel guilty for cold-bloodedly killing Liberty Valance (897).
Overall, I agree with Matheson’s ideas about the alpha male cowboys in the West. When someone who isn’t from the West wants to do things the way he does back home, he will fail. As she says in her article, “to retrieve what is his, he must break the law” (898). This is one of the fundamental themes of the Western genre: you must abide by the cowboy’s rules in order to get what one wants. The expectations are already set established; anything but will put you in a place you don’t want to be.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
DB - The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
In the film “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”, directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, is an exploration of the fundamental difference between the law of the book and the law of the gun, and more importantly a study of their coexistence in the west. John Wayne’s character, Tom Doniphon, is undoubtedly an alpha male cowboy. He embodies the western hero; He’s the best shot in the territory, he’s tough, he’s rugged, he does what’s necessary. However, one aspect of this film that sets it apart is that it has two alpha male cowboys, the other being Liberty Valance. Yes, the villain in the movie is also the typical alpha male cowboy, he is intimidating, powerful, but most importantly, like Doniphon, Valance doesn’t follow the law, he takes it into his own hands. They follow western law, as Valance clearly illustrates when he tells Stoddard that he’d teach him “western law”. Doniphon continues to uphold that ideal later, telling Stoddard that in the west men take care of their own problems. However, that isn’t to say that there aren’t very clear, very present distinctions between Tom Doniphon and Liberty Valance.
Unlike Valance, who by all appearance is a sociopath, Doniphon acts based on his own ethical code. He does his duty to the other residents of Shinbone, to his fellow man. For example, Doniphon sacrifices his happiness with Hallie when, instead of letting Valance kill Stoddard, he intervenes, knowing that by sacrificing his own happiness he is making life better for those around him. He is fully conscious of what killing Valance meant for him, as is evidenced by the fact that he burns down the house he had built to live in with Hallie. In the end of the movie, it has become clear that while in many ways the law of the book won out in the form of Stoddard gaining power, one has to remember that without Doniphon’s use of force, without his “illegal” actions, Stoddard would be dead instead of a prominent senator, and Liberty Valance would have continued to torment and abuse the residents of Shinbone and the surrounding territory. Because of his willingness to give up so much for Stoddard’s success, one can’t help but wonder whether, in Doniphon’s heart, he wanted the world to work as Stoddard’s idealized world did, a world where there was law and order, and where might doesn’t necessarily make right.The fundamental difference between the two philosophies doesn’t preclude them from coexistence, rather, it is exemplified in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance that because of humanity’s darker nature, because of our sociopaths and our other struggles and challenges, the two must work together to achieve a balance.
JM "The Man Who Killed Liberty Valance"
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence by John Ford is a classic western in the sense that its main characters display the main qualities of classic cowboys as defined by Sue Matheson in her “The West-Hardboiled”. The movie also is a prime example of the difference between the rule of law, and the rule by law. This idea is present throughout the movie as the east coast lawyer named Stoddard, who believes in the judicial system, struggles to accept the lawless nature of the west. In the opening scene when the notorious Liberty Valence holds up Stoddard’s stagecoach, Stoddard threatens Valence with legal action, to which Valence responds to Stoddard with a vicious beating and the comment “I’ll show you law”. As Matheson says on page 896, “A rather naïve and gullible idealist, what Westerners would term a greenhorn, Stoddard expects the West to be a place where “civilized” values are respected”. This opening scene shows the contrasting differences between the civilized approach to the rule of law, against the animalistic and free for all approach of rule by law. The two characters continue to clash through the movie reflecting the opposite ends of the spectrum that the each represents.
John Wayne’s character Tom Doniphon is the third primary character in the movie. Doniphon represents the antihero of the story, because all though he defends both Stoddard and the town from Liberty Valence, he does so for his own unspoken personal agenda, rather than for the good of the community. There are many interesting similarities between Doniphon and Valence which makes one question what it is that puts the two rough, masculine cowboy figures on opposing sides. Both Stoddard and Valence live by the law of the gun, and find Stoddard’s faith in a legal system of books and procedures to be laughable. The two cowboys are separated only by their own versions of a moral center; Liberty Valence’s being the less moral of the two. Matheson points out that, “Doniphon may wear a white hat in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, but like Valence, he too exhibits a highly antisocial and disordered personality” (p.896). This becomes especially clear from the lack of remorse or care that Doniphon shows after killing Liberty, where as when he was under the impression he killed Liberty, Stoddard questioned if he had done the right thing. This difference in conscious goes a long way to portray the difference in mental toughness between these two characters. For these reasons, although he has some qualities of a hero, Doniphon can only be the antihero, leaving Stoddard to be the stories main hero, which is ironic seeing that he is the least aggressive and least similar to Matheson’s definition of a cowboy.
When dealing with Matheson’s evaluation of the characters, I believe she did a fair job of assessing the importance and significance of each character. The three male characters all represent the typical masculine male figures who take on the burden to be leaders in their own way. While Liberty chooses to be the rough and rugged lawless cowboy who commands a group of scoundrels and misfits, Stoddard and Doniphon take charge of protecting what they believe to be right.
John Wayne’s character Tom Doniphon is the third primary character in the movie. Doniphon represents the antihero of the story, because all though he defends both Stoddard and the town from Liberty Valence, he does so for his own unspoken personal agenda, rather than for the good of the community. There are many interesting similarities between Doniphon and Valence which makes one question what it is that puts the two rough, masculine cowboy figures on opposing sides. Both Stoddard and Valence live by the law of the gun, and find Stoddard’s faith in a legal system of books and procedures to be laughable. The two cowboys are separated only by their own versions of a moral center; Liberty Valence’s being the less moral of the two. Matheson points out that, “Doniphon may wear a white hat in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, but like Valence, he too exhibits a highly antisocial and disordered personality” (p.896). This becomes especially clear from the lack of remorse or care that Doniphon shows after killing Liberty, where as when he was under the impression he killed Liberty, Stoddard questioned if he had done the right thing. This difference in conscious goes a long way to portray the difference in mental toughness between these two characters. For these reasons, although he has some qualities of a hero, Doniphon can only be the antihero, leaving Stoddard to be the stories main hero, which is ironic seeing that he is the least aggressive and least similar to Matheson’s definition of a cowboy.
When dealing with Matheson’s evaluation of the characters, I believe she did a fair job of assessing the importance and significance of each character. The three male characters all represent the typical masculine male figures who take on the burden to be leaders in their own way. While Liberty chooses to be the rough and rugged lawless cowboy who commands a group of scoundrels and misfits, Stoddard and Doniphon take charge of protecting what they believe to be right.
DS The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
In the film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance there are two alpha-male characters: Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) and Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). The third male lead, Rance Stoddard, should also be taken into consideration, but he is no alpha-male character. Sue Matheson, according to her article "The West Hardboiled," would assess each character differently.
Liberty and Doniphon are different versions of the alpha-male cowboy, despite their inherent similarities. Both characters are masculine, tough and leathery. More importantly, however, the two "settle their own problems" out West, where rule of law is discarded and rule by law has risen as the law of the land. Both Liberty and Doniphon show this ideal to Stoddard: Liberty states "I'll teach you Western law" before he savagely beats Rance, whereas Doniphon merely states to Rance that "You'd better start packing a gun...I know those law books mean a lot to you but not out here. Out here a man settles his own problems." The differences are flushed out in the actions of the characters. Liberty Valance is a clear sociopath, possesses no moral compass and has not shown through his actions to be able to distinguish between right and wrong. Doniphon, on the other hand, knows the difference between right and wrong, but acts according to what he deems is right. Doniphon is "the manly virtuous mean carefully placed between the law and the outlaw." He is the anti-hero, who is counted by on the citizens of Shinbone to "act in good faith, however grudgingly" simply because he is the only one who can.
Rance Stoddard, while a central male role of the film, is not seen as an alpha-male. Stoddard is described by Matheson as a "naive and gullible idealist, what Westerners would term a greenhorn.” He heads out West expecting a civilized frontier, where the rule of law is upheld, but instead encounters the characters of Liberty Valence and Tom Doniphon; two characters seemingly above the law. Ultimately, Rance assimilates to the lawlessness of the West, which is shown when he obtains a gun and makes his intentions clear to take the law into his own hands and bring Liberty Valence to justice (at least the Western idea of "justice").
On the whole, Matheson's assessment of these characters is accurate and fair. Each character acts according to their role in the story: Liberty Valance the sociopathic villain, Tom Doniphon the existential antihero, and Rance Stoddard the gullible and idealistic "greenhorn." These characters seem to fit the mold, and do little to undermine the analysis proffered by Matheson.
Liberty and Doniphon are different versions of the alpha-male cowboy, despite their inherent similarities. Both characters are masculine, tough and leathery. More importantly, however, the two "settle their own problems" out West, where rule of law is discarded and rule by law has risen as the law of the land. Both Liberty and Doniphon show this ideal to Stoddard: Liberty states "I'll teach you Western law" before he savagely beats Rance, whereas Doniphon merely states to Rance that "You'd better start packing a gun...I know those law books mean a lot to you but not out here. Out here a man settles his own problems." The differences are flushed out in the actions of the characters. Liberty Valance is a clear sociopath, possesses no moral compass and has not shown through his actions to be able to distinguish between right and wrong. Doniphon, on the other hand, knows the difference between right and wrong, but acts according to what he deems is right. Doniphon is "the manly virtuous mean carefully placed between the law and the outlaw." He is the anti-hero, who is counted by on the citizens of Shinbone to "act in good faith, however grudgingly" simply because he is the only one who can.
Rance Stoddard, while a central male role of the film, is not seen as an alpha-male. Stoddard is described by Matheson as a "naive and gullible idealist, what Westerners would term a greenhorn.” He heads out West expecting a civilized frontier, where the rule of law is upheld, but instead encounters the characters of Liberty Valence and Tom Doniphon; two characters seemingly above the law. Ultimately, Rance assimilates to the lawlessness of the West, which is shown when he obtains a gun and makes his intentions clear to take the law into his own hands and bring Liberty Valence to justice (at least the Western idea of "justice").
On the whole, Matheson's assessment of these characters is accurate and fair. Each character acts according to their role in the story: Liberty Valance the sociopathic villain, Tom Doniphon the existential antihero, and Rance Stoddard the gullible and idealistic "greenhorn." These characters seem to fit the mold, and do little to undermine the analysis proffered by Matheson.
J.O. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a perfect description of what is known as rule by law. Matheson states that "the individual does not enforce the law; he is the law" (896). In Shinbone, Valance is able to get away with almost everything he does only because he is fast at slinging his gun. He robs Stoddard, leaves him to die, and yet no one takes action. As seen in the film, Stoddard's attempts to spur the town into action against Valance are futile, and he soon understands the law surrounding Shinbone - that there is no rule of law in the West. The town is afraid of Valance, most notably the Marshal who is symbolic of the governing law having no effect in the West. Whenever Liberty Valance is mentioned, the Marshal is petrified and as seen in the film, hides to avoid an encounter with the outlaw.
In the film, Doniphon tries to enlighten Stoddard to the rules of the West. Whereas Stoddard believes the West is similar to the East in respecting certain values, Doniphon explains that the West is nothing like that. Doniphon tells Stoddard to start packing a handgun because "Out here a man settles his own problems." This quote from the film clearly fits into what Matheson infers about the West being "ultimately corrupt and corrupting" (896). Because there is no rule of law, the individuals take matters into their own hands and in the end, as Matheson puts it, "normally law-abiding citizens tend to find themselves enmeshed in situations that require them to become criminals" (896). Stoddard was a victim of this, taking matters into his own hands concerning Valance's outrageous reign over the people of Shinbone. However, his actions came back to hurt him in the end when he was nominated for senator. The opposing party attacked him by saying a man who has blood on his hands is not representable to Washington and therefore is not good enough for the position. Yet, as it turns out, Stoddard was saved from these attacks because even though it was his intention to kill Valance, Doniphon was the true "hero," the one that killed Valance.
Doniphon, however, is not actually what one can refer to as a hero in this film. Matheson refers to characters like Doniphon, those who's values don't exactly measure up to that of a genuine hero, as anti-heroes. Doniphon, an alpha-male cowboy, is somewhat on the same level as Liberty Valance. Like Valance, Doniphon abides by the law of the gun and can live with the fact that he murdered someone. However, what sets them apart is that whereas Valance is a sociopath, that is he has no conscience of what is right and wrong, Doniphon does. Moreover, Doniphon operates on duty-based ethics. Matheson infers that "according to duty-based ethics, individuals are expected to regulate their desires by conforming to fixed standards of behavior" (902). To me, it appeared that Doniphon detested Stoddard to some degree. Why? Because he was slowing stealing his girl. Why help the one who is taking your girl? This mentality is not the mentality of a genuine hero. Similarly, in the restaurant scene, Doniphon did not stand up to Valance for Stoddard's sake; instead, he did it because Valance messed up his meal. Still, for Hally's sake, Doniphon tries to teach Stoddard how to handle and aim a gun. Further, he rescues Stoddard by shooting Valance. Doniphon did not do these things because he wanted to; he did these things because it was his duty. Matheson states that "on the frontier where vices become virtues, however, it is not surprising that proponents of a duty-based system often find that their virtues have turned into liabilities" (902). Doniphon's duty-based ethics inevitable caused him to lose his girl, who became Stoddard's wife.
In the film, Doniphon tries to enlighten Stoddard to the rules of the West. Whereas Stoddard believes the West is similar to the East in respecting certain values, Doniphon explains that the West is nothing like that. Doniphon tells Stoddard to start packing a handgun because "Out here a man settles his own problems." This quote from the film clearly fits into what Matheson infers about the West being "ultimately corrupt and corrupting" (896). Because there is no rule of law, the individuals take matters into their own hands and in the end, as Matheson puts it, "normally law-abiding citizens tend to find themselves enmeshed in situations that require them to become criminals" (896). Stoddard was a victim of this, taking matters into his own hands concerning Valance's outrageous reign over the people of Shinbone. However, his actions came back to hurt him in the end when he was nominated for senator. The opposing party attacked him by saying a man who has blood on his hands is not representable to Washington and therefore is not good enough for the position. Yet, as it turns out, Stoddard was saved from these attacks because even though it was his intention to kill Valance, Doniphon was the true "hero," the one that killed Valance.
