The Good , the Bad and the Ugly - JM

After the 1960’s the classic western became less popular as it made room for new types of westerns such as the spaghetti western. Navajo Joe and The Good the Bad and the Ugly exhibit the difference between the classic western and revised version: the spaghetti western.

The opening scene of Navajo Joe presents an Indian village under attack by outlaws. The cries from children, women and men occupy your hearing. During the scene a woman is killed and he tries to scalp her. This opening scene fulfills one of the first elements of spaghetti westerns which are excessive violence. Joe returns to his village only to be welcomed by dead bodies and mayhem. He responds by trailing Duncan and his men on a quest to achieve revenge. It is here that Navajo Joe establishes himself as the alpha male. This is substantially different from classic westerns as he is an Indian, the alpha males common enemy. Classic westerns could not live on because they fuels inequality and discrimination in a society that was moving away from that. Navajo Joe presents a new type of hero for viewers to identify with, regardless of his skin tone. The film is filmed after the establishment of the equal pay act and the civil rights act which legally freed the minorities in America, regardless of whether or not society had to become accustomed to it.

The Good the Bad and the Ugly is also a very violent film which fulfills the characteristics of the spaghetti western. Blondie, the alpha male cowboy has unfaithful sidekicks who he must trick in order to survive and receive his share of gold. Blondie is not loyal to them as they are not loyal to him. As an alpha male with no loyal sidekicks, Blondie is in a unique situation which forces him to look out for himself and no one else. This film shows the negative view of Italy about the United States in particular their greed. The films is a suitable representation of the increase in violent in westerns with films that lacked a hero who upheld the rights and stability of a town.

Spaghetti Westerns are more violent and revised from the classic western because they are a representation on the Italian view of Americans.

The Gunfight at the OK Corral-BS

In the film The Gunfight at the OK Corral, the two main characters, Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday display traits of an alpha male cowboy. However, Doc is more of a sidekick to Wyatt because of many reasons. Doc is a more emotional character, a trait that is more often associated with female characters. Next to Wyatt he is viewed weaker because Wyatt is both more physically and mentally stronger. Doc falls victim to gambling and drinking and he is known for killing and being an outlaw in the towns. On the other hand, Wyatt takes his responsibilities of town marshal and his family seriously. Doc is verbally and physically abusive to his love interest Kate and finds himself more focused on settling old debts rather than working on his relationships.

Although Doc seems like a bad sidekick to Wyatt, he remains loyal to him and refrains from killing Ringo because Wyatt did not want him to. He also comes to Wyatt's side in the big fight and recognizes that Wyatt is a better person that he was. I think that Doc tries to be an alpha male but ultimately fails because he cannot live up to Wyatt. I believe he has respect for Wyatt and tries to model his life after his, but fails because he live by a different moral code. Doc can be considered Wyatt's sidekick because of his loyalty and respect for Wyatt and his desire to stand by Wyatt's side until the very end.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly/Navajo Joe-MR

Spaghetti Westerns, a sub- genre that came to existence in the 1960's, were filmed in Europe during the 1960's. These films were insightful views of the American life, as the films critisized many aspects of American life. The film, Navajo Joe and The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, are perfect examples of Spaghetti Westerns, that show the European view of American Life. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly was filmed in 1966, and contrasts many aspects of the classic western film. Classic Westerns featrue one alpha male cowboy, whereas this film features three powerful men that can arguably be classified as alphas. The classic western also follows a formula where the shootout is the ultimate decider of the films outcome. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, features extreme violent throughout the film, clearly showing a European distaste for the advocacy of violence in the United States. The film, Navajo Joe, features many of the same aspects as the Good, the Bad, the Ugly. Navajo Joe, features two alpha male cowboys, a violent plot, and a unique perspective of American Racism. Joe, a native american, is consitently belittled by the white folks in the film, despite being a clear alpha male. Despite the hatred directed towards him, he still proceeds to save the people that are consitently ungrateful for his help. The European spaghetti western proved to be a unique view of the American Values at the time.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly/Navajo Joe-KO

Through the 50s and 60s, the classic Western cowboy movie began to die out as the spaghetti Western took its place at the top. In the last decade of Westerns, the films The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and Navajo Joe depict are a product of the spaghetti Westerns that reflect Americans changing and questioning of previous held values.

