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.
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).
ReplyDeleteWithin 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 abnormal 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 civilized 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.