Doniphon, however, is not actually what one can refer to as a hero in this film. Matheson refers to characters like Doniphon, those who's values don't exactly measure up to that of a genuine hero, as anti-heroes. Doniphon, an alpha-male cowboy, is somewhat on the same level as Liberty Valance. Like Valance, Doniphon abides by the law of the gun and can live with the fact that he murdered someone. However, what sets them apart is that whereas Valance is a sociopath, that is he has no conscience of what is right and wrong, Doniphon does. Moreover, Doniphon operates on duty-based ethics. Matheson infers that "according to duty-based ethics, individuals are expected to regulate their desires by conforming to fixed standards of behavior" (902). To me, it appeared that Doniphon detested Stoddard to some degree. Why? Because he was slowing stealing his girl. Why help the one who is taking your girl? This mentality is not the mentality of a genuine hero. Similarly, in the restaurant scene, Doniphon did not stand up to Valance for Stoddard's sake; instead, he did it because Valance messed up his meal. Still, for Hally's sake, Doniphon tries to teach Stoddard how to handle and aim a gun. Further, he rescues Stoddard by shooting Valance. Doniphon did not do these things because he wanted to; he did these things because it was his duty. Matheson states that "on the frontier where vices become virtues, however, it is not surprising that proponents of a duty-based system often find that their virtues have turned into liabilities" (902). Doniphon's duty-based ethics inevitable caused him to lose his girl, who became Stoddard's wife.
BE The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
In the film, “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”, by John Ford, the two alpha male cowboys are spot on portrayals of the masculine cowboys Matheson’s describes in, “The West-Hardboiled”. Both Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) and Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) demonstrate qualities that make up Matheson’s definition of a cowboy.
In another one of Wayne’s Westerns, Tom Doniphon plays the alpha male, tough, alone cowboy. First off, Wayne shows his natural, alpha male cowboy side by rescuing Stoddard. This might seem unlike a normal cowboy act but when examined further it is exactly what Matheson describes in her text. Matheson states that Wayne characters, “prove to embody complex cultural coding, creating an oxymoron that has engendered a lively critical debate”. Doniphon saves Stoddard’s life after he was brutally attacked by Liberty Valance but in the process Doniphon consistently makes fun of Stoddard and teases him with his little knowledge of the West. The contradiction is why did Doniphon save Stoddard if all he is doing to help him is make fun and laugh at him? The answer is duty ethics. Duty ethics and virtue ethics seems to be the link between all of Doniphon’s contradictions. He first saves Stoddard because it is the right thing to do. Although Doniphon is the stereotypical dark cowboy, he does have a duty to act in good faith and save a dying man. But he springs right back into character, mocking Stoddard’s knowledge of law by explaining to him how guns rule the land in the West. Another example of how Doniphon exhibits duty ethics is in the way he forfeits his attraction to Hallie in order to prevent Valance from killing Stoddard. Matheson points out that, “When one considers the Wayne canon, it becomes obvious that the Duke specialized in playing destabilized, alienated figures, socially marginalized men caught in double blinds”. Doniphon finds himself caught in a double blind between the girl he wants to be with and his duty to protect his friend while keeping the town safe from Valance. Also, by Doniphon saving Stoddard, it gives Doniphon another excuse to remove himself from everyday, common and domestic life and return to the solitude of being an alpha male cowboy. In the end, Doniphon risks himself and puts his duty before his feelings when he murders Valance from an alley way to save Stoddard.
Valance, like Doniphon, is the perfect example of a Matheson cowboy. His dark, stoic and dirty face are all characteristics of an alpha man. Valance is the perfect example to Matheson’s idea of rule by law (law of the gun) or might is right. Although Valance is a known criminal and is not welcome by any of the town members, he is allowed to come and go freely because his demeanor, attitude and skills put him only second on the food chain to Doniphon. Matheson correctly explains Valance as a character as well as summing up the West as a place where, “Only the fittest, strongest, and the most ruthless survive in the noir frontier, those we draw a gun faster than anyone else”. Valance is stereotypical in that he takes what he wants, when he wants and dares people to try and stop him. When he and his two sidekicks enter for a meal, the place immediately goes silent. He then continues to abruptly and violently kick three men who were eating their dinners out of the restaurant so that he and his friends could eat. This ruthless, and inconsiderate behavior is what defines Valance as the villain and separates him from Doniphon. Valance also validates his role as alpha male but more villainess than Doniphon in the way he does not fulfill Matheson’s view on pursuing the “good”. When Matheson states, “The pursuit of the highest good, it should be noted, is not only relative to the individual, but also relative to all individuals because of their humanity”, she not only describes Doniphon’s behavior but through the film, highlights Valance’s negative, dark side.
Stoddard is the only character that exhibits both alpha male cowboy attributes as well as civilized, appropriate behavior. Stoddard in some ways was Doniphon’s sidekick. Upon first meeting each other they seemed to be from two different worlds but they quickly realized they weren’t too different and could even learn from one another. Stoddard, however, does learn Western ways and is engulfed by all that surrounds him which forces him to take on alpha male attributes. Matheson points out that,” If Wayne’s student is a quick study, however, whatever the gender, she or he becomes masculine”. Despite their differences, Doniphon and Stoddard become friends. Doniphon takes him under his wing to teach him about the Western lifestyle. Matheson is proven correct when Stoddard accepts a challenge and is fearless when facing the obviously more ruthless, experienced and skilled Valance is a duel. His masculinity shines brightest at that moment but it is his softer, more emotional side that is shown throughout most of the film. The biggest difference from Matheson’s cowboy depiction and Stoddard is that he considers emotions, is domesticated and isn’t afraid to show a feminine side. While working in the kitchen with Hallie and the rest of the family, Stoddard has no problem doing “women work” and waiting on tables. Stoddard is not a hardboiled alpha male but instead a hard working, honest man who, when needed, shows his masculine side but for the most part is shooting for the “higher good”.
In another one of Wayne’s Westerns, Tom Doniphon plays the alpha male, tough, alone cowboy. First off, Wayne shows his natural, alpha male cowboy side by rescuing Stoddard. This might seem unlike a normal cowboy act but when examined further it is exactly what Matheson describes in her text. Matheson states that Wayne characters, “prove to embody complex cultural coding, creating an oxymoron that has engendered a lively critical debate”. Doniphon saves Stoddard’s life after he was brutally attacked by Liberty Valance but in the process Doniphon consistently makes fun of Stoddard and teases him with his little knowledge of the West. The contradiction is why did Doniphon save Stoddard if all he is doing to help him is make fun and laugh at him? The answer is duty ethics. Duty ethics and virtue ethics seems to be the link between all of Doniphon’s contradictions. He first saves Stoddard because it is the right thing to do. Although Doniphon is the stereotypical dark cowboy, he does have a duty to act in good faith and save a dying man. But he springs right back into character, mocking Stoddard’s knowledge of law by explaining to him how guns rule the land in the West. Another example of how Doniphon exhibits duty ethics is in the way he forfeits his attraction to Hallie in order to prevent Valance from killing Stoddard. Matheson points out that, “When one considers the Wayne canon, it becomes obvious that the Duke specialized in playing destabilized, alienated figures, socially marginalized men caught in double blinds”. Doniphon finds himself caught in a double blind between the girl he wants to be with and his duty to protect his friend while keeping the town safe from Valance. Also, by Doniphon saving Stoddard, it gives Doniphon another excuse to remove himself from everyday, common and domestic life and return to the solitude of being an alpha male cowboy. In the end, Doniphon risks himself and puts his duty before his feelings when he murders Valance from an alley way to save Stoddard.
Valance, like Doniphon, is the perfect example of a Matheson cowboy. His dark, stoic and dirty face are all characteristics of an alpha man. Valance is the perfect example to Matheson’s idea of rule by law (law of the gun) or might is right. Although Valance is a known criminal and is not welcome by any of the town members, he is allowed to come and go freely because his demeanor, attitude and skills put him only second on the food chain to Doniphon. Matheson correctly explains Valance as a character as well as summing up the West as a place where, “Only the fittest, strongest, and the most ruthless survive in the noir frontier, those we draw a gun faster than anyone else”. Valance is stereotypical in that he takes what he wants, when he wants and dares people to try and stop him. When he and his two sidekicks enter for a meal, the place immediately goes silent. He then continues to abruptly and violently kick three men who were eating their dinners out of the restaurant so that he and his friends could eat. This ruthless, and inconsiderate behavior is what defines Valance as the villain and separates him from Doniphon. Valance also validates his role as alpha male but more villainess than Doniphon in the way he does not fulfill Matheson’s view on pursuing the “good”. When Matheson states, “The pursuit of the highest good, it should be noted, is not only relative to the individual, but also relative to all individuals because of their humanity”, she not only describes Doniphon’s behavior but through the film, highlights Valance’s negative, dark side.
Stoddard is the only character that exhibits both alpha male cowboy attributes as well as civilized, appropriate behavior. Stoddard in some ways was Doniphon’s sidekick. Upon first meeting each other they seemed to be from two different worlds but they quickly realized they weren’t too different and could even learn from one another. Stoddard, however, does learn Western ways and is engulfed by all that surrounds him which forces him to take on alpha male attributes. Matheson points out that,” If Wayne’s student is a quick study, however, whatever the gender, she or he becomes masculine”. Despite their differences, Doniphon and Stoddard become friends. Doniphon takes him under his wing to teach him about the Western lifestyle. Matheson is proven correct when Stoddard accepts a challenge and is fearless when facing the obviously more ruthless, experienced and skilled Valance is a duel. His masculinity shines brightest at that moment but it is his softer, more emotional side that is shown throughout most of the film. The biggest difference from Matheson’s cowboy depiction and Stoddard is that he considers emotions, is domesticated and isn’t afraid to show a feminine side. While working in the kitchen with Hallie and the rest of the family, Stoddard has no problem doing “women work” and waiting on tables. Stoddard is not a hardboiled alpha male but instead a hard working, honest man who, when needed, shows his masculine side but for the most part is shooting for the “higher good”.
JP "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"
In Sue Matheson’s article, “The West-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism and Ethics in John Wayne’s Westerns”, she describes the alpha male as a “romantic figure, the lone rider, achieves epic stature by accomplishing superhuman deeds and saving “civilized” settlers. When using Matheson’s arguments portrayed throughout her article, readers can easily connect John Wayne’s character Tom Doniphon from the film, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, to her descriptions of an alpha male cowboy. John Wayne does a stellar job while performing in the role of a “hero of disillusionment”. Tom Doniphon is the hero with a past; his moral history isn’t so “shiny” and his drive is simply motivated by his responsibility to the town of Shinbone.
Rance Stoddard ends up in the town of Shinbone, after being brutally attacked by Liberty Valance, a cruel western antagonist, on his journey out west. He was told after graduating from law school, “go west, go west…seek fame, seek fortune…” however, that fame or fortune didn’t come so easy to the highly educated Mr. Stoddard. Luckily, Tom Doniphon finds him and brings him back to the town where Miss Hallie and company get Rance back on his feet. Doniphon tries to show Rance how to adjust to western life; “In the west, a man who settles his own problems is indeed the sum of his actions,” (897). Rance is a man who has lived his life by the book, where in the west they live by the law of duty. Rance doesn’t understand and even questions the type of town he has gotten himself involved in. Luckily, He learns to listen to Doniphon rather quickly and starts to look up to him as a mentor; he buys a hand gun and eventually reaches the community with his brilliant ideas of how to govern their state and maintains the role of Senator.
Liberty Valance plays the antihero role in the movie, he is an antagonist who everyone in town dislikes and quivers to even a mumble of his name. He is a man of violence who is out to kill anyone in his way. In no way is he doing these awful acts out of duty; he is just a careless psychopath who is out to promote only himself. An interesting analysis done by Matheson is where she suggests that Stoddard may just be right about there being no difference between Doniphon and Valance, “both men settle their problems in the same fashion. In Shinbone, the individual does not enforce the law; he is the law,” (896). Both alpha male cowboys express law as being equal to a gun; it is just the western mentality. However, I see the difference between the two by the benefits that are coming out of their actions. Valance has no one in mind other than himself, while Doniphon is simply adhering to his responsibilities to the community of Shinbone. “When one considers the Wayne canon, it becomes obvious that the Duke specialized in playing destabilized, alienated figures, socially marginalized men caught in double binds- in short, the modern existential antihero,” (897) Matheson is simply describing the explanation of why Doniphon lives his life the way he does; every action and decision he makes is what he believes is best for everyone involved. He may want to decide one way, however realizes his judgment doesn’t just affect himself but an entire community.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, depicts the exact classic western film Sue Matheson opinionates through her article, “The Western-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism and Ethics in John Wayne’s Westerns”, in which one has to get rid of Savage America to reach Garden America (891). For example, in the movie they must get rid of the cruelty that Liberty Valance has put on the town of Shinbone for so long, in order for Rance Stoddard to be able to influence the western community the way he was sent out of the East to do. The influence of the alpha male cowboys around him teaches him how to reach his audience of the western community.
Rance Stoddard ends up in the town of Shinbone, after being brutally attacked by Liberty Valance, a cruel western antagonist, on his journey out west. He was told after graduating from law school, “go west, go west…seek fame, seek fortune…” however, that fame or fortune didn’t come so easy to the highly educated Mr. Stoddard. Luckily, Tom Doniphon finds him and brings him back to the town where Miss Hallie and company get Rance back on his feet. Doniphon tries to show Rance how to adjust to western life; “In the west, a man who settles his own problems is indeed the sum of his actions,” (897). Rance is a man who has lived his life by the book, where in the west they live by the law of duty. Rance doesn’t understand and even questions the type of town he has gotten himself involved in. Luckily, He learns to listen to Doniphon rather quickly and starts to look up to him as a mentor; he buys a hand gun and eventually reaches the community with his brilliant ideas of how to govern their state and maintains the role of Senator.
Liberty Valance plays the antihero role in the movie, he is an antagonist who everyone in town dislikes and quivers to even a mumble of his name. He is a man of violence who is out to kill anyone in his way. In no way is he doing these awful acts out of duty; he is just a careless psychopath who is out to promote only himself. An interesting analysis done by Matheson is where she suggests that Stoddard may just be right about there being no difference between Doniphon and Valance, “both men settle their problems in the same fashion. In Shinbone, the individual does not enforce the law; he is the law,” (896). Both alpha male cowboys express law as being equal to a gun; it is just the western mentality. However, I see the difference between the two by the benefits that are coming out of their actions. Valance has no one in mind other than himself, while Doniphon is simply adhering to his responsibilities to the community of Shinbone. “When one considers the Wayne canon, it becomes obvious that the Duke specialized in playing destabilized, alienated figures, socially marginalized men caught in double binds- in short, the modern existential antihero,” (897) Matheson is simply describing the explanation of why Doniphon lives his life the way he does; every action and decision he makes is what he believes is best for everyone involved. He may want to decide one way, however realizes his judgment doesn’t just affect himself but an entire community.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, depicts the exact classic western film Sue Matheson opinionates through her article, “The Western-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism and Ethics in John Wayne’s Westerns”, in which one has to get rid of Savage America to reach Garden America (891). For example, in the movie they must get rid of the cruelty that Liberty Valance has put on the town of Shinbone for so long, in order for Rance Stoddard to be able to influence the western community the way he was sent out of the East to do. The influence of the alpha male cowboys around him teaches him how to reach his audience of the western community.
