High Noon/ Little Jo - JM

The role of the woman in film and in life has changed dramatically over the years. We can see this change firsthand in the films High Noon and The Ballad of Little Jo which both portray the role of a strong and dominant woman. This is kind of female role is not seen very often in westerns which shows us somewhat of a role reversal between men and women. Women were infamous for having minor roles in western films, playing no more than the role of a motivation, arousal or time spent in a town but the female characters Helen Ramirez of High Noon and Jo of The Ballad of Little Jo break this mould showing viewers an alpha female character.

In the film High Noon I believe that Tompkins would categorize Helen Ramirez as the dominant female due to her strength, independence and the fact that she is a successful business woman. Along with these traits the fact that she has been associated with all three males in the film- Harvey, Will Kane and Ben Miller- also shows her dominance and atypical behavior. She is very bold and is proud to express herself in anyway especially if it involves degrading men, for example she calls Harvey a “ good looking boy” but then tells him that he will never be a man like Kane. Helen does not live in fear as she is not afraid of the law of the gun as she criticizes Amy for being. We see Helen’s lack of fear when she fleas the town because she wants to protect herself economically showing her intelligence and care of herself over others.

In The Ballad of Little Jo, Josephine proves to be an exception to Thompson’s statement that, “Westerns pay practically no attention to the women’s experience” (Thompson 41) because she proves to rough it out in the West when she is shunned for being an illegitimate baby. Unlike many other westerns, the protagonist of the film is Josephine, better known as Jo and her experience with the West. Jo embarks on a journey and is labeled as a whore and ended up having to become a prostitute, it was clear that she was only seen for the pleasure of men. Jo must adapt and portray herself as a man in order to survive but I believe she would still be categorized as a feminine man and not an alpha male because she still has woman like tendencies. For example when Jo shoots two men it is clear that she still is not masculine because she shows her sensitivity all over her face which is seen as a sign of weakness. This film differs from High Noon because it focuses on a different type of woman, it shows the weakness and more negative aspects of a typical woman during that time.

Regardless of their different Josephine and Helen can be seen as major stepping stones for female characters in westerns because they can be seen as at least somewhat dominant and strong. They pave the way for future female characters allowing them to play stronger more dominate roles in the films changing viewer’s opinions of women in westerns.

High Noon/The Ballad of Little Jo

In the films, High Noon and The Ballad of Little Jo, women are depicted in more interesting and more powerful roles than other Western films. Jane Thomkins argues that, "When the crunch comes, women shatter into words." However these two films depict women who do not shatter into words, but highly intelligent women who are ready to take action.

Amy, in High Noon, serves as a pure women who has just been married, and a testy women who is able to make her own decsions and capable of standing by her beliefs. Although she does tend to wear her emotions on her sleeve, as depicted when she refuses to watch her husband fight, also has a bit of a darker side when she shoots a gang member. This proves her to be more complex than the pure quaker she was at the beginning of the film. The film offers another complex woman in Helen Remirez. Helen is a powerful women in the town and clearly one of the wealthiest. This allows her more power than most. However, Helen is also very intelligent and outspoken. She articulates her thoughts better than most, and has no problem attacking other people, even the men who dominate society. She points out Deputy Harveys immaturity and slaps him as he tries to exert his male dominance over her, and also questions Amy's dedication to her husband.

In the film, The Ballad of Little Joe, again a women creates an interesting character. Jo (short for Josephine), is forced to portray the role of a man in the wild west. Coming from a rich background, she is quickly forced to adopt the ways of an unstructured society. She could arguably be an alpha male cowboy, as her intelligence and dominance proves substantially superior to the other characters in the film. Jo, however, is not immune from her emotional side, which western film usually assosiate them with. She falls in love and becomes emotionally attached to a man, she cries a number of times, and at one point yells out of frustration, "I can't keep living like this." Although according to both films, women can have power but they are unable to fill the boots of a real man.

Red River-MR

Although at certain points there is a slight power struggle in the film, Red River, there is only one alpha male cowboy throught the movie. Tom Dunsen is the only cowboy to excert a signfigant amount dominance over a group of people at any time. Even when he is thrown out by a group of men, the men still know that Dunsen is in power and will return to make them pay. Dunsen is a veteran of the west and, although he is hyper-focused about what he wants, he is determined to keep law and order within the group of men traveling with him. He asserts his dominance at the beginning of the film, when he stakes his land and cooly tells the previous owner to stay off. Although Dunsen does get overthrown, there is a clear respect for the power he posses by the other apparent leader, Matthew.

Matthew, arguably the other alpha male cowboy, would never have been able to lead had he not learned everything from Dunsen. Thus, Matthew understands the kind of power that Dunsen has and although he becomes the leader, he fears what Dunsens power will do to him, Matthew clearly lacks the leadership abilities that Dunsen naturally has. He is sensitive, caring, and has a moral code that Dunsen lacks. When Matthew stops Dunsen from punishing two men from abandoning the group, which they previously signed on for, it is clear that Matthew is not an alpha male. The men that abandoned the group were in clear violation of a code that they had agreed too and if they broke it, it was understood that they were to pay. Matthews set of defined moral values, differ from Dunsens which do not allow hime full dominance over the group.

High Noon/Little Jo KO

The films High Noon and The Ballad of Little Jo stand out from the typical western film genre due to the stronger, more dominant roles the woman have and how the focal point shifts from the men to the women. In High Noon, Will Kane’s newlywed wife Abby could be seen as strong as she questions her husband’s actions and pleads otherwise, leaving him with an ultimatum to leave with her or she leaves without him. But, when Will chooses to stay, Abby does not end up leaving. Thus, Tompkins would argue that Abby is not a strong female character because “When push comes to shove, as it always does, they crumble” (Tompkins 61). However, Helen Ramirez proves to be the dominant female in this film as she is a strong, successful businesswoman who is independent and has also been with the three main men in the movie: the young Harvey, the heroic Will Kane, and the villain Ben Miller. Helen has no problem speaking her mind, especially when it is to put down men. She calls Harvey a “good looking boy” but tells him that he will never be a man like Kane and that he won’t make it. During this whole debacle with the town and Ben Miller’s arrival, Helen plans to flea not because she is afraid for her life, but because she is certain Kane will die as will the town, thus she decides to leave survive economically. Also, when speaking with Will, Helen tells Will he should go, but when he says he can’t, Helen just simply replies “I know,” showing her understanding of Will and his duty. Likewise, in The Ballad of Little Jo the lead character Jo (short for Josephine) shows masculine characteristics when adapting to the life out West.
After being shunned from her home for having an illegitimate baby, Josephine travels West where she quickly discovers that a woman with no man is fair game. On her journey, she begins to dress like a man wearing pants and adds the effect of toughness by carving a scar on her cheek. Of course Josephine is seen as a feminine man, evident by her nickname Little Jo, but is such a strong character for her struggle to earn respect and put on such an act that lasted the rest of her life. Tompkins might even argue that Jo is not a strong female character, but instead is actually a strong male character for she does not speak her mind or her feelings, she does not let everybody in, and she is never seen as vulnerable. Although she shows women tendencies like when she saves Tinman Wong and takes him in as her servant, but eventually becomes his lover after he figures out her secret. Overall, Little Jo portrays a strong female character, as she shows courage, strength of will, and emotional suppression.
Nonetheless, Helen Ramirez and Little Jo from High Noon and The Ballad of Little Jo are major stepping-stones for women in the western film genre and their ability to be depicted as strong, dominant individuals.

