DB - Johnny Guitar and Two Mules for Sister Sara

The two western films Johnny Guitar and Two Mules for Sister Sara are very unique in the western genre in their portrayal of the “other”. Typically, the other in a western is defined as anybody who is not the white male cowboy. However, in these films, the roles are not so clearly defined. For example, Sara, the female protagonist in Two Mules for Sister Sara, in many ways behaves as an alpha male cowboy. She isn’t weak like women usually are depicted to be in westerns, coming across as being very independent and willing to get dirty to do what needs to be done. This movie, which was filmed in 1970, came at a time when the civil rights movement and feminism were quite strong, and expresses clearly the way that society’s perception of women and their status had changed and was continuing to evolve. The films also show that perceptions of masculinity and male dominance had shifted as well. For example, in Johnny Guitar, Johnny takes a backseat in the storyline to Vienna. Additionally, despite being what would be considered an alpha male cowboy, Johnny expresses his feelings when he professes his love for Vienna. This is an important point, because typically in western canon we see the alpha male cowboy be relatively emotionless, or at least refrain from expressing his feelings. Instead, he relies mostly on nonverbal communication, such as gestures, grunts, or simple short sentences like “Yeah, right”. During the time period of 1954, society was in the early stages of the civil rights movement, with perspectives on masculinity and femininity, among other things, changing dramatically. It was becoming more acceptable for men to talk about their feelings and be more sensitive, instead of being bred to be tough and to “be a man”. Emma and Vienna, meanwhile, are the real alpha males in this film. They compete throughout for dominance, finally ending in a climactic confrontation that is a fundamental characteristic of the western. The film Johnny Guitar can also be looked at as a commentary on McCarthyism and the red scare. Emma, without any real substantial evidence other than a pervading hatred for Vienna, accuses her and effectively ruins Vienna’s chances of living a happy life where she had lived for many years.