In The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, it starts with a bang. Literally. The rolling credits before the opening scene alone foreshadow and set the tone for the rest of the film as it blast with gunshots. The movie begins with violence and keeps that steady pace throughout the film as Blondie, Tuco, and Angel Eyes go in search for their treasure and will go through any means to find it, even stabbing one another in the back. This greed drives each one to result to violence, which takes up the majority of the film with gunshots and shootouts overpowering words and conversations. Unlike classic Western films where the violent scenes are hyped up to be the climax, the spaghetti Westerns has violence in nearly every scene. For example, the first character to speak in this film does not do so until about eleven minutes into the film. And the conversation only lasts a minute or so until he and his son are shot dead by Angel Eyes, who then goes on to shoot the man who paid him to kill the first one. As time wore on, the Western film genre began to be more violent with the spaghetti films and no longer depicted heroes who upheld the American ideals but were violent, greedy, petty criminals who ruthlessly murdered others. Made in 1966 at the end of the Western film genre, the film reveals the conscience of Americans during the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was sensitizing Americans to the issues of U.S. imperialism and warfare against non-white people, and comparisons can be made between American patriotism and the violence atmosphere of the cinematic Western. This picture of excessive and unnecessary violence can be further seen in the spaghetti Western Navajo Joe.

Following in step with the previously mentioned film, Navajo Joe opens with an Indian village being attacked by outlaws as one of them kills a woman and proceeds to scalp her. The credits begin to roll with the Wild West music accompanied by the screams of the Native Americans; it is clearly scene that the film has fulfilled the spaghetti Western film characteristic of excessive violence (not to mention what influenced Tarantino). When Joe finds his tribe attacked and massacred, he trails Duncan and his men and sets off on his rampage of revenge that, as expected of a spaghetti Western, packs the film with violence. Very different from the classic Western film, the Native American Joe is the heroic figure who has to defeat the white American outlaws for justice. In the 60s, America had already begun to shed light on the issue of racism, which destroyed the future for classic Westerns. The Western genre did not survive because it was one of the most racist genres of the century. Like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, this film was also made in 1966 and dealt with many of the same issues of the backlash of the Vietnam War and the change of American views. It is the product of the civil rights movement of the postwar era that killed the genre as filmmakers and Americans began to stray from and question the classic Western film formula, which was undignified violence against “others” mainly Native Americans.

Through excessive violence and reversal of roles, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and Navajo Joe represent the spaghetti Western film genre and America’s progress towards being more politically sensitive and correct.

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly/ Navajo Joe-BS

Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western film that emerged in the mid-1960s, so named because most were produced and directed by Italians. In the film Navajo Joe, the opening scene is of a massacred Indian village. The outlaw, Duncan finds his men falling victim to a solitary rider, Navajo Joe. The main character in this movie is a Native America which is different from the classic westerns that depict the alpha male as a white cowboy. Joe saves two prostitutes who have overheard Duncan plot to steal a train full of money belonging to the bank. Spaghettic Westerns show the true greed of cowboys by the main plot in both Navajo Joe and The Good, the Bad, the Ugly surrounded on the idea of money and the pursuit of being rich. The two main characters in The Good, the Bad, the Ugly Tuco and Blondie team up to scam towns into thinking they have caught a wanted man, Tuco, and Blondie stands on the outskirts of the town after collecting the reward and shoots down Tuco before he is able to be hung. Also, after Tuco finds out of a buried teasure he does whatever is in his power to get to the money and become a rich man. The Italians seem to judge Americans to be greedy and money driven. We do whatever it takes to be rich and will show no mercry to anyone who stands in the way.

The Good the Bad and the Ugly / Navajo Joe - DP

The spagetti western differs from the prototypical western in that it does not exprss American ideas per say, but express the wrongs and imperfections of American society.  The spagetti westerns were filimed in Europe in the 1960's, and show the outsider's view on America.  The films draw great attention with extrmely famous actors such as Eastwood and Reynolds, and they were chosen to showcase these types of films.  Being made in the heat of the civil rights movement, the spagetti westerns focused on the internal trouble of the United States, seen from a foriegn point of view.