High Noon/Little Jo - RS

Amy, played by Grace Kelly in High Noon, plays an interesting character in the fact that she has power, something that is not seen in westerns of this time frame. Amy threatens to leave on the noon train without her husband Will Kane, played by Gary Cooper. When he stubbornly refuses to give in, Amy decides to leave without him. Jane Tompkins would have said that "ladies just talk and talk; that is all they do" (63), yet in this scenario, Amy talked and did what she said she was going to do. Yet, Amy would choose her husbands life over her religious beliefs, shown when she shoots Ben (a gang member) from behind. This is important and shows that even though Amy feels man enough to go against what her husband wants her to do, the position she is in "represented by language, always associated with women, religion, and culture, is allowed to appear in Westerns and is accorded a certain plausibility and value" ( Tompkins 55).

The Ballad of Little Jo shows the struggle of a woman in society and the battle to escape the stigma of bearing a child out of wedlock. Josephine disguises herself as a man when she goes out west in order to free herself from being a sexual prey to men that come along her way. Yet when Jo falls for Tinman, she drops her guard and the two begin a relationship. Jo had to hid her identity in order to create a life for herself that provided the least amount of stress as possible due to the stigma behind women in the west. "Women , like language, remind men of their own inferiority; women's talk evokes a while network of familial and social relationships and their corollaries in the emotional circuity" (Tompkins, 66). Due to this stereotype that the west had, Joe felt that in order to get away from the prostitution and to create a life in cattle and farming she would have to become to opposite sex. When the town found out that Rancher Joe was a women, the reactions where that people felt betrayed and that she had made a fool out of them.

High Noon/ Little Jo - DP

       Both High Noon and The Ballad of Little Jo, support Thompson's thesis that, "Westerns eaither push women out of the picturecompletely or assign them roles in which they exist only to serve the needs of men." (40).  Such holds true in both films.  The west is openly considered a "man's world" and women serve only as side-acts, and their input, actions, and thoughts are rarely ever considered or taken into account by men.  Thompson believes most westerns subject women to almost worthless beings, beings only created to tend and serve the needs of the dominant males.  This hold true for the most part, but the views towards women slowly start to change in these films.
       The Ballad of Little Jo supports this train of thought, but it debunks Thompson's statement that, "Westerns pay practically no attention to the women's experience." (41).  In this film, the protagonist of the story (Jo) is a female and the entire story is about her experience of the west.  However, the same themesdo apply.  She was treated horribly by the men in the story, first by being outcasted by her family as she bore an illegitimate child.  Once she hits the road, she is seen only as prey.  She was labeled as suspicios and as a whore, and even was subject to being sold as a prositute.  She was seen as something only for men's pleasure.  Seeing this, she cut her face and disguised herself as a man to avoid turmoil.  Percy also demostrates how inferior women are, when he slashes he face of a prositute, as if she wasn't even human.  He defames women even more once he finds the letter from Jo's sister and calls her a whore, and finds it so insultin to be fooled by a female.  The film also shows the inferiority of women during the big gun fight.  The painfl expression on Jo's face when she shoots the two men show her sensitivity, which the film portrays as weakness.  Although the film is about a woman, it shows the very negative view that exists about them.
      High Noon paints a similar portrait, in that, in th film the woman, although still inferior, shows some aspects of power.  Amy early on seems to be the typical mistreated woman.  She is neglected by Will when she wishes to leave town with him, and he decides to stay and fight.  The fact that he decides to stay alone while she leaves shows how little she is thought of.  However, woman show some power towards the end of the film.  Will's old lover Helen supports the cause, and des not fear the gun's she accuses Amy of.  However, she scorns how the town acts as cowards and leaves the town with Amy.  Then once she hears the guns, Amy chooses to reject her pacifist ways and go protect her husband, a move that is very rare in western.  It begins to show the power of women, although slightly.  Amy kills ben, but then is taken hostage by Frank.  However, once she attacks Frank she gives a clear shot for Will to kill Frank, thus assisting in defeating the criminals.  This is a rarity in western, althought very slightly, both films showcase the slowly changing views of women, who are portrayed to hold some worth.

High Noon/Little Jo - KH

The view of women in most Westerns is one of weakness; they have a place by the side of men and that’s where they are supposed to stay. Often in the classic Western, the women would sometimes show a streak of passion or fire, but would ultimately revert back to a state of dependence. Tompkins describes this typical Western woman by the fact that “there’s nothing to them”, and that “They may seem strong an resilient, fiery and resourceful at first, but when push comes to shove, as it always does, they crumble” (61). That opinion indeed holds true for many of the classic films, but High Noon(1952) and the much later The Ballad of Little Jo (1993) seriously question the weak state of women.

In High Noon, Helen Ramirez shows the qualities of a very strong and fairly well respected individual. She owns the local saloon, has clearly made a living for herself, and even has men working under her. She is a woman who knows what she wants, knows what she stands for, and has no problem showing her strong will. When Harvey tries to tell her to stay and attempts to kiss her, she pushes him back, and gives him a stern warning that men don’t put their hands on her when she doesn’t want them to. After demonstrating that she means what she says, Harvey leaves her alone, not pushing the issue. Amy Kane, who embodies the elegant, peaceful woman who would solve problems with words and not violence, initially plans on leaving her husband to fight alone. Ultimately though, she shows her strength by returning and fighting by her man, even killing one of his opponents which is against her Quaker religion. She was strong and did what was necessary.

Jo Monaghan in The Ballad of Little Jo could certainly never be seen to “crumble” when push came to shove. The men in the movie clearly were still of the belief that a woman could be either a wife or a whore, and couldn’t amount to much more. Percy at one point says, “I’ve found women to be more trouble than they’re worth”. However, Jo proved them all wrong. By dealing with the life she had to face (exile from the life of society, facing the streets), she chose to make her own path, even though doing so meant that she had to change her sex. She showed tremendous resilience and determination, not just at the beginning, but all the way throughout the film. Facing hard winters, learning to herd sheep, build a homestead, and to defend herself in a short time. She has a small moment of weakness when she contemplates taking the easy way out and selling her ranch, but realizes that she can stand up for herself – even to the lengths of killing two men in defense. Jo stayed strong until the day she died, and sacrificed much. The women in both films did not crumble, and they certainly have something of qualty to them.

High Noon/Little Jo-BS

Tompkins states, "there's nothing to [women]. They may seem strong and resilient, fiery and resourceful at first, but when push comes to shove, as it always does, they crumble" (61). I would have to disagree with Tompkins on this statement. As seen in High Noon, Will Kane the marshal of Hadleyville, marries a Quaker pacifist, Amy, who begs Kane to leave town with her hours after their marriage, because of the recent news that a criminal Kane brought to justice is due to arrive on the noon train. Kane refuses believing he must stay to protect the town or they will be hunted. Amy tells Kane that she will be on the noon train with or without him. However, after boarding the train and hearing gunshots in the distance, Amy retreats to her husbands side. In this instance, I believe the female character acted bravely, something that is not normally seen in Western films.

In viewing The Ballad of Little Jo I would agree with Tompkins statement. In this film, Josephine Monaghan is exiled from her high society life and forced to survive on her own. She soon realizes that as a woman traveling alone, she is viewed as a sexual item for men to prey on. Recognizing it as her only means of protection, she cuts off all her hair and scars her face to disguise herself as a man. After establishing herself as a well known sheep herder and building herself a homestead to live on while fooling the rest of her community into thinking she is a man, she decides to sell her property to The Eastern Cattle Company and enter back into being in the society of women. However, Jo ends up changing her mind and prepares to ride into the town for election day. While accompanied by her good friend Badger, they are met by masked gunmen of The Eastern Cattle Company. Badger guns down one man while Jo finishes off the other two. Although we can see the remorse she feels from the act of killing. In the beginning, Jo was seen as "resourceful" and "strong," however, she always managed to maintain her feminine emotions which ultimately made her "crumble" under pressure (61).