DG "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"
One of the alpha males in the movie is Liberty Valance himself. As the villain of the movie, Valance is feared by all the people of Shinbone, except the by the other two main characters, Tom Doniphon and Rance Stoddard. This criminal personality makes Valance an alpha male. According to Matheson, Liberty's psychopathic nature makes him such a dominant figure in the movie. When talking specifically about this character and Lomax from The War Wagon in her piece, she writes, "They are manipulative, callous, remorseless, parasitic, pathological liars with poor behavioral controls. Ironically, their disordered personalities, which disable them socially, enable them professionally" (892). Although Valance is socially inept and down right insane, these are the same qualities that make him an alpha male. This behavior inflicts fear into the other men of the town. For example, when Liberty and his henchmen enter the restaurant, he simply tells a group of men that were already sitting down waiting to eat that their table is now his and the men, with no fight or question, get their things together and leave the table for him. In a way, Valance is given the utmost respect by everyone in the town because of his insanity. This, in turn, makes him an alpha male.
Doniphon, ironically, has many of the same qualities as Valance. In the movie, he treats people poorly, has poor behavioral attitudes and drinks and smokes heavily, and lives by the law of the gun. Yet, he is also an alpha male. Matheson concludes this by saying, "There really is no difference between Doniphon and Liberty Valance. Both men settle their problems in the same fashion" (896). This, in part, is what makes Doniphon an alpha male. But, the main reason why he is an alpha male is that he is the only man who stands up to Valance effectively and consistently. Doniphon, by the townspeople, is considered a tougher man than Liberty, and this recognition accounts for his male dominance. In the movie, Liberty never tests Doniphon and actually fears him. A parallel against an alpha male always makes that man an alpha male as well.
Rance Stoddard is the complete opposite of both of these men. In the movie, Stoddard is an honest man with morals and good character. He is a man on a mission to stop Liberty Valance's oppression against the town of Shinbone. Matheson assesses him in this way in that he is really the only man in the movie with ethical values. She writes, "Stoddard, however, understands something that the residents of Shinbone do not: there is something amiss; the corruption so evident in Valance has pervaded everyone in Shinbone" (896). Stoddard acts as an en-lightener to the townspeople that Valance must be stopped. He acts upon his call to action as well by standing up to Liberty, ultimately in the most courageous way through a showdown. This makes everyone look up to Stoddard and Stoddard is even able to inflict courage into themselves. For example, in the movie, Dutton Peabody, the publisher of the Shinbone Star, although very drunk, stands up to Valance and his henchmen. The townspeople put Stoddard on a moral and courageous pedestal, which also turns him into an alpha male. While Doniphon and Valance are dominant in the "Western Way", Stoddard's goodness and almost angelic reputation, in a reverse way, makes him dominant.
Doniphon, ironically, has many of the same qualities as Valance. In the movie, he treats people poorly, has poor behavioral attitudes and drinks and smokes heavily, and lives by the law of the gun. Yet, he is also an alpha male. Matheson concludes this by saying, "There really is no difference between Doniphon and Liberty Valance. Both men settle their problems in the same fashion" (896). This, in part, is what makes Doniphon an alpha male. But, the main reason why he is an alpha male is that he is the only man who stands up to Valance effectively and consistently. Doniphon, by the townspeople, is considered a tougher man than Liberty, and this recognition accounts for his male dominance. In the movie, Liberty never tests Doniphon and actually fears him. A parallel against an alpha male always makes that man an alpha male as well.
Rance Stoddard is the complete opposite of both of these men. In the movie, Stoddard is an honest man with morals and good character. He is a man on a mission to stop Liberty Valance's oppression against the town of Shinbone. Matheson assesses him in this way in that he is really the only man in the movie with ethical values. She writes, "Stoddard, however, understands something that the residents of Shinbone do not: there is something amiss; the corruption so evident in Valance has pervaded everyone in Shinbone" (896). Stoddard acts as an en-lightener to the townspeople that Valance must be stopped. He acts upon his call to action as well by standing up to Liberty, ultimately in the most courageous way through a showdown. This makes everyone look up to Stoddard and Stoddard is even able to inflict courage into themselves. For example, in the movie, Dutton Peabody, the publisher of the Shinbone Star, although very drunk, stands up to Valance and his henchmen. The townspeople put Stoddard on a moral and courageous pedestal, which also turns him into an alpha male. While Doniphon and Valance are dominant in the "Western Way", Stoddard's goodness and almost angelic reputation, in a reverse way, makes him dominant.
DL "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"
The centerpiece of every western film or novel is typically the alpha-male white cowboy; the strong, silent type who only likes to say something only when it is necessary. In “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” there are two alpha-male cowboys, Tom Doniphon and Liberty Valance. Unlike some of the other westerns there is also another central male character who is not an alpha-male cowboy, Ransom Stoddard. Matheson talks in her article “The West – Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne’s Westerns” about John Wayne’s characters and how they are often looked at as the hero and she goes on to describe the characteristics of the alpha-male and other characters in the west, such as Stoddard.
Both Valance and Doniphon are considered alpha-male cowboys even though Valance is seen as the villain and Doniphon is seen as more of a hero/leading figure in the town. Matheson talks about how Stoddard points out that there really is not much difference between the two (896). Both of them don’t live by the rule of law, instead they take the law into their own hands. This is shown when Valance robs the stagecoach and beats Stoddard, he tells Stoddard “I’ll teach you law – Western law” and Tom explains to Stoddard that in the West the law doesn’t mean anything “out here a man settles his own problems.” Matheson agrees with this in her article, the alpha-male cowboy often adheres to the law of the gun meaning if there is a problem he will settle it with his gun.
The only major difference between the alpha-male characters of Valance and Doniphon is that the brutal action Doniphon usually carries out is for the “good” of everyone else. Whereas Valance is looking to create problems and hurt people only for the benefit of himself; like when he robs Stoddard on the stagecoach or when he beats Mr. Peabody also destroying his newspaper shop. Matheson’s analysis of Liberty Valance is that he is a psychopath; he has no home he “lives where he hangs his hat.” Like the typical alpha-male Valance is looking to conquer the land. Both Valance and Doniphon leave the town for weeks or even months at a time, both coming back to different welcomes. Doniphon is very well respected and looked up to by the members of the town, whereas Valance is a very intimidating and feared by town members.
“When one considers the Wayne canon, it becomes obvious that the Duke specialized in playing destablalized, alienated figures, socially marginalized men caught in double binds – in short, the modern existential antihero” (897). This applies to the alpha-male cowboy and Tom’s character fits this perfectly because by the end of the movie he is caught in a double bind. He can either choose his own happiness, which is to be with Hallie, or to do what is best for others. In the end he does what is best for everyone else involved by shooting Valance. Nobody ever knows Tom is the one who killed Valance except for Stoddard and he only tells him because Stoddard is so remorseful and can’t live thinking he killed a man in cold blood. When Stoddard asks why he did it he tells him it is because Hallie needed him (Stoddard) alive. Matheson often talks about how they feel the need to fulfill a duty; the duty is often seeking revenge against someone who killed a family member. Tom Doniphon believed it was his “duty” to kill Valance because it was in the best interest of all Shinebone’s residents, especially Hallie. In the end the alpha-male can’t fully step over the threshold into settling down and leaving the frontier life because the woman he loves wants to be with Stoddard. He attempts to take his own life at one point when he starts to burn the house that he had finished building and was planning on living in with Hallie.
Matheson describes Stoddard as “a rather naïve and gullible idealist, what Westerns would term a greenhorn, Stoddard expects the West to be a place where “civilized” values are respected” (896). The alpha-male cowboy is the opposite of this description; Tom explains to Stoddard that in the West the laws don’t mean anything. As seen above both Valance and Tom live by the law of the gun, taking the law into their own hands. Stoddard wants to try and catch Liberty Valance using the law, but once he realizes that there is no way he can do that he begins to learn how to shot a gun in case the day ever came along when he could take on Liberty Valance with the law of the gun. Stoddard is more of a gentleman than the alpha-male cowboys; he is very polite and is a champion of law and order. When he got robbed he was dressed nicely and at the end of the film he is very professionally dressed. This is the only thing I think contradicts in some ways what Matheson talks about because she was saying how under the well dressed man, is a sociopath. I don’t think Stoddard is a sociopath I believe his intentions for the town are all good things; he is just trying to being some law and order to West. However, I believe Matheson’s descriptions of the alpha-male cowboys are right on target.
Both Valance and Doniphon are considered alpha-male cowboys even though Valance is seen as the villain and Doniphon is seen as more of a hero/leading figure in the town. Matheson talks about how Stoddard points out that there really is not much difference between the two (896). Both of them don’t live by the rule of law, instead they take the law into their own hands. This is shown when Valance robs the stagecoach and beats Stoddard, he tells Stoddard “I’ll teach you law – Western law” and Tom explains to Stoddard that in the West the law doesn’t mean anything “out here a man settles his own problems.” Matheson agrees with this in her article, the alpha-male cowboy often adheres to the law of the gun meaning if there is a problem he will settle it with his gun.
The only major difference between the alpha-male characters of Valance and Doniphon is that the brutal action Doniphon usually carries out is for the “good” of everyone else. Whereas Valance is looking to create problems and hurt people only for the benefit of himself; like when he robs Stoddard on the stagecoach or when he beats Mr. Peabody also destroying his newspaper shop. Matheson’s analysis of Liberty Valance is that he is a psychopath; he has no home he “lives where he hangs his hat.” Like the typical alpha-male Valance is looking to conquer the land. Both Valance and Doniphon leave the town for weeks or even months at a time, both coming back to different welcomes. Doniphon is very well respected and looked up to by the members of the town, whereas Valance is a very intimidating and feared by town members.
“When one considers the Wayne canon, it becomes obvious that the Duke specialized in playing destablalized, alienated figures, socially marginalized men caught in double binds – in short, the modern existential antihero” (897). This applies to the alpha-male cowboy and Tom’s character fits this perfectly because by the end of the movie he is caught in a double bind. He can either choose his own happiness, which is to be with Hallie, or to do what is best for others. In the end he does what is best for everyone else involved by shooting Valance. Nobody ever knows Tom is the one who killed Valance except for Stoddard and he only tells him because Stoddard is so remorseful and can’t live thinking he killed a man in cold blood. When Stoddard asks why he did it he tells him it is because Hallie needed him (Stoddard) alive. Matheson often talks about how they feel the need to fulfill a duty; the duty is often seeking revenge against someone who killed a family member. Tom Doniphon believed it was his “duty” to kill Valance because it was in the best interest of all Shinebone’s residents, especially Hallie. In the end the alpha-male can’t fully step over the threshold into settling down and leaving the frontier life because the woman he loves wants to be with Stoddard. He attempts to take his own life at one point when he starts to burn the house that he had finished building and was planning on living in with Hallie.
Matheson describes Stoddard as “a rather naïve and gullible idealist, what Westerns would term a greenhorn, Stoddard expects the West to be a place where “civilized” values are respected” (896). The alpha-male cowboy is the opposite of this description; Tom explains to Stoddard that in the West the laws don’t mean anything. As seen above both Valance and Tom live by the law of the gun, taking the law into their own hands. Stoddard wants to try and catch Liberty Valance using the law, but once he realizes that there is no way he can do that he begins to learn how to shot a gun in case the day ever came along when he could take on Liberty Valance with the law of the gun. Stoddard is more of a gentleman than the alpha-male cowboys; he is very polite and is a champion of law and order. When he got robbed he was dressed nicely and at the end of the film he is very professionally dressed. This is the only thing I think contradicts in some ways what Matheson talks about because she was saying how under the well dressed man, is a sociopath. I don’t think Stoddard is a sociopath I believe his intentions for the town are all good things; he is just trying to being some law and order to West. However, I believe Matheson’s descriptions of the alpha-male cowboys are right on target.
Ryan L "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"
John Ford's film "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" explores the differences between rule of law and rule by law, and in effect the law of the gun. This is exemplified through the opposing characters of Tom Doniphon, Ransom Stoddard, and Liberty Valance. The alpha male cowboy in this film is undoubtedly John Wayne's character Doniphon. Having said that, rather than the sidekick, the character who most closely resembles him is Liberty Valance, the villain. Similar to Matheson's idea of the antihero, Doniphon possesses no qualities of a hero, and yet in the end he comes out in a positive light. Furthermore, he is a killer just like Liberty Valance. Going off the that, the name Liberty Valance is an interesting tag name. The man representing the rule by law, like Doniphon, is named Liberty, similar to freedom.
The most important distinction from the film is the comparison between rule of or by law in the old west. Both sides being represented, rule by law perseveres in the end. The only way Stoddard was able to overcome Valance was by use of force. He resigned the use of his word and law books, and rather took up the gun. Because of this, Ford asserts that the law of the gun is the only true authority in the west. This is comparable to Matheson's view.
The most important distinction from the film is the comparison between rule of or by law in the old west. Both sides being represented, rule by law perseveres in the end. The only way Stoddard was able to overcome Valance was by use of force. He resigned the use of his word and law books, and rather took up the gun. Because of this, Ford asserts that the law of the gun is the only true authority in the west. This is comparable to Matheson's view.
ID "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
In her article: “The West – Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne’s Westerns” Sue Matheson makes an interesting evaluation of the characters typically found in a John Wayne film. Generally, there is a hero who is actually more of an antihero protagonist, a villain, and the outsider or dandy. The hero is always the character played by Wayne, and exists as the mean between the other main characters. In John Ford’s 1962 film The Man who Shot Liberty Valance, the three characters that would fit Matheson’s description are Tom Doniphon, Liberty Valance, and Ransom Stoddard.
Matheson would characterize Doniphon as, “an antisocial loaner who functions in a world peopled with sociopaths, a Hobbesian wilderness where life is generally nasty, brutish, and short” (Matheson 891). Doniphon is widely regarded as the toughest man in the town, but is indeed incredibly antisocial. He appears in town only in the most crucial situations: saving Stoddard, keeping Valance from ruining the entire town, and ultimately killing Valance. Doniphon exists as the center of his own morality, and is the only person tough enough to take action. As Matheson points out: “The residents of Shinbone, Stoddard among them, talk about standing up to Valance’s bullying, but Doniphon is the only character whose words become deeds” (897). Doniphon acts in good faith and does what is right even though it puts a permanent end to his chance to court Hallie.
