Sue Matheson does an excellent job in bringing up many interesting points in her journal on the west and John Wayne’s westerns. John Wayne is the quintessential cowboy and in The West-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne’s Westerns, it shows many different main points that John Wayne’s films demonstrate. Right off the bat Matheson shows how much of an influence he had on our society. “Richard Nixon believed that his country’s domestic problems could be straightened out if the American people would on model their behavior on Wayne’s performance in Chisum.” Many viewed Wayne as an American hero and icon. Our own United States President recognized him as well. Wayne’s character portrayals could change many and fix much of our problems if everyone saw his movies and fully adapted his style of life as well as way of being.
Matheson brings up another main point which is talked greatly about in westerns which is the landscape. You cannot picture John Wayne’s cowboy character without the vast western landscape. “In short, as in a noir film, the wilderness without in The Searchers is an accurate depiction of the emotional and moral wilderness within. Throughout Wayne’s Westerns, the world within is a wilderness indeed.” In The Searchers, we see the landscape dominate the screen and truly play a major role in the movie. The wilderness makes the cowboy who he is as a tough and heroic character and without it what would the cowboy then look like? The searchers as well as other many great John Wayne films portrays the deep emotional wilderness and landscape the cowboy goes through every day. This allows for an even greater depiction of the heroic cowboy. We see the many struggles and situations he has to deal with on the outside as well as on the inside.
Not everyone can be a cowboy “only the fittest, the strongest, and the most ruthless survive in the noir frontier…draw a gun faster than anyone else. Thus, Wayne’s Westerns, generally considered to be reactionary audiences with a revised vision of the American West, one that reflects the postwar disillusionment and realism characteristic of the twentieth century.” To be a cowboy you need to be the best of the best. John Wayne fits that description perfectly and is that character in all his movies. Wayne’s heroic cowboy character seems to be the ideal vision of the west. The cowboy follows his own laws and codes and does what suits his needs best. This is a characteristic not very much recognized in our society, but it is someone that we want to be believe in, look up to, and be. Everyone wants to be the best and be the hero. You want to write your own laws and follow your own code. John Wayne’s portrayal of the American cowboy helps to keep the image of the cowboy continue throughout generations and makes everyone want to be one to some extent.
Another main point Matheson brings up in her journal is the important appearance of the cowboy which makes him who he is and what he is known for. She says, “heroes…are not ‘stained, grimy, or disheveled in the style of the rough, unmannered villain. Heroes may be dusty, but not dirty. Their clothes may be worn, but not greasy. They seldom sweat. Above all, they have always just shaved.’” The American cowboy has always had the same look mostly in thanks to John Wayne. A hero is not perfect and that is an important fact for the American Cowboy. These imperfections help more people relate to the cowboy. The cowboy portrays that little ruggedness while keeping himself looking clean at the same time. He the cowboy is the perfect example of what people want to look and be like. It is a look that when seen means without words a hero.
The journal Matheson writes has many more important points which further talks about the significance of the west and John Wayne. I think Matheson does a good job talking about many of the main points found in Wayne’s films. Clearly Wayne the true American cowboy has had a significant impact on our society.
PS: The West-Harboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne's Westerns
ReplyDeleteSue Matheson does an excellent job in bringing up many interesting points in her journal on the west and John Wayne’s westerns. John Wayne is the quintessential cowboy and in The West-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne’s Westerns, it shows many different main points that John Wayne’s films demonstrate. Right off the bat Matheson shows how much of an influence Wayne has on our society. “Richard Nixon believed that his country’s domestic problems could be straightened out if the American people would on model their behavior on Wayne’s performance in Chisum.” Many view Wayne as an American hero and icon. Our own United States President recognizes him for this. Wayne’s character portrayals could change many and fix much of our problems if everyone saw his movies and fully adapted his style of life as well as way of being.
Matheson brings up another main point which is talked greatly about in westerns which is the landscape. You cannot picture John Wayne’s cowboy character without the vast western landscape. “In short, as in a noir film, the wilderness without in The Searchers is an accurate depiction of the emotional and moral wilderness within. Throughout Wayne’s Westerns, the world within is a wilderness indeed.” In The Searchers, landscape dominates the screen and truly plays a major role in the film. The wilderness makes the cowboy who he is. The searchers as well as other many great John Wayne films portrays the deep emotional wilderness and landscape the cowboy goes through every day. This allows for an even greater depiction of the heroic cowboy. We see the many struggles and situations he has to deal with on the outside as well as on the inside.
Not everyone can be a cowboy “only the fittest, the strongest, and the most ruthless survive in the noir frontier…draw a gun faster than anyone else. Thus, Wayne’s Westerns, generally considered to be reactionary audiences with a revised vision of the American West, one that reflects the postwar disillusionment and realism characteristic of the twentieth century.” To be a cowboy you need to be the best of the best. John Wayne fits that description perfectly and is that character in all his movies. Wayne’s heroic cowboy character seems to be the ideal vision of the west. The cowboy follows his own laws and codes and does what suits his needs best. This is a characteristic not very much recognized in our society, but it is someone that we want to be believe in, look up to, and be. John Wayne’s portrayal of the American cowboy helps to keep the image of the cowboy continue throughout generations and makes everyone want to be one to some extent.
Another main point Matheson brings up in her journal is the important appearance of the cowboy which makes him who he is and what he is known for. She says, “heroes…are not ‘stained, grimy, or disheveled in the style of the rough, unmannered villain. Heroes may be dusty, but not dirty. Their clothes may be worn, but not greasy. They seldom sweat. Above all, they have always just shaved.’” The American cowboy has always had the same look mostly in thanks to John Wayne. A hero is not perfect and that is an important fact for the American Cowboy. These imperfections help more people relate to the cowboy. The cowboy portrays that little ruggedness while keeping himself looking clean at the same time. He the cowboy is the perfect example of what people want to look and be like. It is a look that when seen means hero.
The journal Matheson writes has many more important points which further talks about the significance of the west and John Wayne. I think Matheson does a good job talking about many of the main points found in Wayne’s films. Clearly Wayne the true American cowboy has had a significant impact on our society.