High Noon/Little Jo- VC

In Tompkins' chapter Women and the Language of Men, she discusses how women are viewed in Western films. "As in the case of women in Westerns generally, is that there's nothing to them. They may seem strong and resilient, fiery and resourceful at first, but when push comes to shove, as it always does, they crumble (Tompkins 61)." Tompkins explains how men view women, in these films, as weak. They don't like how much women talk and find that they have very little to say. Women's opinion doesn't matter.
In the film High Noon, this view of women seems to hold true. Will refuses to leave town once he finds out that the four men are coming back. Even though, his wife of one hour, is begging him to leave town. He doesn't listen to her and stays, even after she threatens to leave without him.
However, in the film The Ballad of Little Joe, Joe, who is believed to be a man, is actually a woman escaping her high society life after she has a child out of wed lock. She fools everyone and up until she dies, the men and women in the mining village all believe that she is a man. Joe manages to break the view of women discussed by Tompkins and is well-respected. However, that may be just because they believe her to be a man. When she was a women, she was treated horribly. She was mistreated and even sold to other men. However, she leaves behind her life as an ill-treated women and takes on the life of an alpha male cowboy.

Red River KO

In the film Red River, the characters Tom Dunson and Matthew Garth hold many of the characteristics of the alpha male cowboy. Although, when comparing them to Tompkins and Matheson’s standards, neither one of these characters hold the title of the alpha male cowboy at the end of the film.
In the beginning, Tom Dunson is initially revealed to the audience as the alpha male cowboy by displaying all the tough and stern characteristics. He shows no fear of his enemies, or of death. He leaves the love of his life to follow his dream of building his own cattle farm. His determination leads him to kill men who get in his way without feeling any remorse or guilt for what he’s done. Matheson would argue that this characteristic shows that Dunson is an alpha male cowboy for he “settles his own problems” (Matheson 897). He sees his dream of his as his duty, and this duty is also another point that Matheson points out that is a key motive in the alpha male that drives him to action, no matter how dark the actions take him. Dunson fits Matheson’s model of the alpha male because he is “Damaged and isolated paternal figure who gathers in one place the allure of violence, the call away from home, and the dark pleasure of soured romanticism” (Matheson 889). Only, Dunson does not hold these qualities throughout the whole film, and the audience witnesses his loose grip on the title as he becomes washed out and ultimately loses the respect of him men. As Dunson fall down from his title of the alpha male, his adopted son Matthew Garth steps up to take the reigns of his father’s legacy.
Matthew Garth asserts his power throughout the film by his gun and by questioning the power of Dunson. Although it could be said that Matt takes over the title of his father as the alpha male, it also could be argued that he does not because he does not fully acquire the stern heart and qualities of the alpha male. Matt is seen as soft throughout the film and as a lesser man than Dunson (Matt continually is called by his first name, whereas his father is called by his last). Tompkins writes, “For a man to speak of his inner feelings not only admits parity with the person he is talking to, but it jeopardizes his status as a potent being” (Topkins 60). Matt jeopardizes his title of alpha male when he expresses his feelings to Tess and tells her his life story, which shows weakness and femininity. Although Matt takes Dunson’s role on the ranch, he does not ever fully become the alpha male for he does not hold all the characteristics of one.
In the beginning, Tom Dunson filled the shoes of the alpha male but gradually lost the respect of his men that lead to the loss of his title of alpha male. Although Garth was there to step in, he does not truly become the alpha male when measuring up to Tompkins and Matheson’s view. Thus, in the end of the film there are no alpha male cowboys.

Red River - DP

Although it seems at first like there are two alpha male cowboys in Red River, I cannot help but conclude that there is only one alpha male.  Tom Dunson is the true alpha male of the story, because he represents all of the typical characteristics of an alpha male cowboy.  Matt Garth at first seems to display the same personality, but with close attention, one can see what separates the two from one another.
Tom exemplifies the alpha male because of his life style.  Like Matheson states, Tom is an absolute fanatic about his work.  He tirelessly pushes on the cattle drive refusing to even aknowledge the difficulties along the way.  He also refuses all temptation, especially that of women.  He leaves a women who loves him dearly early on in the film because, "The west is no place for a woman."  He also adds to it when he refuses Tess' offering of her body in return for not harming Matt.  An Alpha male cowboy shys away from women, and certainly does not participate in sexual encounters.  He is also incredible fearless and persistant.  He is injured several times during the film and yet he presses on.  He lives by his own moral standards as well, he wishes to seek out Matt after he takes over the cattle drive and claim his dominance. 
Matt Garth does sport some qualities of an alpha male.  He stands up for himself, he is a fighter, and a tireless worker.  He, however, posseses the compassion that Tom lacks, he does not wish to hang the men that Tom wanted to, and tends resort to less drastic and rash measures.  He refuses to draw upon Tom showing he is more realistic and does not have the inhierent need to be dominant.  The biggest reason he cannot be the alpha male is the fear he expresses.  He shows his fear when Tom vows to come after him, and according to the text and Matheson, the alpha male cowboy never shows emotion.  Emotion is something the alpha male keeps inside, and he certaintly would not show fear, a sign of inferiority.  Also, later in the film Matt ends up with a woman, which is something very unlike the typical alpha male cowboy.

Red River- ER

In the film Red River, there are two cowboys named Tom Dunson and Matthew Garth. Both at first appear to be alpha male cowboys but with close observation, the viewer can claim that there is only one true alpha male cowboy. An alpha male cowboy lives by the law of the land and the gun. The alpha male cowboy is a loner and never settles down because in the end of the day, nature is their only companion and friend. In Red River, both Tom Dunson and Matthew Garth tough it out in the wilderness and lead a trail that is both time consuming and physically challenging. The cowboys, however, differ in character. Tom Dunson is somewhat heartless which is shown when he kills off those who want to turn back from the trail. Matthew Garth has a little more understanding and heart when dealing with those from the trail. Garth also ends up falling in love and settling down. Cowboys are known to roam free which is something that Garth does not do in the end. Therefore, one could conclude that there is only one true alpha male cowboy in the film and that cowboy is Tom Dunson.

Red River - KH

The film Red River may be viewed to have two alpha male cowboys. Thomas Dunson and Matthew Garth both exhibit some qualities that an alpha male may have, but only one truly fits the description created by Tompkins and Matheson. To start, it is clearly demonstrated after Matt returns to the ranch back from war that he can draw a gun almost as quickly (if not as quickly) as Dunson. That kind of speed and skill is highly valued in the alpha male. “Only the fittest, the strongest … those who … draw a gun faster than anyone else”(Matheson 891) survive. The gun drawing skill is shown a few times later on in the movie as well, such as when Matt shoots one of the rebellious riders before Dunson does, in order to save his life. Both men abide by the law of the gun, though Dunson more regularly uses the power that such a law provides – shooting down anyone who opposes him.