Completely opposite of Doniphon is Ransom Stoddard. He lives his life with a duty based ethics approach. He firmly believes in the law and that a virtue is a virtue and there is no need to interpret for the situation. As Matheson terms it Stoddard is, “A rather naïve and gullible idealist, what Westerners would term a greenhorn, Stoddard expects the place to be a place where “civilized” values are respected” (896). This is a perfect description of Stoddard who does everything he can to attempt to civilize the town. He starts a school to teach students to read and write, and tries to inform all of the residents about the importance of their vote in the upcoming statehood decision. However, Stoddard eventually succumbs to the hardboiled nature of the west. He never amounts to a person like Doniphon, but, “He too has to settle his problem with Valance like ‘a man.’ In doing so, like Valance, he places himself outside the law” (896). In taking a gun out in attempt to kill Valance, Ransom becomes everything he once despised.
Liberty Valance is again a complete opposite of Doniphon. However, “Stoddard points out, there really is very little difference between Doniphon and Liberty Valance” (896). This statement is true in the sense that both Doniphon and Valance are tough, antisocial and willing to take the law into their own hands. However, that is also where the comparison ends. As Matheson later points out, “Dutton Peabody is scandalized by the idea that anyone would call Liberty Valance ‘a man.’ Peabody protests the idea that anyone could consider Valance a man, not because the outlaw is brutal – for Doniphon is just as brutal as Valance – but because Valance’s actions violate one of the most fundamental value concepts of virtue-ethics: ‘the highest good’” (899). Valance has not one ethical aspect to him. He parades around the town causing mayhem simply because he can. He is a fundamental sociopath, a man with no conscience. He does whatever he wants whenever he wants, and has no regard for the safety or wellbeing of anyone who gets in his way.
PS "The Man Who Shot Liberty"
In the movie “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” three main characters are met. Two are alpha male cowboys and the other a lawyer named Stoddard. One of the alpha male cowboys named Tom Doniphon is the typical ideal cowboy. I believe Sue Matheson would agree with this according to her article. In the movie he finds Stoddard hurt and rescues him and helps to heal him. Doniphon shows his heroic side of the cowboy during this point. Matheson says, “heros…are not ‘stained, grimy, or disheveled in the style of the rough, unmannered villains. Heros may be dusty, but not dirty. Their clothes may be worn, but greasy. They seldom sweat. Above all, they have always just shaved.’” (892) Doniphon fits that description right down to a tee. He is clean cut and shaven with his close being a tad worn, typical for a cowboy. Doniphon calls Stoddard a pilgrim for being new and follows the laws of the gun. There is no such thing as laws, a cowboy settles his problem with the gun and Doniphon explains this to Stoddard. Matheson says, “moral individualism and pervasive corruption are closely linked…Tom Doniphon enlightens Stoddard about the nature of the frontier. He says, ‘You’d better start packing a handgun…I know those law books mean a lot to you, but not out here. Out here a man settles his own problems.’” (896) He shows a man settling his own problems when he sticks up to Liberty Valance, the other cowboy who is feared by everyone. Doniphon is the only one who does not fear him and is not afraid to go at Valance. Doniphon does have a soft side and does try to teach Stoddard how to shoot a gun that way he can protect himself. Being a cowboy Doniphon is one of the best shooters around. Matheson states “Only the fittest, the strongest, and the most ruthless survive in the noir frontier, those who like Tom Doniphon draw a gun faster than anyone else.” (891) Matheson shows how not all cowboys are perfect and this is seen when Doniphon gets jealous of Stoddard and Miss Hallie. Doniphon lets his anger get the best of him as he gets drunk and burns down the house. “Doniphon could have secured his relationship with Hallie by standing aside and letting Valance kill Stoddard, or by standing aside and allowing Stoddard to return to the East, but he does not. Instead, Doniphon destroys his personal happiness by acting in good faith.” (897)
Liberty Valance is other alpha male cowboy. Matheson believes Valance is a severely disable psychopath. Valance is “manipulative, callous, remorseless, parasitic, pathological liars with poor behavioral controls. Ironically their disordered personalities, which disable them socially, enable them professionally.” (892) Though this may seem harsh it however is all true to who Valance is and what he did throughout the entire movie. Valance beat, abused, and murdered people all for no reason. Matheson go into further description of Valance by talking about his clothing. “Wearing a black hat and an elaborately embroidered vest over a long-sleeved white shirt and brown trousers, he appears to be a dandy dressed for a part in a drama…he too never changes his clothes….Valance does not signal his bestial nature by dressing in an animal’s skins.” (895) Valance tries to appear tough and flamboyant in his clothes. He never changes them so they stay dirty and the dark colors signal he is not a good man. “He simply does not walk like a human being; the outlaw lumbers about like an ape with his silver-headed cat-o’-nine tails while flouting all that ‘civilized’ America holds dear: good posture, acceptable table manners, the sanctity of womanhood, law and order, freedom of speech, and most of all, the democratic process itself.”(895) Valance does not conduct himself like a normal human being nor follow the code of the civilized American. He acts out of the norm by the way he acts. Doniphon more fits the description of the code. Matheson sums up valance by saying “Simply put, Valance’s behavior is beastly. Interrupted while robbing a widow…the outlaw savagely beats Ransom Stoddard and snarls, ‘I’ll teach you law-Western law.’ As valance demonstrates, in the west, might is right.” (895) Valance acts like an animal and treats people horribly. He wants people to know he is the law and that’s it.
Matheson talks about Ransom Stoddard saying he is “a rather naïve and gullible idealist, what Westerners would term a greenhorn, Stoddard expects the west to be a place where ‘civilized’ values are respected.” (896) Stoddard is unaware of the current condition in the west so when he travels there he is immediately someone who sticks out. He wants to change the ways of the West, but to do so he will have to embrace some Western “law.” “In spite of his protests, Stoddard becomes just like Shinbone’s residents. He too has to settle his problem with Valance like ‘ a man.’ In doing so, like Valance, he places himself outside of the law.” (896) Matheson also points out that Stoddard analyzes everything including “there really is very little difference between Doniphon and Liberty Valance.” (896)
I generally agree with Matheson’s assessments of all the characters. I think she does a good job describing them and for the most part I saw the same sort of things when I watched the movie. When she talks about Stoddard’s comment about there being little difference between Valance and Doniphon, I have to disagree with that. Yes, “both men settle their problems in the same fashion…individual does not enforce the law; he is the law. Doniphon…is unquestionably his own moral center because he can do what Stoddard cannot—live with the face that he cold-bloodedly murdered another human being. Doniphon may wear a white hat…but like Valance, he too exhibits a highly antisocial and disordered personality. Like Valance, Doniphon is callous, remorseless, and manipulative.” (897-897) This quote does not make them the same people. Doniphon does a lot of good, as seen in the movie he saves Stoddard and helps him with everything either with a gun or getting a vote in politics. Valance has no good; everything he does is bad and just for him. Doniphon is just following the rules of the west, because of where he lives he needs to be quick and the best. Most people back then should not have remorse for killing a bad guy. The things that they did back then were so horrific. I do not really see how Doniphon was antisocial either. Everyone in town knew him and he would talk to them. He might not have been the most social guy, but he absolutely was not anti social. Just because he has no remorse for killing Valance does not mean he is remorseless either. He was extremely remorseful at first when he lost Miss Hallie to Stoddard. Certain instances of negativity are being picked here and that’s not fair to Doniphon. Everyone has a negative characteristic once and a while, let’s not jump on it and characterize someone for it unfairly.
Liberty Valance is other alpha male cowboy. Matheson believes Valance is a severely disable psychopath. Valance is “manipulative, callous, remorseless, parasitic, pathological liars with poor behavioral controls. Ironically their disordered personalities, which disable them socially, enable them professionally.” (892) Though this may seem harsh it however is all true to who Valance is and what he did throughout the entire movie. Valance beat, abused, and murdered people all for no reason. Matheson go into further description of Valance by talking about his clothing. “Wearing a black hat and an elaborately embroidered vest over a long-sleeved white shirt and brown trousers, he appears to be a dandy dressed for a part in a drama…he too never changes his clothes….Valance does not signal his bestial nature by dressing in an animal’s skins.” (895) Valance tries to appear tough and flamboyant in his clothes. He never changes them so they stay dirty and the dark colors signal he is not a good man. “He simply does not walk like a human being; the outlaw lumbers about like an ape with his silver-headed cat-o’-nine tails while flouting all that ‘civilized’ America holds dear: good posture, acceptable table manners, the sanctity of womanhood, law and order, freedom of speech, and most of all, the democratic process itself.”(895) Valance does not conduct himself like a normal human being nor follow the code of the civilized American. He acts out of the norm by the way he acts. Doniphon more fits the description of the code. Matheson sums up valance by saying “Simply put, Valance’s behavior is beastly. Interrupted while robbing a widow…the outlaw savagely beats Ransom Stoddard and snarls, ‘I’ll teach you law-Western law.’ As valance demonstrates, in the west, might is right.” (895) Valance acts like an animal and treats people horribly. He wants people to know he is the law and that’s it.
Matheson talks about Ransom Stoddard saying he is “a rather naïve and gullible idealist, what Westerners would term a greenhorn, Stoddard expects the west to be a place where ‘civilized’ values are respected.” (896) Stoddard is unaware of the current condition in the west so when he travels there he is immediately someone who sticks out. He wants to change the ways of the West, but to do so he will have to embrace some Western “law.” “In spite of his protests, Stoddard becomes just like Shinbone’s residents. He too has to settle his problem with Valance like ‘ a man.’ In doing so, like Valance, he places himself outside of the law.” (896) Matheson also points out that Stoddard analyzes everything including “there really is very little difference between Doniphon and Liberty Valance.” (896)
I generally agree with Matheson’s assessments of all the characters. I think she does a good job describing them and for the most part I saw the same sort of things when I watched the movie. When she talks about Stoddard’s comment about there being little difference between Valance and Doniphon, I have to disagree with that. Yes, “both men settle their problems in the same fashion…individual does not enforce the law; he is the law. Doniphon…is unquestionably his own moral center because he can do what Stoddard cannot—live with the face that he cold-bloodedly murdered another human being. Doniphon may wear a white hat…but like Valance, he too exhibits a highly antisocial and disordered personality. Like Valance, Doniphon is callous, remorseless, and manipulative.” (897-897) This quote does not make them the same people. Doniphon does a lot of good, as seen in the movie he saves Stoddard and helps him with everything either with a gun or getting a vote in politics. Valance has no good; everything he does is bad and just for him. Doniphon is just following the rules of the west, because of where he lives he needs to be quick and the best. Most people back then should not have remorse for killing a bad guy. The things that they did back then were so horrific. I do not really see how Doniphon was antisocial either. Everyone in town knew him and he would talk to them. He might not have been the most social guy, but he absolutely was not anti social. Just because he has no remorse for killing Valance does not mean he is remorseless either. He was extremely remorseful at first when he lost Miss Hallie to Stoddard. Certain instances of negativity are being picked here and that’s not fair to Doniphon. Everyone has a negative characteristic once and a while, let’s not jump on it and characterize someone for it unfairly.
SK "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"
Tom Doniphon, one of the main characters played by John Wayne, is shown to be an alpha male cowboy in John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. As Sue Matheson explains, John Wayne's character is represented as the hardboiled antihero. In Matheson's perspective, Doniphon is definitely a cowboy who has a "fanatic devotion to duty--which makes him the ideal American male" (889). His actions within the film derive from his mindset of having to be a man of responsibility. He tries to fix other people's problems by using violence against those who harm them. Just like in Sue Matheson's article, Tom Doniphon is a hero developed out of WWII disillusionment. Matheson would also assess Doniphon by mentioning that he is a Western paternal character.
His interactions with Rance Stoddard, who is a lawyer from the east wishing to spread his political ideas in the West, show that Doniphon is always guiding Stoddard in how to survive and adapt in the west. Stoddard moves to the West at first believing that establishing a rule of law rather than rule by law would be a smooth transition. However, Doniphon gives him an advice saying, "You'd better start packing a handgun...I know those law books mean a lot to you but not out here. Out here a man settles his own problems" (896). A notorious man like Liberty Valance would definitely have Stoddard killed in an instant. In the west, violence is what solves conflicts between people. Furthermore, Matheson would point out that "Doniphon destroys his personal happiness by acting in good faith" (896). He tries to fulfill the happiness of other innocent people like Stoddard. Doniphon gives consent to him to take the spotlight for killing Liberty Valance and also gives his own girl to Stoddard. Doniphon is a man who has no interest in boasting about his good deeds.
Matheson would definitely classify Rance Stoddard as an outsider and a man who has a presence of a woman in the Western towns. A lawyer from the east who is unfamiliar with violence, he is characterized as a "feminized" man within The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance by the way he dresses and by the types of duties he performs. He strongly refuses the idea of carrying a gun with him and he is shown to perform woman duties, like cleaning the dishes. His type of character is caused by his origin, a man who is not western but from the outside. He deeply wishes to spread the idea of rule of law within an area ruled mostly by men who are violent and dangerous. In the end, Stoddard was the one appointed to kill Liberty Valance with a gun; however, it was Tom Doniphon who killed Valance, which kept Stoddard to remain as the man who came from the east.
Liberty Valance, the antagonist of the film, is presented as the toughest man in Shinbone after that of Tom Doniphon. Valance is a man who is characterized as a beastly figure and also someone who "simply does not walk like a human being; the outlaw lumbers about like an ape with his silver-headed cat-o'-nine-tails while flouting all that 'civilized' America holds dear: good posture, freedom of speech, and most of all, the democratic process itself' (895). He is a dangerous man who inflicts pain on innocent lives and also spreads fear on the men and women in Shinbone. A "rough, unmannered villain", he intimidates those around him with his extreme anti-social behavior. Unlike Tom Doniphon, Liberty Valance carries out violence in a different way. Portrayed as a thief and a public menace, his intentions for violence are nowhere near an act of duty and responsibility in helping others.
His interactions with Rance Stoddard, who is a lawyer from the east wishing to spread his political ideas in the West, show that Doniphon is always guiding Stoddard in how to survive and adapt in the west. Stoddard moves to the West at first believing that establishing a rule of law rather than rule by law would be a smooth transition. However, Doniphon gives him an advice saying, "You'd better start packing a handgun...I know those law books mean a lot to you but not out here. Out here a man settles his own problems" (896). A notorious man like Liberty Valance would definitely have Stoddard killed in an instant. In the west, violence is what solves conflicts between people. Furthermore, Matheson would point out that "Doniphon destroys his personal happiness by acting in good faith" (896). He tries to fulfill the happiness of other innocent people like Stoddard. Doniphon gives consent to him to take the spotlight for killing Liberty Valance and also gives his own girl to Stoddard. Doniphon is a man who has no interest in boasting about his good deeds.
