The films Johnny Guitar and Two Mules for Sister Sara differ from the typical Western films because they have strong female characters playing the leading roles, making them the ‘others.’ During the times when these films were made, the nation was rattled with the fear of communism and women were filled with hope at the beginning of the women’s movement. The characters Sara, Vienna, Emma are an accurate depiction of the idea of otherness as well as a reaction to the events that took place during the time periods that the films were made in.
The film Johnny Guitar was made in 1954 post Word War II where the women were entered the labor force, thus woman felt more powerful after succeeding to do a “mans” job. This strong, powerful image of a woman is seen throughout this film with the characters Vienna and Emma. Vienna is depicted as a powerful and independent woman by owning her own business outside of the town, a saloon. Like the alpha male, Vienna is an isolated character that does not fit in with the townspeople. Because Vienna had different views and principles, the townspeople proceeded to see her as a threat. This decade was also a time when the nation was filled with fear of communism where people called the police on their neighbors if they suspected they were communists. Similar to how Americans were fearful of communists, the townspeople were fearful of Vienna. This is furthered shown when Emma points the finger at Vienna for her brother’s death when Emma doesn’t even have any real evidence. Emma is another strong female character who bosses men around, packs a gun, and acts before thinking. From the beginning of the women’s movement to the scare of communism, the women in this film depict the strong, independent woman of the 1950s.
The alpha male cowboy comes back into play in Two Mules for Sister Sara, but so does the female character. Predictably, the alpha male cowboy, Hogan, comes to save the damsel in distress, Sister Sara. Only, Sister Sara does the same for Hogan. Sara’s character portrays a very strong woman who displays male characteristics (i.e. she drinks, smokes, and swears). Compared to other women, Sara is an ‘other’ when she is acting as a noun and when she is representing the runner of a whorehouse. This film was made in 1970, during the second wave of the feminist movement during the Vietnam War. Thus, Sara is a strong and independent thinker who could be seen as Hogan’s equal.
When Western films began to cast bigger roles for women, they were illustrated as “others” who posed a type of threat to their community and society. Although Westerns were giving women more leading roles, the genre still could not survive without the presence of the alpha male cowboy. For every strong woman on screen, there was a stronger leading male. The films Johnny Guitar and Two Mules for Sister Sara differ from the typical Western films because they have strong female characters playing the leading roles, making them the ‘others.’
ReplyDeleteThis strong, powerful image of a woman is seen throughout the film Johnny Guitar with the characters Vienna and Emma. Vienna is depicted as a powerful and independent woman by owning her own business outside of the town, a saloon. Like the alpha male, Vienna is an isolated character that does not fit in with the townspeople. Because Vienna had different views and principles, the townspeople proceeded to see her as a threat. This decade was also a time when the nation was filled with fear of communism where people called the police on their neighbors if they suspected they were communists. Americans were pushed by the waves of the Red Scare and caught by the rip tide of fear. Similar to how Americans were fearful of communists, the townspeople were fearful of Vienna and her ambition to succeed. This is furthered shown when Emma points the finger at Vienna for her brother’s death when Emma doesn’t even have any real evidence. Emma is another strong female character who bosses men around, packs a gun, and acts before thinking. From the beginning of the second wave of the women’s movement to the scare of communism, the women in this film depict the strong, independent woman of the 1950s. The film reflected the fears that were present in society at that time of the women’s movement as if a woman were to be given power it would result in a revolution. Furthermore, even though Tess and Vienna are the main characters in this Western, the title of the film is the alpha male cowboy character, Johnny Guitar. . Similar to Vienna and Emma, Sister Sara portrays a strong female character in Two Mules for Sister Sara.
The alpha male cowboy comes back into play in Two Mules for Sister Sara, but not without the strong female heroine. Predictably, the alpha male cowboy, Hogan, comes to save the damsel in distress, Sister Sara. Only, Sister Sara does the same for Hogan. Sara’s character portrays a very strong woman who displays male characteristics (i.e. she drinks, smokes, and swears). Compared to other women, Sara is an “other” when she is acting as a noun and when she is representing the runner of a whorehouse. Made in 1970 during the second wave of the feminist movement during the Vietnam War, Sara mirrors the rise of women’s rights as they fought and demanded the right to abortion, free childcare provision, and most notably, equal pay. Accordingly, Sara is the image of the strong and independent thinker who could be seen as Hogan’s equal. Moreover, Sara’s independence is depicted through her professions of prostitution and a nun, as these are two professions that men cannot control. Sara’s strong character does not fit in the cowboy formula, thus shows that the classic Western genre was becoming irrelevant as Americans no longer looked to the male to embody all their attributes. This was the decade when American women radicalized and were at the peak of the feminist movement. As the women’s movement affected the growth of women’s status in society, it subsequently affected the classic Western films and the demise of the genre.