In the spagetti westerns racism  comes to te forefront.  Navajo Joe is a film that carries a rich anti-racism theme.  Joe, being a Navajo, expresses that all people are equal.  He is the one who is superior to the white men around, and he ends up being more of an American that all of the white-folk.  His ancestors lived in the Americas for years, and by expressing this, I sends the message to the viewers that people from all walks of life are equals.  The fact that the alpha male comes from the category of "other" shows the chane in thought during the time the film was made.  The spagetti westerns also portray America as unreasonably volence and brutal.  The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and Navajo Joe display a very intense amount of bloodshed and violence.  Tuco is excessively tortured in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and pretty much everyone else inthe film kills without thought and remorse.  The scalping and pillaging in Navajo Joe note the foriegn view that the United States promotes killing as first-resort, not a last-resort.  There is also no coincidence the filsm were made during the Vietnam War, a war that was said to be pointless and only for the sake of bloodshed.  This expressed the American love for violence an lack of diplomacy.  All in all the spagetti westerns show the flaws in American society, which links directly to the foriegn view that America is a "brute" country.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly/ Navajo Joe - RS

The Spaghetti Western is an Italian based western that emerged within the mid-1960's. The teams that created these films were usually made up of people from Italian and Spanish descents. Additionally, in order to gain quick attraction, big stars such as The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly actor, Clint Eastwood, were cast. The major themes in these films deals with the Mexican Revolution and additionally were sometimes filmed in Mexico in order for the plot to be as realistic as possible. This differs from the Classic Western, mostly because the "other" in the Classic Western is usually of Indian decent, where as in the Spaghetti Western is either of Italian or Mexican heritage.

In The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly the plot is of a deserted "ghost-like" town during the Civil War. Clint Eastwood plays a strong alpha male who can take his already lit cigar and use it to light a cannon, causing an outburst of fighting, while he just takes the backseat. The rest of the cast is of Italian and Mexican decent, as shown by accents as well as facial hair. On a race to find the fortune, Blondie (the good), Angel Eyes (the bad), and Tuco (the ugly) search to find the gold hidden in a cemetery, to where they later have a Mexican standoff before drawing their guns.

In Navajo Joe, Burt Reynolds (another famous American actor in a Spaghetti Western), plays Joe, who is on a mission to find the other bandits that killed his group. This film, which was filmed in Spain, shows Joe reclaiming his dignity; after being put down by the towns people. Joe fights Duncan to the death although he had just been shot by a hidden gun that Duncan had on him. After this, Joe sends the horse he was using back to the town in order to prove to the towns folk, that he is not weak and all in all a truthful person. The staring actors in addition to the director and producer of this film, were mostly all either Italian or of Mexican nationality.

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly/Navajo Joe- VC

These two films are spaghetti westerns and they differ greatly from classic westerns. In The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly there is three main characters who all embody the characteristics of the alpha male cowboy. Whereas, in classic westerns there is only ever one alpha male. In Navajo Joe, the main character is an Indian. Usually, in classic westerns, Native Americans have very small roles. The classic western films also have a formula to them. They usually follow a similar plot line; there is a bad guy and an alpha male cowboy. We never find out much about either of their background's and in the end the cowboy kills the bad guy. However, these spaghetti westerns didn't follow that same plot line. In The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, there was no 'bad guy' that they were trying to kill and no people they were trying to protect as their duty. Instead, the three main characters were trying to find hidden money. The films also represent the cultural events during that time. Navajo Joe features a Native American as the main character. He is seeking revenge against the gang that killed is wife. This film was made in 1966 and during the 60s there were great strides with the Civil Rights Movement. Native Americans were also fighting for more rights. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly was also made in the 1960s and it reflects the growing power of the Civil Rights Movement through its Hispanic character, Tuco. During this time, Hispanic Americans were fighting for more rights as an opressed minority.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly/ Navajo Joe -KH

In the mid-sixties, a new genre of western films came about that were drastically different from the classic westerns. These “spaghetti” westerns were filmed in Europe, and were primarily directed by Italians (hence the name). Characteristics included descriptive and distinctive music, poor voice dubbing (as they were originally filmed in a different language), excessive violence, and a new take on the alpha male. They posed an outsider’s view of the American ideal that classic westerns upheld, and therefore a critique of America itself. Spaghetti westerns make statements about America’s violence, greed, and racism.

