Most western films typically have a similar character base; there is always an alpha-male cowboy in the film, sometimes two, and then the rest of the characters are considered the “others.” The others are usually women, Indians, or men who don’t hold the same distinct qualities as the alpha-male. In some of the earlier films we watched the others don’t have an influential role but the past few the “other” is beginning to take almost as big a role as the alpha-male.
Rooster Cogburn was made in 1975 a time period when women were beginning to take more of a role in society because they were treated more as equals. The feminist movement began in the 1960s and carried into the 1970s. In 1973 it became legal for a woman to have a choice in whether or not to have an abortion. And in 1976 woman were beginning to be admitted to the service academies. These two things in particular show that woman were gaining rights to make their own decisions and were gaining some of the same opportunities males had. Rooster Cogburn shows how women were taking more of a role through the character Eula Goodnight. Eula lived in Fort Ruby and was the daughter of the Reverend so she was very religious just like her father, but she could also hold her own very well. When her father was killed she took it upon herself to travel with Rooster to take down Hawk and his gang telling him that it was her “duty” to find her father’s killers. This is interesting to look at because Eula is considered an “other” in the film but it is often the alpha-male who is doing something because they say it is their duty not the other.
Eula is a strong minded women and Rooster describes her saying “she sings a load tune.” He did not want her tagging along telling her “you go crocheting or finger fixing or whatever it is you women do.” This is what men believed women’s role in society was. They didn’t think they should be out shooting again, but instead be at home cooking or taking care of the house. But Eula thought differently; she bought a gun and traveled with Rooster. At one point she has to use the gun to kill a man to protect Rooster and he thought Wolf was the one who took the shot because it was so on point. Much of the role Eula played was different from the classical view of women and taking more of the shape of view of women in the feminist movement. She was very independent and felt she could do just as much as a man could.
Eula in one scene of the movie does something many women did at the time; she cooked dinner for them. But unlike other women of that time she went out and shot the turkey then brought it back to cook. Like many other women Eula did not believe men should drink so much and when she sees how dirty Rooster is she tells him he need to clean up. After making these remarks Rooster goes on to say how he believes that’s all women ever want to do, just change men. These few scenes showed more of the classic view of women which was that they made the meals for the men and were often nagging on them to change in some way.
There is another person traveling with Rooster and Eula who could be considered an “other” as well. Wolf is an Indian who had also lived in Fort Ruby and at one point in the movie Wolf asked Rooster if he thought an Indian could ever become Marshall because that is what he wanted to be. This goes to show that Indians were still the others in the film; they were never going to hold the same roles as an alpha-male did because society in some ways still looked down on them.
Typically the “others” in western films were women, Indians, or men who did not carry the same distinct qualities as the alpha-male and were not considered sidekicks. In many of the traditional western films women don’t plan an influential role, but the revisionist westerns begin to give women a larger role.
ReplyDeleteRooster Cogburn was made in 1975 during the revisionist era, a time when people were beginning revisit and re-evaluate the role of women in terms of the alpha-male. The second wave of feminism was going on and women were beginning to get more of a say in society. The Civil Rights Act of 1972 Title IX guaranteed women equal educational opportunities. In 1973 it became legal for a woman to have a choice in whether or not they wanted to have an abortion and in 1976 the service academies began admitting women in. Women were finally taking steps towards equality and receiving some of the same opportunities males were given. Eula Goodnight in Rooster Cogburn displays the changing role of women through western film. Eula is the daughter of the town reverend and just like her father she is very religious too, but unlike others her religion does not stop her from standing up for herself. When her father is killed she takes it upon herself to travel with Rooster in search of Hawk and his gang. She tells Rooster it is her “duty” to find her father’s killers. Even though she is still an “other” Eula begins to step outside this role in order to fulfill a “duty” similar to the alpha-male.
Eula is a strong minded women and Rooster describes as “singing a load tune.” Rooster originally did not want her coming and tries to get her to leave, telling her to “go crocheting or finger fixing or whatever it is you women do.” For a long time this is what men believed women’s role in society was. Men did not think women should be out shooting a gun. But instead they should be at home cooking and taking care of the house. Eula thought differently; she bought a gun and traveled with Rooster. At one point even having to use the gun to kill a man in order to protect Rooster and the shot was so good Rooster thought Wolf was the one who had taken it. Eula is empowered in this film more than a typical woman in the west, but does so without taking on masculine characteristics. “… Eula proves to be an excellent student and ends the movie having become truly liberated by having a drink with the marshal.” (Matheson 904) In a traditional western a woman would never sit down to have a drink with the alpha-male, but as a revisionist film Rooster Cogburn allows Eula more freedom in her role as an “other.” However, even as a revisionist film Eula never steps completely outside the “other” category.
The “other” was not a role just carried but women and Wolf is an example of an Indian who fulfills this role. Wolf faithfully stands by Rooster’s side throughout the movie and at one point asks Rooster if an Indian could ever be Marshall. Wolf looked up to Rooster, but because he is an Indian he can never reach full equality with Rooster.