RT Rooster Cogburn

In the typical Western film the alpha male character takes much of the spotlight, while the surrounding roles fill in as "the others". These "others" are usually cast to play small roles that add to the dominance of the alpha male. However, in films such as, Rooster Cogburn, this ideology is revisited and the audience begins to see "the others" take on larger roles within the film. In Rooster Cogburn, the alpha male cowboy, Rooster Cogburn, continues to have a dominating role however, this dominance is challenged by a female, Eula Goodnight, and a Native American boy, Wolf.

Eula Goodnight asserts herself as a very religious woman who is never afraid to speak her mind. She stands up to a group of thieves asking them to follow her rules or leave. When the men begin firing around her, she never budges, choosing to pray instead of flee. Later, a gun fight breaks out and Eula doesn't hesitate to fire at one of the men near her. She shows no need for a male to protect her and takes matters into her own hand, a concept very unlike those of a typical Western film. Rooster describes her as a lady who has "more backbone then feminism", showing her personality was unlike those of a typical Western female. Towards the end of the film Rooster expresses his feelings towards Eula stating, "being around you pleases me", despite the typical mentality of the alpha male as one who is trying to escape the entrapment of a female companion. Also, it is interesting that Eula succesfully uses language as her main weapon. The use of language typically presents women in a weak spotlight, however Eula is able to use it to assert herself as a dominant character.

Wolf is a Native American boy who joins Eula and Rooster on their quest to recover stolen goods from the thieves. Wolf looks up to Rooster and tells Rooster that he wants to be like him when he grows up. Rooster says he would be happy to show him a few things and help him get where he wants to go. It is very surprising to see this strong companionship between an alpha male and a young Native American boy, especially one where the alpha male is willing to help the Native American become a Marshall. Wolf plays a key role in several events throughout the film; managing to spook the horses, giving Rooster and company extra time to flee, and serving as look-out several times. Rooster trusts Wolf with important roles which always manage to provide great benefits to the survival of Rooster, Wolf, and Eula.

Rooster Cogburn was released in 1975, a time directly following the peak of the woman's rights movement. The change in roles of "the others" can be linked to the changing roles of women in society during this same time period. With women obtaining more rights and privledges, "the others" began to take more importance in their roles in films.