Both men “prove their courage to themselves and to the world by facing their own annihilation.” (Tompkins, 31) Neither Matt nor Dunson shy away from a fight in the film. Dunson doesn’t even flinch when threatened by the two men come to tell him he can’t have the land for his own, he simply shoots before shot. Matt, even as a boy, stands up to the much older Dunson when they first meet and Dunson could have easily done him harm. He and Dunson are also both morally responsible as they should be. “Men are men because their behavior is fundamentally ethical” (Matheson, 899). Dunson always ensures that men are given a proper burial, and that fair wages are paid. Such as when Dan Ladamer was killed in the stampede halfway through the trail – Dunson still made sure Dan’s wife would receive wages for the full trail, as well as a pair of red shoes that she wanted. Matt, even though he stole the cattle and the men from Dunson, did it because he thought it was best. After selling the cattle, he had the check written out in Dunson’s name. Each man followed his own moral center, and tried to do what was right by his own standards.

Even though these shared alpha characteristics exist, there are a few fundamental qualities of the alpha male that only Thomas Dunson poses. “The hero’s fanatic devotion to duty” (Matheson, 889), his fierce perseverance is demonstrated by both men in their strive to get the cattle to the destination. However, only Dunson’s determination could be classified as “fanatic”. He pushed himself, his men, and his horses (wearing through multiple ones) to the limit in order to reach a far off dream. Matt still showed remarkable perseverance, but he did ultimately decide to travel to the closer destination for the sake of the men. Finally, an alpha male cowboy’s place is with the land, “far from town…far from any outside help, the solitary man, with only nature at his disposal….” (Tompkins, 81) is how the alpha lives. Dunson has no problems being on his own, and when in a group, demonstrates antisocial behavior that strikes fear into the other men, not friendship. Matt can never be this solitary. He is often shown eating and talking with the other men, as well as having a relationship with Tess Millay. The true alpha has the land as his woman, as his everything. Therefore, Thomas Dunson – the man whom most everyone both feared and respected, is the true alpha male in Red River.

Red River-BS

In the film Red River the lead male roles are Tom Dunson and Matthew Garth. In the beginning, Tom Dunson shows his alpha male cowboy instincts by obeying the law of the land and abandoning the trail to go towards Texas to start a better life for his sidekick Groot and himself. Soon a young boy, Matthew Garth wanders up to the partners and Dunson adopts him like he were his own son. Dunson teaches Matt to be very skilled with the gun among other alpha male cowboy traits. However, throughout the film Matt never abuses the law of the gun like Dunson. Dunson lives by the law of the gun and even states in the film that he makes up his own laws. Dunson does not answer to anyone but himself and does not appreciate it when Matt tries to give him advice.

Matt on the other hand acts more compassionate to the other men in the film. When Dunson becomes furious that the men tried to abandon the group and steal some of there food supply, Matt stops him from hanging them. Matt also falls in love with a woman he meets on his journey to Kansas, something that most alpha male cowboys would never do. In my opinion, Tom Dunson is the only true alpha male cowboy in the film Red River.

Red River - JM

In the film the Red River there appears to be two alpha male characters, Tom Dunson and Matthew Garth. Both men possess similar qualities such as their gun skills that define them as the alpha male cowboy. Although they both have similar skills both men have opposing veiws when it comes to certain issues which lead me to believe that Dunson may be more of the ideal alpha male cowboy than Garth. In the scene when one of the men cause a stampede that lost a portion of the cattle Tom became very upset with him and the man pulled out his gun on Tom in order to defend himself. Due to the compassion that Matt possesses he shoots the man in the shoulder because he knew that Tom would have ' shot him between the eyes'. It is clear that Tom displays characteristics such as his aggression and cut throat attitude that lead the viewer to believe that he is more of an alpha male. The compassion that Matt shows towards the men leads viewers away from the idea of Matt being an alpha male cowboy.

An alpha male cowboy does not typically pursue his love interests, they do not entertain the idea of a woman as more than an object. In the film Matt pursues his love interest and she notices that he is shaking when Tom tells him he is going to come back to kill him because he takes over the cattle drive. According to Tompkin's an alpha male cowboy rarely shows emotions much less fear. Once again we see less of a reason to categorize Matt as an alpha male cowboy and more of a reason to view Tom as the alpha male cowboy.

The Alpha male cowboy is one who lives alone, is a loner and lives solely for the land. At the beginning of the film Dunson leaves the woman who loves him because he does not think the West is an appropriate place for a woman. Here he shows that he is living for the land and what is acceptable there which is being alone. On the other hand Matt also leaves the woman who loves him but he ends the film with her. Although both men display characteristics of an alpha male cowboy it is clear to me that Tom Dunson possesses greater qualities of an alpha male than Matt Garth does.

Red River- VC

In the film Red River, there are two main characters that are cowboys, Dunson and Matthew. However, I think there is only one alpha male cowboy and that is Dunson. He fits the descriptions for the alpha male cowboy made by both Matheson and Tompkins.
In Matheson, she discusses how the alpha male cowboy follows the law of the gun, meaning the make up their own laws and follow through with their gun. This describes Dunson because he was going to kill the men who deserted their cattle drive and stole some food. However, Matthew wouldn't let him kill them. Dunson also says that he wants to kill Matthew and at the end is ready for a draw. However, when he tells Matthew to draw, he won't do it. This shows that Matthew doesn't follow the law of the gun. He never kills anyone in the movie or really use his gun, however Dunson does several times.
In Tompkins, she describes the personality of the alpha male cowboy and their attitude towards women. The alpha male cowboy is a bit of a loner. He lives alone and lives solely for the land and for his duty. At the beginning, Dunson is traveling with one other man until he meets Matthew. Also, throughout the cattle drive, Dunson is driving his men to keep going and refuses to sleep after three men run away so that no other's do. However, these characteristics don't fit Matthew. He takes the other men and leaves Dunson alone. He always sleeps and is no where as tough a leader as Dunson is. Also, the role of women play a part in these two characters. In the beginning, Dunson leaves behind a woman that loves him because he believes that the west is no place for women. Matthew does the same thing later on to the woman who loves him, however in the end he is with her. Dunson is still alone, therefore describing the character of the aplha male cowboy.

Red River - RS

John Wayne is Thomas Dunson in the film Red River in which his dream of becoming the largest cattle ranch owner is destroyed when he loses the love of his life in addition to any wealth he once had obtained. Dunson's sidekick Nadine Groot is the definition of a alpha male cowboys, leading partner in crime. Not only does Groot stick by Dunson's side through the hardships, but also helps him after his adopted son Matthew, turns against him. Matheson points out that "the central relationships in the Western are conventionally those of the male hero and the intimate, and the central group is all male." This proves to be true in this film as Dunson most definitely take the role of the alpha male with his intimate, or sidekick, Groot, at his side. I would in addition not state that Matthew was an alpha male due to the fact that he is more of the "bad guy" as well as not the antisocial loner that Matheson states on page 891. Dunson takes the role of the alpha male due to Mathesons characteristics of being anti-social, relatively clean, as well as alienating most of the people in his life.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance-KO