Merciless violence is the most defining trait of a spaghetti western. It can be seen in Navajo Joe from the very opening scene. The movie starts with Duncan and his gang raiding an Indian village, killing and scalping as they go. Vivid brutality can be seen throughout the rest of the movie as well: Joe killing off the gang like they were flies, or Duncan killing every witness on board the train. Callous murder and violence are also part of what make the film The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly so memorable. Each main character shows a complete lack of compassion for others, killing anyone in their way without a second thought. Among the countless shoot outs, there are even more graphic scenes - such as when Tuco is being grotesquely tortured at the labor camp by Angel Eyes. The emphasis on violence can be seen as Europe’s view of America’s reliance on brutality for problem solving. Specifically, in 1966 when the films were made, the Vietnam War was going on. The films present the idea that American’s would rather fight than talk, rather shoot than find amiable solutions.

These films also depict white American males as greedy and financially oriented. In both movies, the main object of desire and battle is a large sum of money. In Navajo Joe, half a million dollars is on board the train. It is the American Dr. Lynne who comes up with the scheme to steal it. In The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the buried treasure in the cemetery is what each of the three men is fighting over. Blondie, the main white male, uses many schemes and ploys to get money. These include collecting ransom and then freeing the outlaw to repeat it, and giving Tuco the wrong grave site name. Both Blondie and Dr. Lynne only care about themselves and their goal of financial gain – the casualties are not even a blip on their radar. In classic westerns, usually morals and duties made up the alpha’s motivation. In spaghetti’s, money and revenge for wrongs committed against them are the only motivators. This is seen as an Italian critique on America as a whole – specifically though, the capitalist and free-market system.

In the act of re-defining the alpha-male role, spaghetti westerns make a statement about racism in America. In most classic westerns, the alpha was a white male, and minorities were purely on the outskirts as “others”. In Navajo Joe, the main character and alpha male is an Indian. In The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Tuco is not white, but he does have a prominent role. In Navajo Joe, race and discrimination are a focal point. The Americans are the ones raiding innocent villages, and turning in scalps for money. They are the ones who are too weak to fight their own battles, and yet still look down on Indians as inferior. Joe, a Navajo, is the only one who can save them. He makes a strong point about how he is truly more American than any of them, as his ancestors were all born on the land. All of these statements can tie in to racism in America in the mid sixties. The battle for civil rights was in full swing, but there was still an overwhelming oppression of minorities. All of these critiques to classic western roles and American society are part of what define the spaghetti western as a genre.

3:10 to Yuma-MR

The original film 3:10 to Yuma and its remake depict an evolving American culture during the respective periods that they were filmed. Naturally with time the attitudes of a population change and evolve, and these films depict that very clearly. The original film, made in 1957, was filmed during the classic western period. This film has many of the characteristics that the other films had during this time period. The remake, characterizes the evolution of the cowboys in the west and the emerging presence of the family man. Both films follows the timeline of the classic western. There is turmoil and trouble throughout the film, but the climax ends in a shootout. The original film, builds the story up to the climax, whereas the remake has a more developed story throughout. The remake has developed characters that reveal many aspects of their life that the original fails to do. In classic westerns, the characters did not need to be developed as they shared most of the same qualities and traits in all classic westerns. However, with the development of a complex story with completely developed characters it is easier to understand their actions in the film. Ben Wade and Dan Evans, the two dominant male characters in the film, have different traits within each of the film. Ben Wade, the outlaw in both films, seems a simple and in many ways typical villain in the 1957 film. He is cunning, sly, and vicious in his attempt to thwart off his captors. He does not seem to develop a relationship with Dan Evans at all. When Wade voluntarily jumps on the train with Dan at the end of the film it is a surprise. However, in the remake the cooperation of Ben Wade is not surprising as his relationship with Evans develops throughout the film. In the film, Wade is still a vicious and cunning outlaw, but also contains an almost personable trait. He clearly begins to care and understand Dan's situation and devotion to his family as the film develops. In the original there is little mention of Dan's family at all, whereas it is the driver of action in the remake. The remake compared to the original clearly shows the demise of the wild ways of a classic cowboy and the emergence of the family man.

3:10 to Yuma - DP

The films 3:10 to Yuma, both the original and remake, show the thoughts and feelings of their time.  The original (1957) expressed a typical classic western and a very conservative America.  The remake (2007) describes a much different America, a more liberal country than before.  They both express the feelings of the time and reflect upon what was going on in the country when the movie was made.

