The film Rooster Cogburn is clearly a Western out of the 1970's. This is because it very much embodies inclusion of of former outsiders in important roles in the film. In the film, there are two important roles given to a woman and an Indian: Eula and Wolf. Both characters are portrayed as strong individuals who are worthy of their significance in the plot. The film is not unique in the fact that it had women or Indians with some sort of a role; the film is unique in how the role evolved through the course of the film.
In the film, an evolution takes place in the attitude between the alpha male cowboy and his "outsider" counterparts. What happens is that he is the one to warm up to them. Marshal Cogburn begins he film as the typical alpha male cowboy: one who seemingly resents the company and words of two inferiors to the Western's alpha male. He spends time complaining about the "Yankee" speak of Eula's Bible quotes and is dismissive towards the fact that the only two companions he has are a woman and Indian. Yet as the film progresses, and Eula and Wolf really prove to him their abilities through their actions and knowledge, including when Eula saves him, he begins to really accept them. This acceptance is what the revisionist Western is all about: the former outsider being welcomed to society.
This movement towards acceptance really was what the 1970's focused on in American culture. There were civil rights advances in America in this time period when the film was created (1975) that show society's acceptance of the outsiders like Rooster accepted, over time, the outsiders in the film. Through the time period, there were movements in affirmative action, the first Gay Rights march, and the monumental decision of Roe v. Wade, not to mention that the United Nations also announced 1975 to be the International Year of the Woman. This is all a striking contrast to a film like High Noon (1952), where there are dominant women, yet it is Amy Kane who over the time of the film accepts the alpha male's actions, not Marshal Kane accepting his wife's values over the film like Rooster does in Rooster Cogburn.
The film Rooster Cogburn is clearly a Western out of the 1970's. This is because it very much embodies inclusion of former outsiders in important roles in the film. In the film, there are two important roles given to a woman and an Indian: Eula and Wolf. Both characters are portrayed as strong individuals who are worthy of their significance in the plot. What sets the film apart from earlier Westerns is how the roles between characters evolve through the course of the film.
ReplyDeleteIn the film, an evolution takes place in the attitude between the alpha male cowboy and his "outsider" counterparts. As the film progresses, it is the alpha male that "warms up" to his companions, who happen to be an Indian and a woman. Marshal Cogburn begins the film as the typical alpha male cowboy: one who seemingly resents both the company and the words of the two inferiors that tag along with him. He spends time complaining about the "Yankee" speak of Eula and her various Bible quotes. Yet as the film progresses, and Eula and Wolf really prove to him their abilities through their actions and knowledge, including when Eula saves him, he begins to really accept them. This acceptance is what the revisionist Western is all about: the former outsider being welcomed to society.
This movement towards acceptance really was what the 1970's focused on in American culture. There were civil rights advances in America in this time period when the film was created (1975) that show society's acceptance of the outsiders like Rooster accepted, over time, the outsiders in the film. Through the time period, there were movements in affirmative action, the first Gay Rights march, and the monumental decision of Roe v. Wade, not to mention that the United Nations also announced 1975 to be the International Year of the Woman. This is all a striking contrast to a film like High Noon (1952), where there are dominant women, yet it is Amy Kane who over the time of the film accepts the alpha male's actions, not Marshal Kane accepting his wife's values over the film like Rooster does in Rooster Cogburn. In the film Rooster Cogburn, opportunity was given to the woman and Indian to prove themselves; Wolf and Eula proved their toughness and capability to Rooster, thus earning not just themselves acceptance, but earning recognition for women and Indians in general.