In the Western film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, the characters Tom Doniphon and Liberty Valance are two alpha male cowboys who are very different and yet are linked with a few similarities that allow them to fit the mold of Sue Matheson’s alpha male cowboy.
Matheson believes that the alpha male cowboy is one who is “hardboiled” and possess the characteristics of the both the villain and the hero. This alpha male lives by the law of the gun and is morally ambiguous, which makes him a damaged hero. All the while, Matheson argues that the alpha male still follows “the most fundamental value concepts of virtue-ethics: ‘the highest-good’” (Matheson 899). In this film, Tom fits Matheson’s description of the antihero and Liberty as the sociopath.
To begin with, Tom is seen as shadowy due to his mysterious past, which is one of the characteristics that Matheson mentions the hardboiled detective have. He lives on the edge, is tough, and respects only the law of the gun (shown when he tosses the sheriff’s hat off). Like many alpha male cowboys, Tom is caught in a double bind. Matheson depicts his conflict when she writes, “Doniphon could have secured his relationship with Hallie by standing aside and letting Valence kill Stoddard, or by standing aside and allowing Stoddard to return to the east, but he does not. Instead Doniphon destroys his personal happiness by acting in good faith” (897). As mentioned above, it is clear that Doniphon’s act of murder was for the highest-good and therefore could be argued reasonable.
The other alpha male cowboy is Valance who is depicted as the sociopathic villain who causes the town of Shinebone a great deal of terror and corruption. His appearance alone gives the audience an idea of how dark his heart is. Matheson says that the psychology of a character can be detected by dirt and their cleanliness. Matheson writes, “simply put, Valance’s behaviour is beastly” (895). Although Doniphon and Valance may seem different, they still are very much alike. They believe that a man is the law, and as Matheson points out, both share the antisocial, callous, remorseless, and manipulative behaviours.
On the other hand, there is Stoddard who does not fit the description of Matheson’s alpha male cowboy but is nevertheless a very important character in this film. Stoddard represents the educated, uncorrupt, civilized, eastern man who does not believe at first in the Western law. Because of this, Stoddard’s character is seen as feminine and weak, often shown wearing an apron and doing the dishes like a woman would. Stoddard never fully adapts to the Western lifestyle, therefore he never becomes a true man.
All in all, I think all three characteristics share some similarities, but only Valance and Doniphon can truly fill the shoes of Matheson’s definition of the alpha male cowboy.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - JM

The Man Who Shot Liberty Vance, directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, tells the story of 2 alpha male characters, Liberty Valance and Doniphon along with Rance Stoddard and how they run the town of Shinbone. Unlike Valance and Doniphon, Stoddard is not considered an alpha male because he would be classified as having a more eastern thought which means that he believes in the law of the land rather than the law of the gun. I believe Matheson would classify Stoddard as a Doniphon's sidekick because he tries to teach Rance the "law of the gun" and he dresses completely different from Doniphon and Valance, this indicates that he does belong in the West. I would agree with Mathesons assessment of Stoddard because he exudes no qualities of an alpha male, we see this in the end of the film when he is not able to kill Liberty Valance.

Without a doubt Matheson would consider Tom Doniphon not only as an alpha male but the hero of the film. Although both Doniphon and Valance believe in the law of the gun and have no issues killing I think that Doniphon has good inte ntions and wants to protect the town while Valance is remorseless and shows no fundamentally ethical behavior. Doniphon can also be considered an alpha male because he tries to teach Rance how to shoot a gun by aiming at a tin can, in this scene Doniphon behaves like a father figure. I do believe that Doniphon would be categorized as a hero due to his courage and strength along with his moral system and his role in society.

Liberty Valance is the second alpha male character in the film but unlike Doniphon he would probably be considered the villain of the town due to the crimes he commits such as robbery and murder. It can be said that Valance is an object of hatred and possibly had death in his future due to his bully behavior. In the case of Valance's death the law of the gun is definitely implemented therefore his death was not a tragedy. Matheson could also consider Valance a sociopath due to his lack of concern for others and strange behavior.

I do believe that Matheson would assess each character as such and I think that she is correct about all three men.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance-BS

In The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance the two alpha male lead cowboys run the town of Shinbone. Matheson points out that, "there really is very little difference between Doniphon and Liberty Valance. Both men settle their problems in the same fashion" (896). From the moment Doniphon saves the life of a well educated lawyer, Stoddard, Doniphon cautions him that "[He] better start packing a hangun...I know those law books mean a lot to you but no out here. Out here a man settles his own problems" (896). However, Stoddard acts in a complete opposite manner than both Doniphon and Liberty Valance. He is apalled by the thought of killing another man and "[expected] the West to be a place where 'civilized' values are respected" (896). Throughout the entire film he is aganist the idea of carrying a gun, but in the end he gets fed up with Liberty Valance's tyrant and takes matters into his own hands. I think that Matheson's analysis of all three characters is right on point. Doniphon does not follow anyone's rules and he is "his own moral center" (896). Valance is a social outcast and cannot socially accept the roles of society.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance- KH

In The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Tom Doniphon and Liberty Valance are the two alpha male characters. A third male lead, Ransom Stoddard, does not fit this role. Instead, Stoddard represents eastern thought and the law of the land, which has no place in the West – “I know those books mean a lot to you but not out here. Out here a man settles his own problems” (film)(896). Matheson would assess him as an almost feminine character – especially in comparison to the hardened cowboys. He sports an inappropriate, nonfunctional wardrobe in the beginning – and later replaces it with an apron, implying he does not belong in that environment, and he is not on the same level as the alphas. He is addressed by the alphas as “tenderfoot” and the “new waitress”, securing his less than man status. I would agree with Matheson’s possible assessment of this character – he is certainly inferior by the standards of the West at that time.

The alpha male characters would be catororized as so by Matheson due to their moral systems and the way they function in their society. “Only the fittest, the strongest, and the most ruthless survive…. Those who …draw the gun faster than anyone else” (891). This defines the setting of the film, and the views of the inhabitents of Shinbone, who simply laugh when Stoddard suggests the prospect of jail for Liberty Valance. The world only has the meaning that one man creates for himself, his own moral center – both Valance and Doniphon hold this to be true, though the two alphas have some crucial differences. I believe Matheson would asses Liberty Valance as a sociopath, due to his completely manipulative remorseless behavior and outright cruelty to anyone other than himself and his own self interests. He has no issue with robbery, murder, or stealing. He is isolated and deranged.

Doniphon on the other hand, holds these characteristics as well. Though he may seem to be the hero in this film, I believe Matheson would asses him a bit differently. He also is deranged and isolated from society. He too can live with cold-blooded murder. However, he is different from Valance in that his behavior is fundamentally ethical. Matheson could not classify him as the hero throughout the entire film however, because in her words, “Heroes may be dusty but not dirty….Above all, they have always just shaved” (892). This can be said of Doniphon in most of the movie, but after the shoot out and loosing his girl to Ransom, he no longer fits the description. His clothes are ragged in the final seens, covered in dirt, and a distinct line of stubble shadows his jaw. He can no longer be the hero of the story by Matheson’s assessment, and I agree. Matheson’s analysis of the charcters seems to apply completely to this film, and I concur with the points she would most likely make when assessing the lead male characters.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - DP

Doniphon is the ultimate alpha male in the movie.  His simple line to Stoddard, "nobody fights my battles," describes him perfectly.  He is a man who takes no credit, and takescare of his obligations himself.  Doniphon never seeks help from anyone.  He carries the sense that he i also almost above the law.  He even says himself that a man needs a gun in their part ofthe country.  He is also fearless in that he is the only one who stands up to Valance.  He helps Stoddard even though he does not particular like him, but an enemy of his enemy is his friend.  He also does not seek public affection.  He was the real culprit in killing Valance, but decided to let Stoddard live with the credit.  He decided for the greater good that it was more important for him to advance the west government than it was for him to be the hero.  This he carries all the way to his death.
Valance is an aplha male, mainly because he fears nothing and does whatever he wishes.  He bullies Stoddard constantly, holds up saloons, and lives completely outside the law.  A large part of his auora is that everyone is afraid of him.  The fact that very few stand up to him shows his dominance.  His clothes are filthy showing his insanity and Matheson would describe him as a sociopath.
Stoddard, however, Matheson would not describe as an alpha male.  Stoddard is a very sensative person, who seeks help through Doniphon.  The fact that he seeks to solve him problems through others cannot allw him to be an alpha male, even with the high status he earns.  He also lets himself take the credit fo what Doniphon did instead of being a man and letting the real hero have the credit, regardless of what he says.