Matheson would definitely classify Rance Stoddard as an outsider and a man who has a presence of a woman in the Western towns. A lawyer from the east who is unfamiliar with violence, he is characterized as a "feminized" man within The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance by the way he dresses and by the types of duties he performs. He strongly refuses the idea of carrying a gun with him and he is shown to perform woman duties, like cleaning the dishes. His type of character is caused by his origin, a man who is not western but from the outside. He deeply wishes to spread the idea of rule of law within an area ruled mostly by men who are violent and dangerous. In the end, Stoddard was the one appointed to kill Liberty Valance with a gun; however, it was Tom Doniphon who killed Valance, which kept Stoddard to remain as the man who came from the east.
Liberty Valance, the antagonist of the film, is presented as the toughest man in Shinbone after that of Tom Doniphon. Valance is a man who is characterized as a beastly figure and also someone who "simply does not walk like a human being; the outlaw lumbers about like an ape with his silver-headed cat-o'-nine-tails while flouting all that 'civilized' America holds dear: good posture, freedom of speech, and most of all, the democratic process itself' (895). He is a dangerous man who inflicts pain on innocent lives and also spreads fear on the men and women in Shinbone. A "rough, unmannered villain", he intimidates those around him with his extreme anti-social behavior. Unlike Tom Doniphon, Liberty Valance carries out violence in a different way. Portrayed as a thief and a public menace, his intentions for violence are nowhere near an act of duty and responsibility in helping others.
MB "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"
Using the two alpha male cowboys and character Stoddard in the film, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Sue Matheson's article, The West-Hardboiled: Adaptions of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne's Westerns, assesses each characters role within a Western. Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) and Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) are the two alpha males within the film, and Ransom Stoddard (Jimmy Stewart) is the educated new guy in town.
Tom Doniphon within the film is the alpha male cowboy antihero. Matheson would describe Tom Doniphon as the "destabilize alienated figures, socially marginalized men caught in double blinds-in short the modern existential antihero."(897). Within the film, you notice that Tom Doniphon alienates himself from the local town of Shinbone. While the majority of the characters in the film live within the downtown district of Shinbone, Tom Doniphon lives outside of the town border. Tom's home is at the edge of the frontier and he mostly comes into town to fulfill his need for social interaction. The need is limited towards his love towards Hallie (Vera Miles). From watching the film, the addition to Tom's house appeared to be a symbol for his attempt at joining into settled society. Throughout the film it appeared that Tom's intentions were to give up the law of the gun, and to settle down with Hallie. But as the film progressed it appeared harder for Tom to finish the house because of his socially marginalized characteristics.
Tom Doniphon according to Matheson is "like all film noir antiheroes, Doniphon is caught in an existential double-blind....Doniphon could have secured his relationship with Hallie by standing aside and letting Valance kill Stoddard, or by standing aside and allowing Stoddard to return East, but he does not. Instead. Doniphon destroys his personal happiness by acting in good faith."(897). Tom lacks the ability to go against him what is fundamentally ethical. Most alpha male cowboys attempt to "live the 'good life; fulfill not only their full human potential but also the full human potential of their communities by living within the perimeters"(899). Tom's double blind exists within his own ethical code and because of this flaw Tom's character become the infamous antihero.
Liberty Valance is another alpha male cowboy within the film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. The main difference between him and Tom Doniphon is that Liberty Valance exhibits sociopathic behaviors. Liberty Valance lacks the general concept of morality and is unaware of his lacking of morality. Liberty Valance is as Matheson would descibe a " severely disabled psychopaths. They are manipulative, callous, remorseless, parasitic, pathological liars with poor behavior controls. Ironically, their disordered personalities, which disable them socially, enable them professionally" (892). When your are first introduced to Liberty Valance within the film you gain a measure for his lack of remorse while he beats Ransom Stoddard with a whip. The only thing that halts Liberty from beating Stoddard to death is the intervention from one of his henchmen. Liberty's sociopathic behaviors also correlate to the job he has as a hired gun for the cattle ranchers. Liberty is not afraid to use force and even kill to protect the interests of the cattle ranchers because he cannot see the cognitive difference between right and wrong. To Liberty the gun is how a man settles all of his issues.
Matheson points out that while Liberty Valance "beats Random Stoddard and snarls 'I'll teach you law-Western Law. As Valance demonstrates, in the West, might is right"(895). This law of the gun however can be found in all alpha male heroes in the film. The films appears to place Tom Doniphon as the "law" figure of the town. The town sheriff is portrayed as an incompetent older man that is afraid of any interaction with Liberty Valance the main villian of the film. "Stoddard points out, there really is very little difference between Doniphon and Liberty Valance. Both men settle their problems in the same fashion. In Shinbone the individual does not enforce the law: he is the law"(896). However Stoddard who appears to be the educated male lawyer from the east is eventually sucked into this law of the gun ideology.
Stoddard appears to be one of the weaker characters within the film mostly because of his upbringing in "civilized" society. Stoddard is at first an outcast within Shinbone because of his belief that the law of the book is greater than the law of the land. His expertise in legal consoling stand out from the generally lawless west. Thus his characters existence at the beginning of the novel is a paradox to your traditional western. However as Matheson points out" Stoddard becomes just like Shinbone's residents. He too has to settle his problems with Valance like 'a man.' In doing so, like Valance, he places himself outside the law"(896).
RT The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The film, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, consists of three main characters. All three have a large influence on the community, but go about this in very different ways. Once again John Wayne is the hardboiled anti-hero, always ready to "draw a gun faster than anyone else" (890). Rance Stoddard is a lawyer from the East who hopes to spread his political ideals to the west and establish rule of law instead of rule by law. Lastly, Liberty Valance is a crook who is never afraid to take on another man and is the toughest around, except of course for John Wayne's character, Tom Doniphon. Valance's behavior is describes as "beastly" and as someone who "lumbers about like an ape...flouting all that "civilized" America holds dear: good posture, acceptable table manners, the sanctity of womanhood, law and order, freedom of speech, and most of all, the democratic process itself" (895). Valance is a man who displays extreme antisocial behavior and inflicts fear on most of the citizens of Shinbone.
Matheson describes Doniphon as, "callous, remorseless, and manipulative" going on to say, "He refuses to accept Stoddard's nomination for political appointment because serving the public would interfere with his personal interests" (896). Doniphon is a man who is focused on his own duties and obligations, always around when needed but never doing more then is required. He provides Stoddard with simple advice when he shows up explaining, "You'd better start packing a handgun...I know those law books mean a lot to you but not out here. Out here a man settles his own problems". Matheson's assessment of Doniphon as someone who is "corrupt" certainly seems valid here. Doniphon recommends that Stoddard places himself out of the law, Stoddard's very ideology, and that he becomes the law himself. Matheson also states, "there really is very little difference between Doniphon and Liberty Valance. Both men settle their problems in the same fashion" (896). I feel that this is a very bold statement and that it should be a bit more specific. It would be valid to say that the course of actions performed by Valance and Doniphon are similar when trying to accomplish a goal. However, the goals which Valance and Doniphon act in respect to are not.
Matheson goes on to explain that "Doniphon destroys his personal happiness by acting in good faith"(896). This statement certainly seems to ring true to many of the scenes in the movie. He allows Stoddard to take the credit for the murder of Liberty Valance and allows Stoddard to take his girl. Doniphon saved Stoddard's life and in return lost the one he loved. Consequently, he went into a drunk rage and burned down the house which he was currently expanding on in anticipation of asking the girl to marry him. It is also interesting that Doniphon turns down the nomination for representing his community due to personal interests, while simultaneously motivating Stoddard to live up to his political potential. Matheson agrees, explaining, "without Doniphon's help, Stoddard would never have been the man who "with a snap of his fingers could become the next vice president" of the United States" (896). Although Doniphon is certainly an alpha male character in the movie, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, he does so without boasting himself. Rather, he shares some of the positive spotlight with Stoddard; a man who he is not intimidated by. On the other side, is the bad alpha male character, Liberty Valance. A man who could have easily killed Stoddard multiple times, and does kill Stoddard's boss at the newspaper factory. The citizens fear Liberty, and the marshal goes no where near him.
Matheson describes Doniphon as, "callous, remorseless, and manipulative" going on to say, "He refuses to accept Stoddard's nomination for political appointment because serving the public would interfere with his personal interests" (896). Doniphon is a man who is focused on his own duties and obligations, always around when needed but never doing more then is required. He provides Stoddard with simple advice when he shows up explaining, "You'd better start packing a handgun...I know those law books mean a lot to you but not out here. Out here a man settles his own problems". Matheson's assessment of Doniphon as someone who is "corrupt" certainly seems valid here. Doniphon recommends that Stoddard places himself out of the law, Stoddard's very ideology, and that he becomes the law himself. Matheson also states, "there really is very little difference between Doniphon and Liberty Valance. Both men settle their problems in the same fashion" (896). I feel that this is a very bold statement and that it should be a bit more specific. It would be valid to say that the course of actions performed by Valance and Doniphon are similar when trying to accomplish a goal. However, the goals which Valance and Doniphon act in respect to are not.
Matheson goes on to explain that "Doniphon destroys his personal happiness by acting in good faith"(896). This statement certainly seems to ring true to many of the scenes in the movie. He allows Stoddard to take the credit for the murder of Liberty Valance and allows Stoddard to take his girl. Doniphon saved Stoddard's life and in return lost the one he loved. Consequently, he went into a drunk rage and burned down the house which he was currently expanding on in anticipation of asking the girl to marry him. It is also interesting that Doniphon turns down the nomination for representing his community due to personal interests, while simultaneously motivating Stoddard to live up to his political potential. Matheson agrees, explaining, "without Doniphon's help, Stoddard would never have been the man who "with a snap of his fingers could become the next vice president" of the United States" (896). Although Doniphon is certainly an alpha male character in the movie, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, he does so without boasting himself. Rather, he shares some of the positive spotlight with Stoddard; a man who he is not intimidated by. On the other side, is the bad alpha male character, Liberty Valance. A man who could have easily killed Stoddard multiple times, and does kill Stoddard's boss at the newspaper factory. The citizens fear Liberty, and the marshal goes no where near him.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
NL "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"
Sue Matheson would most definitely classify Tom Doniphon as the classic Western antihero. Matheson mentions how the Duke is "hardboiled", an element that is essential to the Western's foundation. "[A]s Jonathan Letham notes, 'Wayne is '[a] dark night, [a] damaged and isolated paternal figure which gathers in one place the allure of violence, the call away from home''" (889). In John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Tom Doniphon (John Wayne), follows the exact code of the Western hero Matheson mentions: a hero developed out of WWII disillusionment, a hero with a past but with a responsibility-driven contradiction to "hero". The Western hero is just that, an antihero such as Tom Donipon.
Matheson would certainly point to Doniphon's "[f]anatic devotion to duty-- which makes him the ideal American male" (889) as something that really does drive his antihero qualities. He is very much that Western paternal figure that Matheson (and Tompkins for that matter) describe. Doniphon, through his "fanatic devotion" as a Western antihero, constantly is watching over Stoddard, very much in a parental way. This paternal attitude is not just in the vigilance or advice Doniphon lends Stoddard, but also in the way that Doniphon interacts with Stoddard throughout the film. Tom always laughs at the actions of Stoddard, teases him, and addresses him by the name "Pilgrim". This can be seen as more than just a reference to Stoddard's origins in the East; you really can look at Tom calling Stoddard "Pilgrim" as Doniphon addressing the wandering nature of Stoddard and how Tom, like a parent, helps Stoddard to better fit in out West.
In the end, Doniphon further embodies another one of Matheson's anti-hero aspects, being "alienated". Through the film Tom tends to keep to himself with regards to the interactions with others in town. He is certainly no Peabody, no Liberty Valance with his gang, no Stoddard living and interacting in the heart of town. He keeps his distance, but through duty, protects the innocence around him. But it is two of the very final acts of what we are exposed to Doniphon that embody his alienation. Tom gives up Hallie to Stoddard, after clearly courting her for quite some time. He does this through some strange moral obligation that is closely linked to a Western antihero. This seals his fate as being alienated from society in general, he does not have a woman to tie him down into the domestic world of Shinbone.
But the more subtle thing indicating his alienation is the sheer confusion of those in Shinbone at the beginning of the film as to just who died that would warrant a US Senator stopping by town. Tom was so alienated that not only did the "townspeople" never know who the true "Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" was, but also the memory of him as a force in town counterbalancing Liberty in the first place was forgotten entirely.
Liberty Valance is definitely one of Matheson's Western outlaws. Matheson states, "because [of outlaws'] extremely self-indulgent behavior is not moderate, like heroes, outlaws also cannot be considered men" (906). This exact concept is used by Peabody, the idea that not a single person could truly consider Liberty a "man". Valance, through intimidation and fear, indulges in whatever he wants; Liberty is a thief, a gun-for-hire, a plunderer, and a public menace. He, in comparison to Tom, is that "rough, unmannered villain" Matheson talks about. In Matheson's words, "[H]e [Valance] simply does not walk like a human being; the outlaw lumbers about like an ape with his silver-headed cat-o'-nine-tails while flouting all that 'civilized' America holds dear: good posture, freedom of speech, and most of all, the democratic process itself" (895). This of course reflects upon his mannerisms, his attack on Peabody's press, and his intimidation tactics during the election.
Matheson comes right out with her classification of Stoddard. He is the one that does not fit in in the West. He knows there is something "[t]hat the residents of Shinbone do not: there is something amiss; the corruption so evident in Valance has pervaded everyone in Shinbone" (896). Thus, he is the outsider, and is feminized. He is simply not the Western "man". Matheson points out this "feminized" aspect in Stoddard in his nonfunctional wardrobe, the time he spends performing "womans duties" such as cleaning dishes, refusal to wear a gun, and right down to the shootout: Stoddard's wearing of an apron in the gunfight. Matheson is right, Stoddard is indeed the outsider to the West; he has faith in the law of the book and denounces the law of the gun. He is forced into conformity to the West in his taking up the gun against Liberty, yet in the end, it was Doniphon who really murdered Liberty "in cold blood", preserving Stoddard's role as the outsider.
Matheson would certainly point to Doniphon's "[f]anatic devotion to duty-- which makes him the ideal American male" (889) as something that really does drive his antihero qualities. He is very much that Western paternal figure that Matheson (and Tompkins for that matter) describe. Doniphon, through his "fanatic devotion" as a Western antihero, constantly is watching over Stoddard, very much in a parental way. This paternal attitude is not just in the vigilance or advice Doniphon lends Stoddard, but also in the way that Doniphon interacts with Stoddard throughout the film. Tom always laughs at the actions of Stoddard, teases him, and addresses him by the name "Pilgrim". This can be seen as more than just a reference to Stoddard's origins in the East; you really can look at Tom calling Stoddard "Pilgrim" as Doniphon addressing the wandering nature of Stoddard and how Tom, like a parent, helps Stoddard to better fit in out West.
