The Western’s Descent into Introspection
By Parker Fenady
The western enshrines America’s mythic indulgence into ideas of expansionism and boundless potential. The genre is rooted in the legend of America’s Wild West from the late 19th century, a time in which the Frontier symbolized freedom and opportunity for the people. The American people retained this attachment to the western myth, ultimately leading to a nostalgia that pervaded art forms such as literature and film. The western Frontier became a symbolic arena for the fight between good and evil — the East and the West — and the diametric animosity between the two established the genre’s characteristic formula (Bazin 147). With the addition of WWII’s corrosive influence on the American spirit, however, the genre was thrust into a new phase. The western, which had thrived upon American optimism, now incorporated this post-war melancholic morale into its fiber. The overarching presence of war in the mid-20th century led to the Postclassical growth of the superwestern, a branch of the genre which encouraged introspection and carried the genre into modernity.
Within the western, filmmakers have lent the historic American Frontier to countless storylines and characters. What distinguishes the western, however, is its nod to American folklore, the glorified conventions which romanticize the notion of manifest destiny (Kitses 64). Within a western, many conventional activities comprise and further the plot, such as going for a shave, going to a saloon, playing poker, and dueling (Bazin 142). The actions underscore the western’s plot and venerate the bucolic behaviors characteristic of the Wild West. The conventional characters also define the genre, outlining the fundamental battle raging between good and evil. There are three main archetypal characters within the western: the virtuous hero, the virginal heroine, and the wicked villain (Lovell 169). The western hero is a “modern-day Achilles” who leads with his virtue (Kitses 61). His level-headed nature discourages him from
acting in haste, but he will fight for justice when it is required. He will always win the fight because of his extraordinary gunslinging capabilities. His integrity earns him the respect and fear of his town, and he will do anything to maintain his honor (Warshow 36). The hero often becomes romantically entangled with the virginal heroine. She is often from the East, and her Eastern values create a naivete surrounding the hero’s duties to his town and his honor. This cultural difference prohibits her from truly understanding the hero’s nature (Warshow 37). Lastly, the wicked villain imposes a significant threat to the hero, his loved ones, or his town. He is an antagonist who represents evil and generally presents no redeemable qualities (Lovell 169). Furthermore, the western’s iconographic displays of the church, sheriff’s badge, galloping horses, main street, and rural landscape idealize the Frontier. The iconography alludes to the celebrated history of the West and derives implicit connotations from the subjects. For instance, the sheriff’s badge symbolizes authority and justice (Bazin 146). The landscape holds immense value in the western, as the open terrain represents the unfettered freedom of the Frontier. The predilection for wide shots and panning shots of horses within the genre demonstrate the unconstrained autonomy afforded by the expansive terrain (Bazin 147).
War’s prominent role in mid 20th century American society changed the landscape of the western, leading the genre into a period of introspective, baroque adaptation. During WWII, western films neared extinction with the rise of the war film. After the war ended in 1945, however, an offshoot of the genre known as the superwestern began to emerge and fill its void (Bazin 51). Unlike the Classical western, the superwestern imbued appreciable meaning into the genre by weaving peripheral issues such as aesthetics, morals, and politics into films (Bazin 51). The trauma of WWII permeated the superwestern, as the additional layer of introspection reflected the nation’s despondent attitude. The superwestern had a contemplative and profound nature that was absent in the Classical western. The superwestern embittered some critics who saw the shift as destructive to western tradition (Combs 169). Regardless, the superwestern undeniably revived the western and introduced a refreshing, self-aware perspective.
Ford’s adherence to western myths, conventions, and iconography within My Darling Clementine (1946) roots the film in a Classical framework. The film retains the customs of the genre such as playing poker, going for a shave, and drinking at a saloon. The Classical elements enhance the film’s western ambiance while also integrating Wyatt Earp (Henry Fonda) into the town. My Darling Clementine has a scene in which Wyatt and Clementine (Cathy Downs) dance on the church’s construction site at its dedication. This dance within the church scene brings the community together, surrounding Wyatt with their support (Kitses 65). The scene captures the essence of the ultimate Frontier town and places Wyatt, the sheriff, as the Tombstone’s visual and moral center. Tombstone’s main street is another visual center for the film, as it separates the town from the desert landscape and sets the stage for the ultimate duel (Simmon 164). While the Clanton gang hides in the O.K. Corral, Earp walks towards them completely exposed along the main street. He does this because there are ethical codes amongst men in westerns when it comes to dueling and gunslinging. Old Man Clanton also adheres to this ethical code of conduct, telling his sons to “wait until he gets closer, you fools” when they raise their weapons at Earp. His walk along the main street is protected solely by the moral codes adopted by the Westerner.
