Andrew Goodman: Johnny Guitar/Two Mules

In the Western film, the other is anyone aside from the white alpha male cowboy. It is important to note that those most considered to be the other include women, Indians, blacks, immigrants, Mexicans, and various other outsiders. When viewing Johnny Guitar (1954) and Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970), it becomes clear to the viewer that each film subscribes to the idea of otherness in terms of the alpha male cowboy and, at the same time, revises the idea of otherness.
In Johnny Guitar, Johnny Logan (Johnny Guitar) is clearly a white alpha male cowboy as he is a well-known gunslinger, he travels efficiently through the barren desert from Albuquerque to Vienna’s saloon, and he states that all he needs is “a smoke and a cup of coffee.” Johnny differs from the typical alpha male cowboy in that he is not nearly as taciturn or emotionally detached as is expected. He truly loves Vienna and, eventually, he is able to express these emotions to her. At the same time, the role of women within this film is very different from that of the typical Western. Vienna is a single woman operating her own saloon in the desert, she carries (and shoots) a gun, and she gives orders to men (especially to her male employees). Emma is also a strong and frightening female character as she is wealthy, she commands the posse that is out to kill The Dancing Kid, his men, and Vienna, and she carries (and shoots) a gun. As both Vienna and Emma are shown to be capable of giving orders to men (which the men obey), they are certainly not portrayed as being the other. They are remarkably different from the female characters featured in other Westerns as they are very strong characters.
In Two Mules for Sister Sara, Hogan is clearly a white alpha male cowboy as he travels alone through the desert encompassing Mexico and Texas, he drinks heavily, he smokes, he is an efficient gunslinger, and he rescues Sara from her attackers out of duty. Hogan differs from the typical alpha male cowboy as he functions as a mercenary and not out of duty in assisting the Mexican forces in attacking the French garrison. He reveals that he plans to use his money to open a gambling establishment in San Francisco, California, which is clearly very different from the desert. The idea of otherness in dramatically redefined in this film as Sara is a shockingly different type of female character. Throughout much of the film, the viewer sees Sara as a bizarre nun who is clearly hiding something from Hogan, however, near the end of the film, it is revealed that Sara is actually a prostitute. Thus, she has lied to him for the vast majority of the film in order to compel him to protect her. When Sara and Hogan partner to help the Mexicans destroy the French garrison, the two are shown as equals. As the film ends, Hogan and Sara head into the desert (presumably to San Francisco) together, whereas in the typical Western film, the alpha male cowboy would depart on his own and leave his woman behind. Additionally, throughout the film, the Mexicans are not portrayed as the other as they are shown to be a people fighting for their freedom. Specifically, Colonel Beltran is portrayed quite well. Finally, when the Indians attack Hogan and Sara, shooting Hogan in the shoulder with an arrow, Sara is able to scare them off by showing her cross to them. In a typical Western, these outsiders would not have been scared away and the alpha male cowboy would have had to kill them.
Released in 1954, it is clear that Johnny Guitar is a product of the McCarthy era as the films features two opposing sides. The vast majority of the townspeople, lead by Emma and the comparatively weak marshal, seek to rid themselves of those such as Vienna and the Dancing Kid whose values and customs differ from their own. Emma warns of the railroad bringing in hundreds and thousands of easterners (the U.S.S.R. was always thought of as being in the east) and she leads the posse in attempting to kill Vienna, the Dancing Kid, and his men. In seeking support for hanging Vienna, Emma promises Turkey that he will go free if he names Vienna as being complicit in the bank robbery. Clearly, this echoes the naming of names that occurred during the McCarthy hearings. Johnny Guitar is obviously an allegory resulting from the paranoid era in which the demagogue Senator Joseph McCarthy ruined the lives of many whom he deemed to be communists.
Released in 1970, Two Mules for Sister Sara is a product of the Vietnam War era as by 1970, it had become clear that the war was lost. As the U.S. became involved in the conflict in Vietnam, American military advisors were sent in to train the South Vietnamese forces to fight against the communist North Vietnamese. As this plan showed signs of failure, the U.S. military sent in more and more personnel. By 1969, over 500,000 American military personnel were in Vietnam. Thus, it is interesting that Two Mules for Sister Sara features Hogan’s role as an “advisor” for the Mexicans in their fight against the French. Rather than utilize a large outside military force, only Hogan and Sara assist the Mexicans in destroying the French garrison. This film is an interesting product of the Vietnam War era.