In the end, Doniphon further embodies another one of Matheson's anti-hero aspects, being "alienated". Through the film Tom tends to keep to himself with regards to the interactions with others in town. He is certainly no Peabody, no Liberty Valance with his gang, no Stoddard living and interacting in the heart of town. He keeps his distance, but through duty, protects the innocence around him. But it is two of the very final acts of what we are exposed to Doniphon that embody his alienation. Tom gives up Hallie to Stoddard, after clearly courting her for quite some time. He does this through some strange moral obligation that is closely linked to a Western antihero. This seals his fate as being alienated from society in general, he does not have a woman to tie him down into the domestic world of Shinbone.
But the more subtle thing indicating his alienation is the sheer confusion of those in Shinbone at the beginning of the film as to just who died that would warrant a US Senator stopping by town. Tom was so alienated that not only did the "townspeople" never know who the true "Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" was, but also the memory of him as a force in town counterbalancing Liberty in the first place was forgotten entirely.
Liberty Valance is definitely one of Matheson's Western outlaws. Matheson states, "because [of outlaws'] extremely self-indulgent behavior is not moderate, like heroes, outlaws also cannot be considered men" (906). This exact concept is used by Peabody, the idea that not a single person could truly consider Liberty a "man". Valance, through intimidation and fear, indulges in whatever he wants; Liberty is a thief, a gun-for-hire, a plunderer, and a public menace. He, in comparison to Tom, is that "rough, unmannered villain" Matheson talks about. In Matheson's words, "[H]e [Valance] simply does not walk like a human being; the outlaw lumbers about like an ape with his silver-headed cat-o'-nine-tails while flouting all that 'civilized' America holds dear: good posture, freedom of speech, and most of all, the democratic process itself" (895). This of course reflects upon his mannerisms, his attack on Peabody's press, and his intimidation tactics during the election.
Matheson comes right out with her classification of Stoddard. He is the one that does not fit in in the West. He knows there is something "[t]hat the residents of Shinbone do not: there is something amiss; the corruption so evident in Valance has pervaded everyone in Shinbone" (896). Thus, he is the outsider, and is feminized. He is simply not the Western "man". Matheson points out this "feminized" aspect in Stoddard in his nonfunctional wardrobe, the time he spends performing "womans duties" such as cleaning dishes, refusal to wear a gun, and right down to the shootout: Stoddard's wearing of an apron in the gunfight. Matheson is right, Stoddard is indeed the outsider to the West; he has faith in the law of the book and denounces the law of the gun. He is forced into conformity to the West in his taking up the gun against Liberty, yet in the end, it was Doniphon who really murdered Liberty "in cold blood", preserving Stoddard's role as the outsider.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Andrew Goodman: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The 1962 Western film titled The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance contains two alpha male cowboys in the form of Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) and Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). Ransom “Rance” Stoddard is a newcomer to the West and is certainly not an alpha male cowboy. Sue Matheson, the author of “The West-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne’s Westerns” would assess each of these men differently: Tom Doniphon is the “hardboiled…callous, remorseless, and manipulative…film noir antihero…caught in an existential double bind (Matheson 891, 896-897); Liberty Valance is the “severely disabled psychopath…[who is a] manipulative, callous, remorseless, parasitic, pathological liar…with poor behavioral controls” (892); and Rance Stoddard is a “rather naïve and gullible idealist, what Westerners would term a greenhorn” (896).
Tom Doniphon first appears in the film when he brings a badly beaten Rance Stoddard into Shinbone so as to allow Hallie, the woman he intends to marry, and her parents to care for Stoddard. Doniphon is the only man in the film tough enough to intimidate Liberty Valance and his gang. Thus, he “can be counted on to act in good faith, however grudgingly” (Matheson 899). Doniphon is an alpha male cowboy “living what may be considered a hardboiled, existential version of the good life, a life that in its completeness is both admirable and desirable to others” (Matheson 900). Matheson would make this assessment of Tom Doniphon as although he lives alone and mentions that he traveled alone for three weeks in order to complete a sale, he protects Rance Stoddard on multiple occasions, even allowing all to believe that Rance killed Liberty Valance so as to ultimately send him to Washington D.C. to represent the territory. He also sacrifices his plan of marrying Hallie so as to allow her to marry Rance. Essentially, Matheson would assess Doniphon as a man who “is unquestionably his own moral center because he can…live with the fact that he cold-bloodedly murdered another human being” (896). Thus, the alienated Doniphon sacrifices is own potential happiness so as to ensure that Shinbone experiences a safer and more prosperous future.
Liberty Valance is the leader of a gang of outlaws who rob and kill at will. Matheson would say that “Valance’s behavior is beastly” (895). Additionally, his “actions violate one of the most fundamental value concepts of virtue ethics: ‘the highest good’” (Matheson 899). His power is derived from the fact that until Rance Stoddard arrives in Shinbone, no one, especially not the bumbling marshal, prevents him from robbing and murdering. As the individual is the law in the West, Liberty Valance is so bold as to nominate himself to be a delegate to represent Shinbone in the territory’s capital city. Clearly, Matheson would assess Liberty Valance as a deeply disturbed and savage individual with no regard for human life.
Rance Stoddard follows the advice of Horace Greeley and ventures to the West. After Liberty Valance savagely beats Rance after he attempts to interfere in a robbery, Rance, an attorney, becomes obsessed with seeing Valance imprisoned. He despises the lawlessness of Shinbone and initially refuses to carry a gun. However, he soon begins to carry a gun and is led to believe that he killed Valance. Matheson would assess Stoddard as “an ineffectual, almost comical figure” (904). This is so as despite the fact that Rance eventually becomes governor, senator, and a potential vice president, he simply does not mesh with the values of the West. According to Matheson, “his gender identity becomes increasingly problematic. A dandy in his suit, Stoddard…spends a good deal of his time in Shinbone washing dishes….Alone in his apron on the boardwalk, Stoddard, appear[s]…to wear a skirt over his trousers in his shootout with Valance” (903-904).
Matheson’s assessment of both Tom Doniphon and Liberty Valance seems just, however, her assessment of Rance Stoddard is simply too shallow. Tom Doniphon is certainly the alienated antihero of the West as he lives alone, is willing to take the law into his own hands, and despite his antisocial personality, he acts in a “fundamentally ethical” (Matheson 899) manner. Liberty Valance embodies the Western outlaw as he a true savage. He beats Rance Stoddard in order to, as he puts it “teach you [Rance] law—Western law” (895). In order for the people of Shinbone to thrive, Liberty Valance must be killed; and so he is. Ransom “Rance” Stoddard is certainly not a masculine man when his toughness is compared with that of Doniphon or Valance, however, Rance is neither ineffectual, nor comical. He is a man of principle as he believes that the law of the gun is simply wrong. As governor and as senator, Rance becomes incredibly popular as he allows Shinbone (and the entire territory/state for that matter) to experience prosperity. Yes, he would have been killed were it not for Tom Doniphon’s actions. However, that does not erase the good that he does for the people of the West. Matheson should reassess Rance Stoddard’s character with this in mind. He is a truly strong character.
Tom Doniphon first appears in the film when he brings a badly beaten Rance Stoddard into Shinbone so as to allow Hallie, the woman he intends to marry, and her parents to care for Stoddard. Doniphon is the only man in the film tough enough to intimidate Liberty Valance and his gang. Thus, he “can be counted on to act in good faith, however grudgingly” (Matheson 899). Doniphon is an alpha male cowboy “living what may be considered a hardboiled, existential version of the good life, a life that in its completeness is both admirable and desirable to others” (Matheson 900). Matheson would make this assessment of Tom Doniphon as although he lives alone and mentions that he traveled alone for three weeks in order to complete a sale, he protects Rance Stoddard on multiple occasions, even allowing all to believe that Rance killed Liberty Valance so as to ultimately send him to Washington D.C. to represent the territory. He also sacrifices his plan of marrying Hallie so as to allow her to marry Rance. Essentially, Matheson would assess Doniphon as a man who “is unquestionably his own moral center because he can…live with the fact that he cold-bloodedly murdered another human being” (896). Thus, the alienated Doniphon sacrifices is own potential happiness so as to ensure that Shinbone experiences a safer and more prosperous future.
Liberty Valance is the leader of a gang of outlaws who rob and kill at will. Matheson would say that “Valance’s behavior is beastly” (895). Additionally, his “actions violate one of the most fundamental value concepts of virtue ethics: ‘the highest good’” (Matheson 899). His power is derived from the fact that until Rance Stoddard arrives in Shinbone, no one, especially not the bumbling marshal, prevents him from robbing and murdering. As the individual is the law in the West, Liberty Valance is so bold as to nominate himself to be a delegate to represent Shinbone in the territory’s capital city. Clearly, Matheson would assess Liberty Valance as a deeply disturbed and savage individual with no regard for human life.
Rance Stoddard follows the advice of Horace Greeley and ventures to the West. After Liberty Valance savagely beats Rance after he attempts to interfere in a robbery, Rance, an attorney, becomes obsessed with seeing Valance imprisoned. He despises the lawlessness of Shinbone and initially refuses to carry a gun. However, he soon begins to carry a gun and is led to believe that he killed Valance. Matheson would assess Stoddard as “an ineffectual, almost comical figure” (904). This is so as despite the fact that Rance eventually becomes governor, senator, and a potential vice president, he simply does not mesh with the values of the West. According to Matheson, “his gender identity becomes increasingly problematic. A dandy in his suit, Stoddard…spends a good deal of his time in Shinbone washing dishes….Alone in his apron on the boardwalk, Stoddard, appear[s]…to wear a skirt over his trousers in his shootout with Valance” (903-904).
Matheson’s assessment of both Tom Doniphon and Liberty Valance seems just, however, her assessment of Rance Stoddard is simply too shallow. Tom Doniphon is certainly the alienated antihero of the West as he lives alone, is willing to take the law into his own hands, and despite his antisocial personality, he acts in a “fundamentally ethical” (Matheson 899) manner. Liberty Valance embodies the Western outlaw as he a true savage. He beats Rance Stoddard in order to, as he puts it “teach you [Rance] law—Western law” (895). In order for the people of Shinbone to thrive, Liberty Valance must be killed; and so he is. Ransom “Rance” Stoddard is certainly not a masculine man when his toughness is compared with that of Doniphon or Valance, however, Rance is neither ineffectual, nor comical. He is a man of principle as he believes that the law of the gun is simply wrong. As governor and as senator, Rance becomes incredibly popular as he allows Shinbone (and the entire territory/state for that matter) to experience prosperity. Yes, he would have been killed were it not for Tom Doniphon’s actions. However, that does not erase the good that he does for the people of the West. Matheson should reassess Rance Stoddard’s character with this in mind. He is a truly strong character.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
KLR The West-Hardboiled
While addressing a contradiction in Wayne’s Westerns in her opening pages, Sue Matheson is able to describe a plot that most commentators agree on: the classic Western is about heroes and villains. Matheson states that Wayne’s characters “do not-one may say inherently cannot-conform to this most fundamental convention of the Western genre because the Duke is hardboiled” (The West-Hardboiled 889). Because of this, John Wayne movies tend to “transmit cultural information that calls for an understanding of that popular and radical art form, film noir,” differing from the traditional Western movie ideas (The West-Hardboiled 889).
One of the most important elements in noir films is the setting, or in this case, landscape. Claustrophobic rooms, alleyways, and even “dank cities act as metaphors that reflect the psychological conditions of their protagonists” (The West-Hardboiled 890). Of the open landscape shots in The Searchers, Matheson suggests that the red sand and rocks were darkened “to the color of blood underpins and reinforces the bloody nature of vengeance” (The West-Hardboiled 890). Matheson applies this element of noir films in John Wayne’s Westerns to prove that each setting is used as a metaphor to in some way describe the characters’ personalities.
Matheson applies the idea of appearance to the actual characters, suggesting that the way they are presented in films suggests the character of the person. Normally, heroes may “be dusty but not dirty” (The West-Hardboiled 892). They are rarely shown being sweaty or having greasy clothes and they have always shaved. Matheson suggests that “cleanliness and dirt register how normal or abnormal a character’s psychology is” (The West-Hardboiled 892). In a film where a character has dirty clothes, and is smelly, such as Shanghai McCoy in Rooster Cogburn, the character himself tells the audience, “I ain’t got an ounce of good will in me and that’s a fact” (The West-Hardboiled 892). From here, Matheson goes on to give other examples of “dirty” characters that seem to have psychopathic behaviors.
One of the most important elements in noir films is the setting, or in this case, landscape. Claustrophobic rooms, alleyways, and even “dank cities act as metaphors that reflect the psychological conditions of their protagonists” (The West-Hardboiled 890). Of the open landscape shots in The Searchers, Matheson suggests that the red sand and rocks were darkened “to the color of blood underpins and reinforces the bloody nature of vengeance” (The West-Hardboiled 890). Matheson applies this element of noir films in John Wayne’s Westerns to prove that each setting is used as a metaphor to in some way describe the characters’ personalities.
Matheson applies the idea of appearance to the actual characters, suggesting that the way they are presented in films suggests the character of the person. Normally, heroes may “be dusty but not dirty” (The West-Hardboiled 892). They are rarely shown being sweaty or having greasy clothes and they have always shaved. Matheson suggests that “cleanliness and dirt register how normal or abnormal a character’s psychology is” (The West-Hardboiled 892). In a film where a character has dirty clothes, and is smelly, such as Shanghai McCoy in Rooster Cogburn, the character himself tells the audience, “I ain’t got an ounce of good will in me and that’s a fact” (The West-Hardboiled 892). From here, Matheson goes on to give other examples of “dirty” characters that seem to have psychopathic behaviors.
Derek Bressler - The West, Hardboiled
In The West-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne's Westerns, author Sue Matheson contends that in John Wayne’s westerns, “Men are men because their behavior is fundamentally ethical”. While westerns are often thought of as being portraits of masculinity and manliness, seeming to stereotype a real man as somebody who takes matters into his own hands, a man who can take on ten armed thugs with a colt revolver and a single bullet, save the girl, and do it all without breaking a sweat, Matheson contends that this really isn’t the underlying message the films try to convey.