While My Darling Clementine holds up as a Classical western, Ford’s experimentation with the conventions and myths of the genre indicates the movie’s Postclassical influences and its post-war perspective. Released in 1946, My Darling Clementine was the first movie that John Ford, Henry Fonda, and Victor Mature shot after their service in WWII (Simmon 159). As such, war’s imprint pervades the film through both performance and directorial style. The Postclassical elements of the film manifest the war’s impact. While Wyatt Earp fits the criteria for the western hero, for instance, his aloof demeanor and subdued behavior go against type. The scale of Wyatt’s reactionary behavior is irrational, as his recumbent responses to threats clash with those expected of a western hero. This is evident through his passivity in persecuting the Clantons and avenging his brother throughout the film. When Doc calls upon Wyatt to draw his weapon and duel, Wyatt reveals that he does not even carry a gun. Even though Wyatt initially faces danger from both the Clantons and Doc Holiday, he appears indifferent to the threat. Even after the Clantons kill Virgil and call upon Wyatt to meet them at the O.K. Corral, he is slow to respond. Instead of heading their call, Wyatt sits unperturbed and waits until sunrise to meet them. Wyatt’s detachedness mimics the emptiness and difficulty readjusting experienced by veterans after war. This echo of war is further alluded to by the presence of trenches along the main street. In the shot of Earp making his way to the O.K. Corral, one side of the main street is lined with buildings and civilization while the other is lined with wagons and open expanses. Within this shot, Ford uses the landscape’s visual contrast to highlight Wyatt’s dilemma. Watching Wyatt take his long walk to the Clantons demonstrates his moral affliction between staying in Tombstone or continuing on. Wyatt’s nomadic refusal to settle down also is indicative of war, as returning home left many veterans apprehensive and uneasy (Simmon 159).
High Noon (1952) marks a clear delineation into the Postclassical period, sugarcoating American Cold War anxieties within the guise of the western. High Noon was not only a product of WWII self-reflexivity but of the widespread paranoia that ensued during the Cold War. The film served as an allegory for McCarthyism, the political phenomenon which started when a US Senator started making false accusations against many Americans of being communist (Combs 169). This constant doubt ruined the lives and reputations of the accused, even if proven innocent. This Red Scare made the American people turn on each other and left them feeling like they could not trust anyone. In High Noon, Sheriff Kane (Gary Cooper) has loyally served his town but, when the people hear that Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald) is on the noon train to kill Kane, they abandon him. Although he turns back to defend his town and his honor, they leave him to fend off Miller and his gang alone. With every interaction Kane has, it becomes increasingly clear that his town has forsaken him and he is running out of options. Zinnemann’s temporal realism and confined cinematography made Hadleyville seem inescapable (Combs 170). The later it gets, the more isolated and at-risk he becomes. While Kane still has the respect of the community, they are too afraid to support him and put themselves on the line for him. It is this Cold-War epidemic of cowardice, fear, and mistrust that High Noon criticizes.
Zimmerman’s manipulation and reversal of western conventions make the betrayal of Sheriff Kane resonate poignantly. The film contains some traditional features such as dueling, drinking, and an incongruous love interest, but departs from other institutional practices in order to make a political statement. Zimmerman uses iconographic images to burst conventional molds. The church, conventionally a place of community gathering and bonding, is a place where Kane’s pleas for support are met with desertion. By making the church a place of abandonment and isolation, Zimmerman flips the Classical connotation on its head. Likewise, the western tradition regards the sheriff’s star as a sacred object which epitomizes justice and honor. Zimmerman’s choice to throw this coveted, respected badge onto the ground was initially understood by many (including John Wayne) to be a disgraceful anti-populist statement. When viewed through the lens of McCarthyism, however, this act is a condemnation of the weak and unfaithful townsfolk (Combs 169). Though these traditional western features appear, the convolution of their Classical connotations embeds a self-reflective, cultural evaluation into the film.
Postmodern influence made the western relevant in a culture where political tumult dictated the national conversation and was at the forefront of the American conscience. The overarching presence of war in the mid-20th century led to the Postclassical growth of the superwestern, a branch of the genre which encouraged introspection and carried the genre into modernity. My Darling Clementine was made on the cusp of the Classical and Postclassical period, marking a point in which the war’s aftermath was beginning to be felt by the American people. Accordingly, the film reflects this transitional phase by toeing the line between Classical western structure and genre experimentation. High Noon, on the other hand, embodies the quintessential superwestern with its socially conscious and self-reflexive plot. Released in 1952, High Noon grapples with the ideological shift taking place in Cold War America. My Darling Clementine and High Noon chronicle American morale throughout this turbulent, war torn period and reflected the psychological trepidation of the people. Consequently, the emergence of the superwestern can be explained through the context of war.
Works Cited
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Bazin, André. “The Western: Or the American Film Par Excellence.” What Is Cinema?, edited by Truffaut François, by Bazin André et al., III, University of California Press, 2005, pp. 140–148.
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Lovell, Alan. “The Western.” Movies and Methods: an Anthology, by Bill Nichols, vol. 1, University of California Press, 1976, pp. 164–175.
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