In the original film, violence is not showcased as much as in the remake.  The film is of the classic style and does not insist upon "thrilling" the audience whith such actio and violence.  During the 1950's the U.S. was in the middle of the Vietnam War and I believe some of the same feelings about the war are reflected in the film.  No one wants Evans to take Wade all the way to Yuma, they feel like it is both to dangerous and unneccesary.  However, Evans insists the task must be done much like the thoughts and feelings of the Vietnam War.  Many people thought the war was a no win situation and could not stop communism, much like bringing Wade there wouldn't solve anything, but the protagnists (U.S. soldiers and Evans) fought the good battle anyways and died trying.

The remake of the film, expresses the fear and timidness that we live in today.  In the remake, everyone always seem so afraid.  Evans that he will lose his farm, the Pinkertons that they will get robbed, the sherriff, citizens, everyone just seems terrified with everyday life.  I believe this is because of the introduction of terrorism in the 2000's.  After 9/11 the country is left in constant fear of terrorism, and have taken drastic measures, some extemely ove the top, to prevent such measures.  This sounds much similar to Evans drastic descision to take Wade all the way to Yuma to provide safety and security for his family.

3:10 to Yuma KO

The original make of 3:10 to Yuma in 1957 is much different from the 2007 remake for it is simple and can stand on its own without the need to show over glorified violent scenes and such. During the time the original was made, America had many fears that included Cuba and the guerilla warfare being waged by Castro as well as the launching of Sputnik by the U.S.S.R. Although we had just ended the Korean War in ’53, it was not that shocking that we had yet entered another war, Vietnam, just two years later in ’55. Mainly during this time, the Western films began to question the racism that was most present in previous films. The civil rights movement of the postwar era killed the genre as filmmakers and Americans began to stray from and question the Western film formula, which involved undignified violence against “others.” Thus, in the early film we see the Western from a simple front with the likable antagonist Ben Wade being pursued by the desperate protagonist Dan Evans. A few bumps in the road and little blood shed, Evans completes his task of getting Wade on the train, and the draught even ends as the credits are about to roll. This Western, all in all, is a simple, classic one which did not end in action but instead left the audience to question the characters. The remake decided to take another spin on it.
In the 2007 3:10 to Yuma, there is a lot more show and flash for violence. The director took the basic plot line and made a revision film with more body counts, bloodshed, unnecessary nudity, and embellished it with brutality and elaborate plot lines. The combination of being produced during the age of technology and post September 11th 2001, this remake provided audiences with more blood and violence that Americans had become accustomed to expect in the theatres. After Islamic fundamentalist terrorists hijack four U.S. airliners and crash them into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center in New York City, America was knocked on its ass in a state of despair. Of course, the United States military, with participation from its ally the United Kingdom, commenced the first attack in the War on Terrorism on the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. During 2007, a terror plot to blow up JFK International Airport in New York City is thwarted when four terrorists are arrested and charged with its plan and the War on Terror continues. Surrounded by fear, anger, and upset, Americans are gradually making their way back to the olden ideals that violence is a means to end conflict. This is seen in the movie when it ends by having Evans shot drastically four times as Wade screams in protest. For revenge, Wade shoots his own men who disobeyed his desires, and walks back onto the train in defeat in hopes to satisfy and finish the dying Evans quest. This new version of the film shows the nation's outlook on violence and how time over time we always turn to it to solve conflict.

3:10 to Yuma- JM

3:10 to Yuma is a film shot not only in 1957 but remade in 2007. It is a western film that displays the changes in society over half a century. The 1950's marked the end of World War II therefore many young warriors returned to America to resume their lives. Many men started families as soon as they returned while other tended to their already flourishing family. The 50's is said to have experienced a 'Baby Boom' which was the exponential increase in pregnancies due to the return of the soldiers. Due to these population increases America had to keep up therefore they had to expand the types of items purchased in order to survive. The 21st century greatly differs from the 50's concerning the qualities of an alpha male, equal rights, technology and society as a whole.