In Wayne’s movies, his characters are always men who “achieve their full human potential, living what may be considered a hardboiled, existential version of the good life, a life that in its completeness is both admirable and desirable to others.”, not as in living a life of luxury, but in the sense that they are living to their fullest potential and enabling those around them to do the same. However, it should be noted that Wayne’s characters are not necessarily heroes in the traditional chivalric sense. Rather, they occupy the middle ground between two opposing extremes, somewhere between the knight in shining armor and the bandit who robs the caravan. The reason they cannot simply be the chivalrous knight is because, “as Rooster Cogburn points out, it is not a practical, realistic way to behave”
The films are also expressing existentialist values and ideas. In Wayne’s movies, the hero doesn’t conform to society, he isn’t forced to settle down. Rather, he maintains his core values and beliefs, and is often forced to make a decision between adhering strictly to societal expectations of him , or doing what seems right to him. For example, as Taw Jackson, he plays somebody who in order to right the wrongs done to him, must himself commit wrongs.
Finally, Wayne’s westerns also serve to criticize capitalism, riding a wave of anti-industry sentiment sweeping through the Unites States during the great depression. Often, those characters who are wealthy and have power are depicted as being callous, cynical, and incapable of empathy. Interestingly, these men, while well dressed and clean, are not that way because they are meant to appear to be good. Rather, they are dressed up in suits and ties to highlight that in many ways they simply don’t belong. At one point, Matheson mentions “The dandy’s city clothes are inappropriate in the hostile…environment of the hero’s West”. Their suits and ties can also be viewed as costumes, meant to hide the fact that they are, as Matheson puts it, “savages”.
Monday, September 20, 2010
DS Matheson "The West Hardboiled"
There are Westerns, and then there are John Wayne Westerns. This is a central component of Sue Matheson's article, “The West-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne’s Westerns” in which she compares Wayne's films to the rest of the genre. While many commentators agree that the general plot of a Western is "resolved in terms of heroes and villains," Matheson identifies an inherent contradiction within Wayne's Westerns, stating that his characters "do not--one may say inherently cannot--conform to this most fundamental convention of the Western genre because the Duke is hardboiled." In contrast to our traditional perception of Westerns, "Wayne's frontier houses not heroic settlers, but the marginalizeda broad spectrum of misfits, among them misogynists, misandrists, and murderers." Matheson asserts that Wayne's Westerns modernize and revolutionize the genre to reflect the stylistic elements of film noir.
In film noir, the environment communicates to the audience the states of the inner world, the mind and emotions. The environments "act as metaphors that reflect the psychological conditions of their protagonists."Matheson points to John Ford's The Searchers as an example of this, stating "the effect of the red sand and rocks darkened to the color of blood underpins and reinforces the bloody nature of vengeance, the force that motivates Ethan Edwards (John Wayne)." Matheson further contrasts Wayne's Westerns with traditional Westerns, stating that the "noir narratives...are concerned with man's savage nature rather than mankind's ability to domesticate nature itself..." It is more of an internal struggle of values and morals than it is an external struggle with the challenges of the harsh environment.
Existentialism also plays a key role in Wayne's Westerns. Noir "places it's emphasis on man's contingency in a world where there are no transcendental values or moral absolutes." For Wayne's characters, "transcendental values" and "moral absolutes" are scarce, if not non-existent. The world is "ultimately corrupt and corrupting," and John Wayne's characters reflect this ideal. Wayne's characters reflect existentialist thought through the notion that the individual determines their own place in the world as opposed to some greater authority.
This individual moral code leads to an alienation of the character from society due to an overwhelming sense of one's duty in spite of societal moral obligations. Wayne's heroes are in fact antiheroes, not afraid to break the law to accomplish their ends. This notion is exemplified in Taw Jackson's character, who is required to commit wrongs in order to right previous wrongs. How these antiheroes act is born out of one's sense of what is right and which means most effectively satisfy their ends. The moral integrity of each of Wayne's characters stems only from the characters themselves, and are not necessarily governed by societal expectations.
In film noir, the environment communicates to the audience the states of the inner world, the mind and emotions. The environments "act as metaphors that reflect the psychological conditions of their protagonists."Matheson points to John Ford's The Searchers as an example of this, stating "the effect of the red sand and rocks darkened to the color of blood underpins and reinforces the bloody nature of vengeance, the force that motivates Ethan Edwards (John Wayne)." Matheson further contrasts Wayne's Westerns with traditional Westerns, stating that the "noir narratives...are concerned with man's savage nature rather than mankind's ability to domesticate nature itself..." It is more of an internal struggle of values and morals than it is an external struggle with the challenges of the harsh environment.
Existentialism also plays a key role in Wayne's Westerns. Noir "places it's emphasis on man's contingency in a world where there are no transcendental values or moral absolutes." For Wayne's characters, "transcendental values" and "moral absolutes" are scarce, if not non-existent. The world is "ultimately corrupt and corrupting," and John Wayne's characters reflect this ideal. Wayne's characters reflect existentialist thought through the notion that the individual determines their own place in the world as opposed to some greater authority.
This individual moral code leads to an alienation of the character from society due to an overwhelming sense of one's duty in spite of societal moral obligations. Wayne's heroes are in fact antiheroes, not afraid to break the law to accomplish their ends. This notion is exemplified in Taw Jackson's character, who is required to commit wrongs in order to right previous wrongs. How these antiheroes act is born out of one's sense of what is right and which means most effectively satisfy their ends. The moral integrity of each of Wayne's characters stems only from the characters themselves, and are not necessarily governed by societal expectations.
JM Matheson "The West Hardboiled"
In her piece, The West- Hardboiled: Adoptions of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne’s Westerns, Matheson focuses on the importance and influence that Wayne presented not just to the film industry, but also to society in general. John Wayne is the iconic cowboy that defines what it is to be a strong male figure. Wayne’s presence in his films opened up western films to what would become known as the Wayne phenomenon. Sue Matheson makes the argument that many of John Wayne’s movies contain influences from the era’s they were shot during, as opposed to the time period that the movie is supposed to be set in using noir techniques. “To understand how the Wayne phenomenon revises the Westerns in which he appears by introducing twentieth-century preoccupations and attitudes into the 1880’s, it is necessary to understand how noir elements work” (890). Matheson brings up the idea that there is a definitive difference between normal westerns and western movies that contain John Wayne. She attributes this major difference to the presence of film noir, which use landscape as a means to portray the internal feelings of the characters, in Wayne’s movies. By using intense colors and drastic changes in landscape, it can add a tone to the movie that helps further the mood of the scene and the emotional connection tied with it. Matheson says, “In short, as in a noir film, the wilderness without in The Searchers is accurate depiction of the emotional and moral wilderness within” (890).
Matheson points out, “Unlike the traditional Western, the noir narratives of Wayne’s West are concerned with man’s savage nature rather than mankind’s ability to domesticate nature itself and create the garden world that is “civilized” America” (891), the dominating attitude that Wayne has toward both the people and the landscape in his movies is not consistent with what is thought of the time as defining the time period his movies are representing. She also targets the fact that what is considered normal or socially acceptable in Wayne’s movies does not accurately portray what was happening during the time. While the movies do not completely represent the time period, they represent what is thought to be the attitude a masculine figure must have. John Wayne normally portrays a strong lone figure who overcomes challenges with ease while keeping to his strict beliefs. In many movies the idea of a man being detached from society and living off what the earth provides, is pushed to make Wayne’s character to seem unreachable and unbreakable. So although Matheson points out the lack of realism of movies attempting to portray the late 1800’s, it becomes apparent that there is a 1900’s mindset behind them.
Matheson points out, “Unlike the traditional Western, the noir narratives of Wayne’s West are concerned with man’s savage nature rather than mankind’s ability to domesticate nature itself and create the garden world that is “civilized” America” (891), the dominating attitude that Wayne has toward both the people and the landscape in his movies is not consistent with what is thought of the time as defining the time period his movies are representing. She also targets the fact that what is considered normal or socially acceptable in Wayne’s movies does not accurately portray what was happening during the time. While the movies do not completely represent the time period, they represent what is thought to be the attitude a masculine figure must have. John Wayne normally portrays a strong lone figure who overcomes challenges with ease while keeping to his strict beliefs. In many movies the idea of a man being detached from society and living off what the earth provides, is pushed to make Wayne’s character to seem unreachable and unbreakable. So although Matheson points out the lack of realism of movies attempting to portray the late 1800’s, it becomes apparent that there is a 1900’s mindset behind them.
SK "The West-Hardboiled"
Sue Matheson's article, The West-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne's Westerns, talks about the different elements seen in John Wayne's western films. Matheson pointed out that the Wayne films made during the 40's to 60's "Furnish their audiences with a revised vision of the American West, one that reflects the postwar disillusionment and realism characteristic of the twentieth century" (p.891). She then mentions how American innocence is deteriorating and how the films include pervasive corruption as their themes. Another element or theme that is included is the existentialist thinking. "Existentialist thinking, which became popularized in America... underpins much of the characterization and the action in Wayne's West" (p.895). The characters within Wayne's Western films all go through existentialist thinking, with the characters being concerned with their own thinking and individualism in the film. Robert Porfirio in Matheson's article continues saying that "an outlook . . . {that} places its emphasis on man's contingency in a world where there are no transcendental values or moral absolutes, a world devoid of any meaning but the one man himself creates" (p.896).
Within the article, Matheson states that "Appearance, one of the many conventions found in the traditional Western, is carefully receded in Wayne's Westerns" (p.889). The Western Hero would typically be dirty and dusty, but they were not greasy and always had a clean shave right before. Villains were dirty and never had a clean shave. Within Wayne's films, Matheson points out that the "cleanliness and dirt register how normal or abnornmal a character's psychology is" (p.890). Matheson argues further on about how women that wear fine dress are the symbol of capitalism, and that it represents the evil and psychopaths in the Western films. These clean individuals spend their whole time on collecting money. Also, "dandyism is often not a matter of display, but a means of concealment. In short, characters who appear to be civilzed men may actually be savages" (p.895).
The article also tells us about masculinity and how men become their own center of morality, and how they turn vice into virtue. "In Shinbone, the individual does not enforce the law; he is the law" (p.896). The entire town in a Western film is filled with vice because of the Western villains that create it. The act of killing is a vice, however it is shown to be a virtue when heroes eventually kill the villains. Lying is shown to be a virtue as well. The article states that in the film Hondo, Wayne says a man must lie in order to make life easier for someone else. "Out here a man settles his own problems" (p.896). Since rules mean no value in the Western film, each individual has to settle their own problems and save their own lives.
DG- Main Points of "The West: Hardboiled"
In the beginning of her analysis, Matheson makes the distinction that there are Westerns, and then there are Wayne’s Westerns. Granted, most Westerns do have John Wayne starring in them, but throughout the writing, Matheson keeps comparing Wayne’s Westerns to the others. Matheson then goes on to explain how Wayne’s Westerns can be put in the category of film noir. These Westerns use the view of the landscape to convey the actor’s feelings and emotions in the movie. Matheson uses The Searchers as an example when the shots of the vast landscape and the effect of the red sand, “reinforces the bloody nature of vengeance, the force that motivates Ethan Edwards” (890).
Another main point Matheson makes is that many of the norms, ethical standards, and laws of Wayne’s Western films were completely opposite to that of the real majority society. Matheson writes, “the dirtier their faces, the darker their hearts” (892). John Wayne looked like a rough scary looking man, but to others, this meant he was noble and courageous. On the other hand, the man with the fine suit and cleanly shaven was always portrayed as the villain in these Westerns. Matheson draws on to the example of the villain Lomax in El Dorado. She writes, “Lomax is clean and impeccably dressed in an expensive skanky leather shirt […] He is too clean” (894). Men obsessed with money and profit, dressed like they were about to head on Wall Street were the exact opposite of this culture in Wayne’s Westerns. Therefore, they are paradoxically portrayed as scoundrels.
In regards to ethical standards, Matheson describes that Wayne’s Westerns completely flip-flop the laws and rules of Eastern society. The law of the gun significantly outweighs the law of the courts. Matheson explains that these Western stress that if a man is not taking matters into his own hands, he is not a true and just man. She writes, “In the West, a man ‘who settles his own problems’ is indeed the sum of his actions” (897). This code of men that is produced in these films transcends any law put down by any sheriff, or higher authority thereafter. Matheson goes on to say that “character traits generally considered elsewhere to be vices become virtues. Lying, for example, is a virtue on the frontier” (900). Characters in Wayne’s Westerns use these vices to their advantage and then these are considered virtues.
To finish her writing, Matheson describes the relationship of Wayne’s Western’s hero and his sidekick. She says that no matter the gender the sidekick is always “feminized” (903). To illustrate this, Matheson gives the example of Stoddard in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. She writes, “He [Stoddard] then spends a good deal of his time in Shinbone wearing an apron and washing dishes. Liberty Valance even goes so far as to identify him as ‘the new waitress’” (903). Since Stoddard does not know that in the West he is his own moral center, Wayne treats him like a woman and he is portrayed very femininely.
Another main point Matheson makes is that many of the norms, ethical standards, and laws of Wayne’s Western films were completely opposite to that of the real majority society. Matheson writes, “the dirtier their faces, the darker their hearts” (892). John Wayne looked like a rough scary looking man, but to others, this meant he was noble and courageous. On the other hand, the man with the fine suit and cleanly shaven was always portrayed as the villain in these Westerns. Matheson draws on to the example of the villain Lomax in El Dorado. She writes, “Lomax is clean and impeccably dressed in an expensive skanky leather shirt […] He is too clean” (894). Men obsessed with money and profit, dressed like they were about to head on Wall Street were the exact opposite of this culture in Wayne’s Westerns. Therefore, they are paradoxically portrayed as scoundrels.
In regards to ethical standards, Matheson describes that Wayne’s Westerns completely flip-flop the laws and rules of Eastern society. The law of the gun significantly outweighs the law of the courts. Matheson explains that these Western stress that if a man is not taking matters into his own hands, he is not a true and just man. She writes, “In the West, a man ‘who settles his own problems’ is indeed the sum of his actions” (897). This code of men that is produced in these films transcends any law put down by any sheriff, or higher authority thereafter. Matheson goes on to say that “character traits generally considered elsewhere to be vices become virtues. Lying, for example, is a virtue on the frontier” (900). Characters in Wayne’s Westerns use these vices to their advantage and then these are considered virtues.
To finish her writing, Matheson describes the relationship of Wayne’s Western’s hero and his sidekick. She says that no matter the gender the sidekick is always “feminized” (903). To illustrate this, Matheson gives the example of Stoddard in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. She writes, “He [Stoddard] then spends a good deal of his time in Shinbone wearing an apron and washing dishes. Liberty Valance even goes so far as to identify him as ‘the new waitress’” (903). Since Stoddard does not know that in the West he is his own moral center, Wayne treats him like a woman and he is portrayed very femininely.