Matheson - DP

In her article, Sue Matheson states that although he is dead, John Wayne remains one of the top 10 film stars of all time.  She states that John Wayne represented a complex figure, an ultimate father figure, a man who needs no help.  She notes how in Wayne’s films, he portrays what a man “should be,” quiet, self-dependant, a loner, and a sufferer.  She then goes into great detail of the symbolism of the westerns, and how very subtle things represent so many different ideas.

                She eventually goes into detail about the idea of cleanliness in westerns.  I found this subject to be very interesting because I myself do not notice these things very easily.  She states that cleanliness represents the mental psychology of a character, in that how clean or dirty he is represents how sane or insane the person in as a given time. She also describes how westerns display large amounts of sociopathic behavior.  The men in these films are almost unable to create emotional ties with people and it causes them to live a very lonely lifestyle.  It suggests that men should be indifferent about friendship and love, and that they are to keep their emotions bottled up inside of them.

                Matheson also discusses the role that clothing plays in her article.  She explains that much like character, the clothing of a western character never changes.  The way that people dress in westerns is very important.  For example she says that people who dress in city, “civilized clothes,” usually end of being savages in a “looks can be deceiving” kind of way.  The constant similar clothing creates a static character, however, if the clothes seems to change, the character most likely also will.

                Sue Matheson uses a simple phrase to describe the existential behavior in westerns, “out here… a man solves his own problems.”  This is perhaps the best way to describe the existentialist beliefs that law, science, and objective knowledge do not matter.  In the west a man abides by his own law, his own way of thinking.  By showing this, westerns show that men are only limited by their personal morals and by their own views of right and wrong.  In this “wild” west a man will do all that he can justify to himself.  It extends further the idea of the alpha male, in that he is his own decision maker and that he is ignorant to all views and ways of thinking besides his own mind.

The Searchers - DP

The relationship between the wild west and the alpha male cowboy is very complex and interesting.  Thompkins states in her research that the land, “acts as god,” and give the cowboy (John Wayne) both trouble and reward.  He receives trouble in the snowstorms, dry desert, and unforgivable rain, and reward in the rest, water, and destination.  The land almost seems to be an all-knowing all-powerful being.  It also represents power, which is the very desire of the alpha male cowboy.  It controls every twist and turn in the hero’s search for the Indian Chief Scar.  Power is also the essence of the alpha male cowboy.  It seeks dominance in everything which proves to be ironic because it is the land that controls all.

                The wild terrain also describes the character himself.  The alpha male and the land are both wild and rugged.  They both represent suffering, and how the alpha male’s job is to endure this suffering without complaint.  The land is very unforgiving as well as the alpha male.  This can be seen through Ethan, who instantly turns of the niece he is searching for after she assimilates to the Comanche lifestyle.  The terrain characterizes the alpha male as an enduring character.  One without complaint in the hard times he is dealt by the land.

                Overall the land parallels the alpha male cowboy.  In The Searchers Ethan is confronted with an internal and physical struggle.  The struggles he has are represented in the trials of the land, and his long travels.  The land offers suffering and reward for the hero, he tries to control it and conquer it, but it is almost as if he needs it.  The cowboy needs struggle, he needs a purpose, and Ethan exemplifies this with his search for Debbie.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance- VC

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a film that depicts the story of two aplha male cowboys. One, Tom Doniphon, the 'good guy' ends up taking care of a lawyer who is badly injured, Rance Stoddard. The other alpha male, Liberty Valance, the 'bad guy' whips Stoddard and anyone else who crosses his path. Doniphon tries to teach Rance how the law of the west doesn't involve the study of law rather the law of the gun. He tells Stoddard "You'd better start packing a handgun.....I know those law books mean a lot to you but not out here. Out here a man settles his own problems."(896) At first Stoddard fights Doniphon and refuses to carry a gun. However, in the end, he realizes that it's not only best to, but it's a necessity when he has to stand up to Valance.
Matheson describes in her article many ideas about the west that were also played out in the movie. She tells us that the law of the gun is the only law that is followed out in the West. This is shown throughout in the film in both of the alpha males. Even though they both carry a gun and use it, we tend to view Doniphon as the good guy and Valance as the bad guy even though they both follow the law of the gun. The difference, is that Doniphon is protecting the people from Valance. He is using his gun to bring about justice.
Matheson also tells us that the West turns people who are normally law-abiding citizens into those who carry a gun and break the law. This was seen in the movie through Stoddard who at first was adamant to carry a gun. However, in the end, he does and was believed to kill Liberty Valance.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence-MR

The film, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, portrays two alpha male cowboys struggling to be the lone power, and a character who plays the role of a newcomer to the western frontier. Tom Doniphon, a seasoned veteran of the west, looks out for a young law graduate from the east, Ransom Stoddard. Doniphon attempts to teach Stoddard the harsh and sometimes uncivilized ways of the west. The other alpha male cowboy, Liberty Valence, is a ruthless criminal who immediatley teaches Stoddard in the opening scene of the film, the the law of the east is null and void on the western frontier. Sue Matheson's quote, "Only the fittest, strongest, and most ruthless survive in the noir frontier" applies directly to all three male characters in the film as Doniphon and Valence compete against one another to be the lone alpha male, and Stoddard struggles to survive in the west.

Tom Doniphon, the alpha male of town, has a unique role in the film. Not only does he serve as the unannounced gaurdien of the law and order of the town (due to the seemingly incoherrant sherrif), also serves as a teacher for the newcomer Stoddard. Sue Matheson, would categorize their relationship by placing Stoddard in the role of a "sidekick." Doniphon attempts to integrate Stoddard into the unfamiliar codes of western law. Although Stoddard is at first stubborn to accept "law of the gun," he eventually sees that Doniphon's teachings hold to be true. Matheson writes, "In the west, "a man who settles his own problems" is indeed the sum of his actions" (897) Stoddard eventually carries a gun, although he lacks the skill to use it, and attempts to abandon his eastern civilized values at the showdown with Liberty Valence. Stoddard does fail to take care of his own problems by failing to kill Liberty himself, but does succeed in winning the heart of Doniphon's desired wife.

Liberty Valence, serves as the object of the viewers hatred from the very beginning of the film. He also truly embraces the freedom that the west gives him, and harnesses that freedom to take advantage of others. His abush of Stoddards wagon, is Stoddards first lesson that muscle power and violence are harsh realities on the western frontier. Matheson points out Valence destroys everything a civilized culture places importance on. "Good posture, acceptable table manners, the sanctity of womanhood, law and order, freedom of speech, and most of all, the democratic process itself." (895) However, because it the town embraces Stoddards "civilized" values, Valence's behavior is amplified as being especially brutal. Although a showdown between Valence and Doniphon does not occur directly, Valence gives away the alpha male title by attempting to pick on the weaker man in Stoddard.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - RS

The basis of the film starts out when the Senator and his wife attend a funeral of a friend, yet people question why he would come out of his way to bury a considered "nobody". John Wayne plays Tom Doniphon would be assessed by Matheson as the typical cowboy, due to the fact that he portrays a strong individual as shown in the scene when Doniphon is showing how to aim at a tin can. He specifically shows Stoddard how to hold the gun and acts almost fatherly due to his powerful personality.

Liberty Valance and Doniphon constantly have arguments throughout the flash-part of the film. For example during the scene when Valance knocks over Doniphons meal, the argument of who is going to pick up the food continues until Stoddard, the waiter that was tripped, picks up the steak and declares "nobody fights my battles." Being the bully of the film, Matheson would probably have argued that he had his death coming for him.