Although the general plot of the films is similar there are some adaptions in the revised version in more ways than one. The soldiers rely more on their guns which are much more advanced than the weapons in the original film. The guns in the remake are much more advanced due to the advances in technology as a result of the Cold War. In the 1950's society had not yet developed nearly as advanced technology as we know today. Therefore the soldiers in the remake would definitely be more reliant on guns because they were available.

Another prominent difference is the characteristics of the male characters. Ben Wade is the villain in the film, the 21st century version of Wade is more physical strong and skilled and we see this when he kills two men but he also displays a sensitive side when he draws the bird and when he tells Ben Wade about the death of his father. He is able to show emotion and a softer side due to the change in the typical alpha male. On the other hand the 20th century version of Wade does not show any bit of emotion and clearly has no soft side. The alpha male character, Dan is also shown in a very differen light in both films. In the original film Dan helps to capture Ben Wade and shows his independence and bravery when he stands up against the group in order to complete the task. The 21st century version of Dan is seen in a radically different light, he tries to gain the respect of his oldest son and wife because he feels as if he is an embarrassment.

The great different in time of the remakes is clearly seen not only in the characters but the perception of characters and the resources available and used by the characters. Violence is more prevalent in the remake than in the original while the alpha male and villain could be perceived as tougher in the original. One thing they do have in common is the minimal role of females in the film although they seem to be more respected in the 2007 remake. The cultural happenings are clearly represented by each film and because society was very different in each time the films needed to be different in order to represent this change.

3:10 to Yuma-BS

The 2007 remake of 3:10 to Yuma western film showcases the changes in society since the original film was shot in 1957. In the 1950's the end of World War II brought thousands of young servicemen back to America to pick up their lives and start new families in new homes with new jobs. With an energy never before experienced, American industry expanded to meet peacetime needs. Americans began buying goods not available during the war, which created corporate expansion and jobs. As seen in previous western films made in the 50's and later, Dan the main character is portrayed as the alpha male. He helps capture the "villain" Ben Wade and stands up against the his posse to finish the job. However, in the remake Dan is seen as an embarrassment his family and feels like he has to prove something to his wife and sons, along with the rest of Bisbee. The 2007 revisionist film is much more dark and cynical and the gun plays a much more prominent role in the film. Along with the gun there is much more action in the film and Dan is a more emotional character.

3:10 to Yuma- VC

The original film of 3:10 to Yuma was made in the 1950s. This was a decade that was consumed by cultural issues such as, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Cold War and the start of a second wave of the women's movement. In the United States, during the Cold War, there was also the red scare which was a fear of communism. This eventually resulted in McCarthy's black list, which accused people of being communists. The film was released in 1957 and these cultural issues were reflected in the film. The role of women in this film is very minimal, as in most western films of its time. Alice, Dan Evans wife, has a small role and when she tries to convince Dan to give up and not bring Ben Wade to the train, he ignores her and continues with his duty. The only other women role was the girl in the bar that Ben Wade meets. She has a limited part and is left behind once Wade is caught. The alpha male cowboy is Dan Evans and the 'villian' is outlaw Ben Wade. Dan fulfills his duty and brings Wade to the 3:10 train to Yuma prison. These two characters fulfill the customary roles of the alpha male cowboy and the 'bad-guy'. The remake of 3:10 to Yuma was released in 2007. The cultural issues were much different than the ones taking place when the original was filmed. Events such as, 9/11 and the War on Terror were the main focus. The role of women in 2007 as compared to their role in 1957 was very different. The change in cultural issues is reflected in the remake of this film. The role of women is still small in this film, but their characters were more respected in this film. Dan Evans is still the alpha male cowboy and Ben Wade is the muderous outlaw. However, the alpha male cowboy is very different in this film than in most westerns. He is injured because he lost his leg in a war. He is desperately trying to gain respect from his oldest son and wife. In the end, he dies which never happens to the alpha male cowboy. The characteristics of this cowboy seem to reflect the cultural struggle with war that has been continuing since the early 2000's. Ben Wade is also different from most bad guys. He tells Dan Evans about his father's death and about how his mother abandoned him. For the first time, their is psychological reasons for what makes the outlaw evil. In the end, he even kills all of the men in his gang after they murder Evans and he gets on the train for Yuma prison.

3:10 to Yuma - RS

Compare the two films with reference to cultural issues. The first was made in 1954; the second, in 2007.