DL "The West--Hardbroiled:Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne's Westerns"
Matheson’s article as seen in the title “The West-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne’s Westerns” focuses primarily on the different elements seen in his films. One of the initial points she makes is the impact John Wayne had on the men who grew up watching his movies. Newt Gingrich “tried to walk like John Wayne; this was his way of ‘being a man.’ (888)” She argues that the role Wayne played in so many of his westerns, being the hero who was so devoted to carrying out his duties, made him the ideal American male which made him into someone people looked up too. Even though he often times went against the law and ignored his family for long periods of time, his character always “demonstrated love of wife and children and regarded the law with a respect that is “deeper than the written word” (Flag and Family 25) (889).” John Wayne’s western character was a model of what men wanted to be because he was able to modernize the western, using the concept of film noir. This is when the landscape of the western acts as a metaphor towards the main character, who was often John Wayne. Matheson points out that a good example of this is in “The Searchers” and John Ford’s depiction of Monument Valley throughout the film. She talks about how Monument Valley is in a majority of the shots and when it does appear it takes up most of the screen which “heightens the overpowering presence and authority of the land” (890).
Another point she seems to focus on is the type of man that can withstand living in the western frontier. The landscape has always played a crucial role in western films because of the impact it has on the hero of the film. Not any person can survive this type environment she describes them as having to be “the fittest, the strongest, and the most ruthless” in order to have a chance of survival. The hero of all the films is built to be able to withstand the violence of the landscape, they are never trying to domesticate the land instead they withstand whatever is thrown at them. “One can usually determine how aberrant characters are by the layers of grim—the dirtier their faces, the darker their hearts. (892)” The land takes its toll on the men who face it day in and day out and how they appear tells a lot about the type of character they are.
Matheson also points out that Wayne’s westerns didn’t always depict the historic American West, but each film often referenced or showed a lot about attitudes and times from which the film was made. “Wayne’s own political stance may have been conservative, but in these movies, his characters challenge and defeat “City Hall,” ending the economic exploitation legitimized by the legal system and thereby appealing to their audience’s sense of natural decency. (894)” The audience liked that they were able to relate to the ideas and characters in the film, John Wayne didn’t have to agree with all the ideas but he always did a good job in presenting his character in such a way that they did. Existentialism another idea/point Matheson references in the title of the article was at one time a very popular idea in the U.S. It was “an outlook … [that] places emphasis on man’s contingency in a world where there are no transcendental values or moral absolutes, a world devoid of any meaning but the one man himself creates. (895-896)” This point that Matheson makes relates very closely to the typical western film because “the hero” John Wayne would go out in the desert and creates his own life. There was often no law except the one he creates for himself and many times he would be out seeking revenge against someone who did harm to his family. “Out here a man settles his own problems. (896)” They didn’t look to other people to solve their problems, Matheson points out that they saw it as their duty. John Wayne’s character often felt it was his responsibility to fulfill some sort of “duty.”
The end of her paper sums up a lot of what she seems to believe: “In Wayne’s Westerns, John Wayne appears to be as much in need of redemption as the sociopaths he brings to justice. The investigations of ethics in Wayne’s Westerns not only illustrate the existential problems that arise when individuals become their own moral centers, but also put forward an explanation as to why this Hollywood icon and his movies continue to be a popular phenomenon…” (906)
Another point she seems to focus on is the type of man that can withstand living in the western frontier. The landscape has always played a crucial role in western films because of the impact it has on the hero of the film. Not any person can survive this type environment she describes them as having to be “the fittest, the strongest, and the most ruthless” in order to have a chance of survival. The hero of all the films is built to be able to withstand the violence of the landscape, they are never trying to domesticate the land instead they withstand whatever is thrown at them. “One can usually determine how aberrant characters are by the layers of grim—the dirtier their faces, the darker their hearts. (892)” The land takes its toll on the men who face it day in and day out and how they appear tells a lot about the type of character they are.
Matheson also points out that Wayne’s westerns didn’t always depict the historic American West, but each film often referenced or showed a lot about attitudes and times from which the film was made. “Wayne’s own political stance may have been conservative, but in these movies, his characters challenge and defeat “City Hall,” ending the economic exploitation legitimized by the legal system and thereby appealing to their audience’s sense of natural decency. (894)” The audience liked that they were able to relate to the ideas and characters in the film, John Wayne didn’t have to agree with all the ideas but he always did a good job in presenting his character in such a way that they did. Existentialism another idea/point Matheson references in the title of the article was at one time a very popular idea in the U.S. It was “an outlook … [that] places emphasis on man’s contingency in a world where there are no transcendental values or moral absolutes, a world devoid of any meaning but the one man himself creates. (895-896)” This point that Matheson makes relates very closely to the typical western film because “the hero” John Wayne would go out in the desert and creates his own life. There was often no law except the one he creates for himself and many times he would be out seeking revenge against someone who did harm to his family. “Out here a man settles his own problems. (896)” They didn’t look to other people to solve their problems, Matheson points out that they saw it as their duty. John Wayne’s character often felt it was his responsibility to fulfill some sort of “duty.”
The end of her paper sums up a lot of what she seems to believe: “In Wayne’s Westerns, John Wayne appears to be as much in need of redemption as the sociopaths he brings to justice. The investigations of ethics in Wayne’s Westerns not only illustrate the existential problems that arise when individuals become their own moral centers, but also put forward an explanation as to why this Hollywood icon and his movies continue to be a popular phenomenon…” (906)
JP Matheson Article
Throughout Sue Matheson’s article, "The West-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne’s Westerns", she constantly talks about the impact John Wayne’s Westerns have had on the American society. The American society had always looked up to the stereotypical hero found within the alpha male cowboy, during times of guidance. As Matheson states, “…Wayne’s characters achieve their full human potential, living what may be considered a hardboiled, existential version of the good life, a life that in its completeness is both admirable and desirable to others.”(900) John Wayne's portrayal of the true American cowboy has inspired so many people to be the best they can be and has given people someone to look up to.
Matheson states that many times a cowboy needs to be on his own without the interference of others. This is specifically seen when she says, “…the process of becoming a man emphasizes the modern preoccupation with individuality. Decision making becomes increasingly a matter for the individual rather than the collective conscience” (904). A cowboy is one who to be successful, needs to learn to succeed and fall all on his own, which in the end is evident to make him stronger. Many times when a cowboy is faced with interacting with others, the other people seem to get in his way, whereas if he were alone he wouldn’t have to worry about their influence.
Everyone has a dream of who they want to be in life. Back in the day, especially in the Western culture, people looked up to the American cowboy. John Wayne does an excellent job depicting a life people wanted to live. Matheson states, “Wayne’s Westerns, generally considered to be reactionary narratives that reinforce the conservative status quo, furnish their audiences with a revised vision of the American West, one that reflects the postwar disillusionment and realists’ characteristic of the twentieth century,” (891). Postwar brought a new way of life, people didn’t necessarily like the idea of change, so of course the image of the American cowboy freed them from their anxiety and helped make peace with reality.
Matheson states that many times a cowboy needs to be on his own without the interference of others. This is specifically seen when she says, “…the process of becoming a man emphasizes the modern preoccupation with individuality. Decision making becomes increasingly a matter for the individual rather than the collective conscience” (904). A cowboy is one who to be successful, needs to learn to succeed and fall all on his own, which in the end is evident to make him stronger. Many times when a cowboy is faced with interacting with others, the other people seem to get in his way, whereas if he were alone he wouldn’t have to worry about their influence.
Everyone has a dream of who they want to be in life. Back in the day, especially in the Western culture, people looked up to the American cowboy. John Wayne does an excellent job depicting a life people wanted to live. Matheson states, “Wayne’s Westerns, generally considered to be reactionary narratives that reinforce the conservative status quo, furnish their audiences with a revised vision of the American West, one that reflects the postwar disillusionment and realists’ characteristic of the twentieth century,” (891). Postwar brought a new way of life, people didn’t necessarily like the idea of change, so of course the image of the American cowboy freed them from their anxiety and helped make peace with reality.
ID Main Points of Matheson
In her article "The West-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne's Westerns," Sue Matheson makes a compelling argument to explain how certain elements of Wayne's films are metaphorical of things in the character's head, or a direct attack on events of the time when the film was shot. As she put it, "In the hardboiled tradition, the connection between characters and milieu is extremely important because states of the inner world, the mind and emotions, are transmitted by expressionist techniques of exaggerated or distorted representations of the outer world" (2). In particular, she deals with capitalism, and virtue.
"Appearance, one of the many conventions found in the traditional Western, is carefully receded in Wayne's Westerns" (2, 3). Matheson points out that while it was typical for the Western hero to be dirty and dusty, they were not greasy and always had a clean shave. Villains in Wayne’s west typically had dirt layered on, and were never cleanly shaven. “In Wayne’s movies, cleanliness and dirt register how normal or abnormal a character’s psychology is” (3). To expand upon this, Matheson points out that fine dress, which are the typical symbols of American capitalism, are symbolic of evil and psychopaths in the Western. Well dressed characters are often obsessed with making money, and almost repel dirt. This shows how the Western was rather critical of capitalism in an era when expansion and wealth were becoming widely held goals.
Matheson also addresses the topic of men becoming their own center of morality, and turning vice into virtue. “Thus, character traits generally considered elsewhere to be vices become virtues. Lying, for example, is a virtue on the frontier” (6). Matheson goes on to explain how in Hondo Wayne points out how a man must lie in order to make a life easier for someone else. However, this changing of vice into virtue, and taking control of one’s own moral behavior can also create tragedy. Men who act in good faith often create more problems for themselves because they help others instead of getting what they want. This leads the hero to sometimes need saving. As Matheson puts it, “In Wayne’s Westerns, John Wayne appears to be as much in need of redemption as the sociopaths he brings to justice” (9).
However, the one quotation in the entire article that can sum up just what Matheson was thinking has to be: “In final analysis, John Wayne, generally considered ideologically reactionary and politically conservative, produced and starred in Westerns that critique capitalism and anticipate the revision of frontier American history that began with Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. In these movies, white settlers are not portrayed as heroic figures, but as predators and social misfits” (9).
BE The West-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne's Westerns
Sue Matheson’s, The West- Hardboiled: Adaptation of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne’s Westerns, revolves around the impact and representation John Wayne stood for. John Wayne has no doubt had a lasting impression in the film industry but also changed the way people saw and lived their lives. As Matheson describes in her opening paragraph, “As a boy, Newt Gingrich, future speaker of the House of Representatives, tried to walk like John Wayne; this was his way of being a man”. Wayne’s dominating personality that succeeded all others, created by Duke Morrison and John Ford, showcases his “hardboiled” attitude.
In many of John Wayne’s films, his masculinity is combined with the film technique, film noir, to further display their version of the Western. Matheson explains film noir as, “The connection between characters and milieu is extremely important because states of the inner world, the mind and emotions, are transmitted by expressionist techniques of exaggerated or distorted representations of the outer world”. Matheson’s point of how film noir is used to strengthen films and develop dominating character such as Wayne is clearly evident in, The Searchers by John Ford. In this Wayne Western, Ford uses unique camera angles to make the horse and rider the same height as the mountains in the shot. This not only shows landscape to which all Westerns encompass but metaphorical equalizes John Wayne and the mountain in their size and importance. The landscape, as well as how John Wayne is depicted with and against it, contribute to Matheson’s approach that unlike the traditional Western, “Wayne’s West are concerned with man’s savage nature rather than mankind’s ability to domesticate nature itself and create the garden world that is civilized America”. All of these attributes, about Wayne and his Westerns define, “the hardboiled essence of John Wayne character”.
Although personality and actions best depict the character, according to Matheson, physical appearance also plays an important role in determining a character. In many of Wayne’s Westerns, Matheson exhibits how, “One can usually determine how aberrant characters are by their levels of grime- the dirtier their faces, the darker their hearts”. This quote is not only shown through the example of Shanghai McCoy in Rooster Cogburn, but through the depiction of Red Flack in The Big Trail. His over sized, grizzly, and barbaric stature perfectly correspond to his emotionless, rude and narcissistic personality. Also, the opposite is true for a man who is clean shave. John Wayne, young and looking as if he just got out of a make-up chair, is the nice guy, adventurous and savior to the rest of the westerners.
Many of Wayne’s Westerns have an underlying insight into what is going on in the country during that time period. Matheson touches on the fact that, “As in many of Wayne’s Westerns, sociopathic behavior in The War Wagon is carefully coupled with a critique of capitalism”. This critique of capitalism is a direct link to the Great Depression. Wayne starred in various Westerns whose villains portrayed, “capitalists engaged in perpetuating social injustice and economic exploitation”. Not only did Wayne’s Westerns incorporate the manly and rugged hero but also included villains that proved to be corrupting the film as well as real life economies.
In many of John Wayne’s films, his masculinity is combined with the film technique, film noir, to further display their version of the Western. Matheson explains film noir as, “The connection between characters and milieu is extremely important because states of the inner world, the mind and emotions, are transmitted by expressionist techniques of exaggerated or distorted representations of the outer world”. Matheson’s point of how film noir is used to strengthen films and develop dominating character such as Wayne is clearly evident in, The Searchers by John Ford. In this Wayne Western, Ford uses unique camera angles to make the horse and rider the same height as the mountains in the shot. This not only shows landscape to which all Westerns encompass but metaphorical equalizes John Wayne and the mountain in their size and importance. The landscape, as well as how John Wayne is depicted with and against it, contribute to Matheson’s approach that unlike the traditional Western, “Wayne’s West are concerned with man’s savage nature rather than mankind’s ability to domesticate nature itself and create the garden world that is civilized America”. All of these attributes, about Wayne and his Westerns define, “the hardboiled essence of John Wayne character”.
Although personality and actions best depict the character, according to Matheson, physical appearance also plays an important role in determining a character. In many of Wayne’s Westerns, Matheson exhibits how, “One can usually determine how aberrant characters are by their levels of grime- the dirtier their faces, the darker their hearts”. This quote is not only shown through the example of Shanghai McCoy in Rooster Cogburn, but through the depiction of Red Flack in The Big Trail. His over sized, grizzly, and barbaric stature perfectly correspond to his emotionless, rude and narcissistic personality. Also, the opposite is true for a man who is clean shave. John Wayne, young and looking as if he just got out of a make-up chair, is the nice guy, adventurous and savior to the rest of the westerners.
Many of Wayne’s Westerns have an underlying insight into what is going on in the country during that time period. Matheson touches on the fact that, “As in many of Wayne’s Westerns, sociopathic behavior in The War Wagon is carefully coupled with a critique of capitalism”. This critique of capitalism is a direct link to the Great Depression. Wayne starred in various Westerns whose villains portrayed, “capitalists engaged in perpetuating social injustice and economic exploitation”. Not only did Wayne’s Westerns incorporate the manly and rugged hero but also included villains that proved to be corrupting the film as well as real life economies.
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