Finally, Stoddard is the sidekick to Doniphon, and is also very easy to relate to, due to his guilty conscious. Hailed as a hero by the city for killing Valance, he feels guilty for being praised for a violent act. In addition, Stoddard was also not the one who killed Valance, and so his guilt come from this matter as well. Matheson would probably argue that due to the fact that Valance was a bully he deserved his death, and due to the fact that the law was based on the gn, there would be no issue with his death.

West- Hardboiled- ER

In “The West-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne’s Westerns”, Sue Matheson discusses the underlying things that an audience can learn from a John Wayne Western. Matheson states that in film noir, the scenery often reflects the thoughts and emotions of the lead role. She then uses The Searchers as an example of film noir by explaining how the rocks and sand were a bloody red color that interprets the bloody nature of vengeance.

Landscape plays an important role in Westerns but clothing also plays an important role. A character’s cleanliness can reveal their true nature. Martin Pumphrey states that heroes are not “stained, grimy, or disheveled in the style of the rough, unmannered villains. Heroes may be dusty but not dirty. Their clothes may be worn but not greasy. They seldom sweat. Above all, they have always just shaved” (53).  Generally, the level of filthiness a character has usually portrays how dark his/her heart is. The same could be said of extreme cleanliness in Westerns. When a male character is too clean in the West, it “marks a male as weak, aberrant, [and] narcissistic” (55,56). Matheson further explains that the men who are obsessively clean usually wear costumes. These characters never change their clothing because their identity never changes. Therefore,  there is no room for personal growth.

The West - Hardboiled - KH

In “The West-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne’s Westerns”, Matheson describes various characteristics of typical “Wayne Westerns”, and why his image continues to grow stronger throughout the years. One of the key things that John Wayne brings to his movies is that he “introduces twentieth-century preoccupations and attitudes into the 1880’s (890)”. His films generally reflect the times in which they were made, often including post-war feelings of disillusionment and social breakdown. He is critical to the film noir genre, as his work often includes pessimism, bleak subjects, and cynical characters. Both the characters and their relationship with the milieu show the emotional and moral wilderness of the films. The landscape often reflects the characters emotions, and adds to the dark shadowy film noir feel.

Also contributing to the elements of film noir is Wayne’s Westerns’ cynical critique of capitalism. Usually, the villains of a Western can be easily observed as dirty, grimy, and antisocial. This holds true in Wayne’s films as well, but with the added threat of the Dandy. “When dirt does not signify a predator, clothing does (894)”, meaning that if a businessman in the film is too clean, too put together, then he is attempting to conceal his true savage nature. He is a possibly a more dangerous foe than the gritty obvious villain. Though in the movies, everyone (including the alpha male) is somehow corrupted, not just the villains of greedy capitalism.

Wayne’s characters almost always encounter the problems of freedom of choice and existentialist thinking. Since the world is ultimately corrupt, it is up to each man to stand by the meaning he creates for himself – live by his own moral center. “A man who settles his own problems is indeed the sum of his actions (897)”. This personal responsibility and ethical code often leads the “antihero” into double binds. He can never truly be part of society, and he is far too polluted to truly be a hero. He can however, live a fundamentally ethical life by fulfilling his own potential. In pursuing the “highest good” and living by a degree of virtues, the antihero can live up to his own personal responsibility in a corrupt society within Wayne’s film noir works.

The West-KO

In "The West-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne's Westerns," Sue Matheson explores the western films of John Wayne and goes deeper into the characters that star in the films, the cowboys. To begin with, Matheson focuses on the cowboy and his loyalty to his duty that makes him ignore his wife, his children, and the law. Matheson believes that by doing this, Wayne's characters are actually proving their love for their wife, children, and the law. Matheson further writes, "only the fittest, the strongest, and the most ruthless survive in the noir frontier, those who...draw a gun faster than anyone else" (891). Matheson continues her idea of the alpha male by saying how the characters are corrupt and antisocial. One interesting point she makes is about the appearance of the cowboy and how "their clothes may be worn but not greasy...they seldom sweat...they have always just shaved" (892). This gives the audience a deeper look into the cowboy's psychology. More importantly, this article examines the connection between the characters and their environment. How the "claustrophobic rooms, labyrinthine alleyways, and dripping, dank cities" (890) are all really metaphors of the protagonists and their psychological conditions. She uses The Searchers as an example and how John Wayne's use of the landscape really created the sense that the cowboy's home is the desert. Like when Ethan, Scar, and their companions are riding on blood-soaked ground, it looks like they are riding from out of it, like they were coming from out of the desert.

The West-Hardboiled-MR

John Wayne, long after his death, remains one of the most beloved figures in American cinema. His portrayal of the American cowboy has left an everlasting impact on the image of the western frontier in the United States. Sue Matheson, in her article "The West-Hardboiled," disects Wayne's films and characters to reveal that although the portrayals in the films seem simple, they are more complex than initially thought.

Matheson first discusses the importance that landscape plays in western films. "Dominating the frames, Monument Valley fills as mush as two thirds of the camera shots." (890) The American cowboy and the western frontier share a unqique bond with one another that is ever present in western films. She points out that the land gives a freedom to the cowboys that modern society would not allow them. This allows the cowboy to live in a society based on their own rules and regulations without any regard to the written law of society. "Only the fittest, the strongest, and the most ruthless survive in the noir frontier." (891)

This freedom, Matheson points out, allows for Wayne's characters to become partially corrupt according to "civilized" codes while still being an ethical and virtuous human being. She states, "In Wayne's Westerns, the American frontiers is a violent broad spectrum of misfits, amound them misogynists, misandrists, and murderers." (891) Many times, characters in western films are forced to carry out criminal acts for the greater good. In the film, The Searchers, the alpha male cowboy, Ethan, was close to killing his neice for reasons he considered to be virtuous. This "double bind" that Ethan found himself in is extremely common in western films, as the characters try to find themselves through trial after trial that a harsh society and frontier present them with.

The West- Hardboiled- VC

Sue Matheson describes life in the Western films in her article through an in depth look at John Wayne and the many characters that he plays. She also analyzes other characters in Western films and uses them to depict what life was like in the West and the life of the cowboy.
Matheson quotes in her article "Wayne had become 'the almost perfect father figure ' of his culture: 'one of the great defenders of of the American nuclear family'" (888). Matheson then describes that this statement is ironic because the cowboy typically lives alone and away from his family. He leaves society to be one with the land. John Wayne embodies this characteristic in The Searchers. In the beginning of the movie, Wayne is returning to his family after being away from them. Matheson says "Wayne's characters demonstrate their love of wife and children and regard the law with a respect that is 'deeper than the written word'" (889). Matheson is describing how the cowboy (John Wayne's characters) show their devotion to family through fulfilling their duty for them. For Wayne in The Searchers, he did this by looking for his niece for five years.
Waynes appears in several Westerns which Matheson says are "generally considered to be reactionary narratives that reinforce the conservative status quo, furnish their audiences with a revised vision of the American west, one that reflects the postwar disillusionment and realism characteristic of the twentieth century" (891). Matheson describes how after Hiroshima, America lost its innocence. This loss is portrayed in Wayne's western films. The cowboy is a sort of loner who wants to be away from society. The villians per say are portrayed as social and are always dressed neatly and clean, as opposed to the rustic look of the cowboy.
Matheson also uses the film noir to describe Western life and what was referred to as the law of the gun. She says "As is film noir, moral individualism and pervasive corruption are cloesly linked in Wayne's westerns" (896). These characters would carry a gun and settle their disputes themselves, which is now viewed as corrupt and against the law. However, in this time, that was the law.

