MB "Day of the Outlaw"

As concerns women as "other," this is an odd film. From a cultural studies point of view, what women's issues does the film take up? Give examples.

In the film Day of the Outlaw (1959), the role of women in terms of the "other" is different from the typical Western. In the film a group of Outlaws seek shelter in the Town so that their leader can receive medical attention. While in town the outlaws seek the comfort of the town's four women. However the leader doesn't allow for any of his men to have any of them.

The's films emphasis on the role of women was portrayed by their role in society as an equal. While women did the simple tasks of the town like cook and clean, the men of the town were respectful to them. In the eyes of the outlaws,, apart from the leader, women were just objects. They appeared to be a form of entertainment for the outlaws at the expense of the Town. The advertising media of the 1950s used pin-up models to draw attention to certain posters. These women were viewed as sexual objects and provided little connection to the products that they represented. Similar to the pin-up models of 1950s advertisement the outlaws viewed the women of the town as objects.

Within the film the role of women within the family structure resembled the post World War II viewpoint. During the war women helped fuel the American war machine, and were the majority of the American work force. After the war many women remained in the workforce while still fulfilling their role at home. Women's presence within the home also increased and they became more vocal about family decisions. The women within the Day of the Outlaw have their own distinct voice and opinion on life. They resemble the women of the post World War II era and the rise of womens rights/and voice within America.