JM Rooster Cogburn

Western films are known for the dominating presence of an alpha male in conjunction with a group of “others”, which generally include the majority of female characters in many western films. As the years progressed for western filmmaking many social aspects began to impact the portrayal of not only the alpha male cowboy and his role, but also the role of the “others” and their significance to the movie. During the 1970’s America was influenced by the Vietnam War, and the end of the women right movement. It was for this reason that many movies of the time portrayed many women in more masculine and powerful roles than had previously been typical. In addition to the expansion of women’s roles in movies, the role of the alpha male began to decrease, which allowed the group of “others” to come to the forefront.
In Rooster Cogburn, Eula Goodnight takes on the task of seeking revenge for her father’s death and to recover a large quantity of stolen explosives. This movie shows a large change in the female character from earlier movies because of Eula’s desire to track down her father’s killer. This seems like an odd concept in many ways for a western because many westerns would emphasize the image of weak and submissive women, rather than a proactive and justice seeking individual. This movie also shifted away from the pure emphasis of the importance of the alpha male cowboy. In Rooster Cogburn, the main hero Rooster Cogburn is struggling to regain his position as an appointed U.S. marshal. This seems odd because a normal western film portrays the alpha male as one who abides by his own morals and by his own ethics based code. These normal characters do not usually reflect the need for social acceptance, nor do they portray a sense of need to abide by the law. This shift from law of the gun, to rule of law shows the change in the social exile that an alpha male typically is faced with.