The West- Hardboiled- JM

In the article 'The West - Hardboiled: Adaptions of Film Noir Elements, Extentialism, and Ethics in John Wayne's Westerns' by Sue Matheson is an ode to John Wayne as an actor and the impact his roles have had on his viewers throughout his career. Matheson discusses John Wayne as an image of "American manhood"(888), he was "the almost perfect father figure"(888) for viewers to idolize due to his extraordinary masculine qualities depicted in each of his roles. This article perfectly presents the influence John Wayne has had in shaping Westerns overall but also clearly explains the phenomenon he left behind.

According to Matheson in order to truly understand the legacy Wayne has left behind it is imperative that you understand how noir elements function. She believed that " the connection between characters and milieu is extremely important because states of the inner world, the mind and emotions, are transmitted by expressionist techniques of exaggerated or distorted representations of the outer world" (890). The writer begins to explain a film noir by using an example from the Western, The Searchers, to depict "the presence and authority of the land" (890). This example is used to show how landscape helps to emphasize the emotional state of Wayne throughout the movie. Another element that Matheson focuses on is the attire and appearance of characters and how this contributes to explaining elements of the characters personality for example Matheson states that the level of dirt or cleanliness displayed by a character tell viewers how "normal or abnormal a character's psychology is" (892).
The article continues by explaining the topic of Existentialism which is "another important component of the noir framework and underpins much of the characterization and the action in Wayne's West" (895). This aspect is relevant because " As in film noir, moral individualism and persuasive corruption are closely linked with Wayne's Westerns" (896) and an example taken from the film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance follows. In watching many of Wayne's films viewers learn that " In noir films, the world is ultimately corrupt and corrupting. Thus decent, normally law-abiding citizens tend to find themselves enmeshed in situations that require them to become criminals" (896).

Lastly, Matheson brings forth the discussion of the theory of ethics in Westerns particularly concerning John Wayne and his actions and decisions. Matheson states that " men are men because their behavior is fundamentally ethical". She uses an example from the film The Man Who Shot Liberty Vance concerning the issue of Liberty Vance being called "a man" and the argument Peabody presents against it, not because he is an outlaw but because he violates " one of the most fundamental value concepts of virtue-ethics: "the highest good" "(891). The article points out that "what would usually be regarded as the good life is, in these Westerns, modified in a curious way-one may say "modernized"- by postwar disillisionment" (900) This tells us that in Westerns traits such as courage, wisdom, self control and fairness are considered noble. It is in Wayne's West that we see such virtuous traits come out in extreme situations of rashness and cowardice. Therefore these virtue's " are a matter of degree rather than kind" (900).

In Conclusion, " the investigations of ethics in Wayne's Westerns not only illustrate the existential problems that arise when individuals become their own moral centers, but also put forward an explanation as to why this Hollywood icon and his movies continue to be a popular phenomenon, haunting generations of American men and women over half a century after Hiroshima" (905).

The West-Hardboiled - BS

The main points Sue Matheson makes in her article "The West-Hardboiled: Adaptations of Film Noir Elements, Existentialsim, and Ethics in John Wayne's Westerns" include the impact John Wayne has made on American men through his movies. John Wayne was seen as the ideal father because of his depiction of his "devotion to duty" (889). Many of the movies John Wayne starred in gave American men a hero to look up to and model their lives after through Wayne's portrayal of masculinity. Sue Matheson then goes on to explain how film noir must be understood in order to comprehend the roles John Wayne plays in Western films. Matheson states, "the connection between characters and milieu is extremely important because states of the inner world, the mind and emotions, are transmitted by expressionist techniques of exaggerated or distored representations of the outer world" (890). This means that Wayne's emotional and moral feelings are also represented through the landscape and scenery in the films. Another aspect of film noirs is the appearance and attitude of the characters. According to John Pierre Chartier, "all the characters are more or less corrupt" (891). Matheson also states that, "only the fittest, the strongest, and the most ruthless survive in the noir frontier" (891). The common character that John Wayne plays throughout all his films "is an antisocial loner who functions in a world peopled with sociopaths, a Hobbesian wilderness where life is generally nasty, brutish, and short" (891). In addition, Wayne can usually be seen clean shaven, "dusty but not dirty," and seldomly sweating (892). Matheson argues that "in Wayne's movies, cleanliness and dirt register how normal or abnormal a character's psychology is" (892). Another main point Matheson makes in her article is the idea of Existentialism. She talks about how many film noir's focus on "the negative side of existential thought [emphasizing] 'life's meaninglessness and man's alienation'" (896). In Wayne's westerns, "moral individualism and pervasive corruption are closely linked" (896). The main idea behind most of John Wayne's films is that a man settles his own problems. This causes many characters to be faced with an existential double bind, meaning "to retrieve what is his, he must break the law" (898). The final idea presented in Matheson's article is the ethics behind John Wayne's motives. She states "in spite of the cynicism and disillusionment reflected in Wayne's movies...men are men because their behavior is fundamentally ethical" (899). She goes on to talk about Plato's ideas behind "good faith" and how every individual strives to be the best that they can be. The virtues used when acting in "good faith" are traits such as "courage, wisdom, self-control, and fairness" (900).

The West - RS

Even after his death, Wayne’s legend still lives. His characters which “showcase the persona created by Duke Morrison and John Ford, appear to be part of the narrative formulas generally found in Westerns. But on the closer examination, they prove to embody complex cultural coding, creating an oxymoron that has engendered a lively critical debate” (889). Wayne’s characters seem to impersonate an “antisocial longer who functions in a world peopled with sociopaths” (891). This is important to the depiction of The West because it creates the concern of the man surviving in the harsh desert, rather than “..the garden world that is civilized America” (891).

Additionally, “moral individualism and pervasive corruption” (896) are shown to be associated in most of Wayne’s films. Matheson using the example of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is important because the main character Stoddard, “expects the West to be a place where civilized values are respected” (896). Yet as shown in many of Wayne’s films, this belief is quite incorrect; with the West being a large unknown.

Wayne has proven to dedicate himself to his characters, “achieving their full human potential” (900). Applying himself to the West so immensely has allowed for his legend to stay almost as clear as it was when he was still living. I believe that Wayne as well as his characters satisfied their need to be the ultimate hero, justifying the many “killings” by ending a life that had created bad.

The Searchers- ER

“All there is is space, pure and absolute, materialized in the desert landscape” (70). The Searchers portrays this beautifully in the opening scene as Ethan approaches his family’s house. It is very evident that the cowboy and the landscape have a very strong relationship. The cowboys even seem to mimic the background by what they wear. “Men imitate the land in Westerns; they try to look as much like nature as possible. Everything blends imperceptibly into the desert” (72). Ethan wears many muted colors throughout the film that easily blends with the desert. There is a large contrast with the soldiers who offer to help towards the end of the film. The viewer instantly distinguishes between the soldiers and the cowboys because the soldiers wear clothing that stands out more against the desert landscape. The desert itself tells a lot about the person who is willing to pass through it. Deserts are barren and lack many commodities such as water that are needed for survival. “The landscape challenges the body to endure hardship- that is its fundamental message at the physical level. This is a hard place to be; you will have to do without here. Its spiritual message is the same : come, and suffer” (71). Cowboys willingly “suffer” in the desert and that willingness displays the need for cowboys to be thought of as the alpha male. The protagonist must be strong and brave in order to avoid death.  Surviving, on its own, proves to be a difficult task since the desert is “the landscape of death” (70).