Examples like the 1954 classic western Johnny Guitar, and Two Mules of Sister Sara(1970), broke the typical western stereotype of women being inferior in terms of role compared to the alpha male cowboy. In many westerns the alpha male is the dominating and essential presence throughout the film, and is accompanied by a cast of “others” in a story that portrays the alpha male in a heroic and larger than life way. During the late 1950’s as women began to become disgruntled with their social and political standings in society, America began to see what would become the second wave of the feminist movement. Movies like Johnny Guitar and Two Mules of Sister Sara reflected this feminist uprising and were some of the first movies to begin to change the “accepted roles” that women held, in not only society but also in the cultural media.
In Johnny Guitar we see the alpha male of the story take a backseat to the women of the story, Vienna and Emma. Throughout the story we see many uncommon turn of events that conflict the early westerns. In examining Emma, it becomes evident that many of her tendencies for self appointed justice and action represent the traits of the alpha male and make her appear very masculine. In the film we see Emma lead the burning of Vienna’s saloon out of the town’s suspicion that she played a role in a bank robbery. Emma leading the town to the destruction of Vienna’s barn can be seen in reference to Joeseph McCarthy’s goal for eradicating communism during the second red scare which lasted from 1947 to 1957. After fleeing the town with her old lover Johnny Guitar and finding shelter from The Dancin Kid, Vienna and Emma engage in a showdown. This very violent and western gun fight portrays the change in the role of women, and their ability to take charge and command the outcome of a situation. As the alpha male is brushed off to view this battle to the death from the sideline, it becomes clear that the idea of equality of rights was one of the driving factors behind the film.
In Two Mules of Sister Sara the alpha male cowboy Hogan begins the film by saving a women being attacked by a gang of thieves and rapists. Throughout the movie as Hogan transports this woman Sara, who he belives to be a nun, she portrays many masculine qualities that an alpha male cowboy would possess. In their journey together Sara proves to be very different from what Hogan predicted because of her willingness to smoke and drink with him, which appears odd for a woman, especially one who claims to be a nun. At one point in the film when Hogan tries to disable a train by shooting the charge he placed, he is injured by an arrow and is forced to have Sara help him aim his gun. In this moment Sara portrays many qualities of the alpha male, not only is she demonstrating the courage expected from an alpha male, but she is also demonstrating the philosophy of taking justice into one’s own hands and doing what they believe is right. The film was clearly influenced by the events of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s including the Vietnam war, the civil rights movement and space race. Throughout the movie the confrontation between the French and the Mexican revolutionists illustrates the ongoing conflict of the Vietnam War because although the reasoning for starting the war seemed acceptable at the time, it became a senseless war with not victor on either side.
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