Both versions of 3:10 to Yuma show similarities in their plots, yet different in some of the content due to the fact that the time in which they were made were so different. In the 1957 original version, the film was the typical Western, containing all the factors that we expect such as violence, the desert, and the alpha male. Whereas in the 2007 remake, the use of guns is shown much more and plays a large role than in the original. For instance, in the remake, Wade shoots two men, and Evan's son bears arms. The importance of guns seem to be more of an importance in the 2007 film. The reason for this may possible due to the second Constitutional Amendment, "the right to use and bear arms."

Another large difference between the two films is the alpha male character. The character of Wade in the 2007 remake shows the character more into the fighting aspect and being considerable better than the rest of the town's folk; when he killed the two men, he did so because he did not favor them. Additionally he shows a sensitive side to him when he draws a bird as well as a naked bar waitress. Yet in the original film, Wade does not show a stitch of emotion nor sensitivity. These differences show the more relaxed nature the 21st century is than the 20th, when the original was made in. Men today are accepted to have emotion and even show it by doing things such as crying in public, where as in the 50's this would have been considered unacceptable.

3:10 to Yuma - KH

The 2007 remake of 3:10 to Yuma is vastly different from the 1957 original film. It fits the dark, cynical characteristics of a revisionist film. Many scenes were added, and roles extended. The outlaw Charlie Prince, for example, had a much larger role in the remake. He embodied blind faith and pure evil. He had a goal, and his loyalties lay in saving his boss Ben Wade. Prince was willing to kill anyone that got in his way in the slightest, yet in the end, Wade showed no appreciation. His thanks was killing Prince without blinking an eye. This can be seen as referencing the war in the Middle East that was going on during the time the film was made.

This leads to the revisionist film’s focus on violence. Everything showed more gore and had a larger impact. In the 1957 film, when the stagecoach was held up there were very few casualties. In the remake, it was a full on chase scene with both sides fighting back and many more people being mercilessly killed. Other examples of added violence include the opening scene with the barn being set on fire, Wade stabbing Tucker to death with a dinner fork, and the ending massacre scene when the train is coming in. This isn’t including all of Charlie Prince’s atrocious murders throughout the film, such as burning a man alive after he provided the desired information. The added brutality may reflect society’s focus on violence in the 21st century: in the media, gangs, and greater TV exposure to crimes committed.

The alpha male is an evolved character in the new version. In the old, Dan Evans was certainly not as powerful or as successful as he wanted to be. However, in the new, Dan is far more emotional and physically damaged (missing a leg from the war). Ben Wade can be seen to fit the revisionist role of an anti-hero. He is the villain in the beginning of the film, but then show’s good qualities towards the end. These include saving Dan during the Apache attack, and refusing to duck down or leave him behind in the ending scene. Both characters are further developed by the background information provided about them. How Dan was shot because he was a deserter, and how Ben’s mother abandoned him at a train station. The characters are not black and white; they have depth – good and bad values.

There are a few statements about government in the remake that were not present in the first. This could be due to United States’ unrest in 2007, with the war in the Middle East, and a presidential election coming up. The movie mentions the Apache people, and how they are fighting back against being constrained to a reservation. Also, in response to Dan’s compensation for his injury, “They weren’t paying me to walk away; they were paying me so they could walk away.” Dan was hinting that the small sum the government provided him was only so they would have no further obligations toward him. The 2007 film as a whole was clearly a revisionist approach to the original movie, and it made many statements about the United State’s social and political characteristics at that time.

The Unforgiven

The film The Unforgiven takes its place in the Western genre as a revisionist film. One way this film can be categorized as such is seen by Morgan Freeman’s character, Ned Logan. For the first time in the genre, we see a strong, independent black male, Ned, who plays the protagonist, and also happens to be married to a Native American woman. This was a big turning point in the Westerns, for the Westerns were changing just as drastically as the times were. The film was made during a time when more transgender and intermarriages movements were rising and fighting for equality. This is depicted with Ned being married to a Native American woman. And when Ned is killed, he is displayed outside the saloon in a coffin like a Christ was on a cross. This reflects the ignorance and hateful reactions the women’s movement received after taking up the cause of the transgender among the other groups who were treated with inequality in America. Made in 1992, the film was portraying a very different aspect of the West than the classical films. It does not glorify violence and see it as a means to an end, but rather it depicts it as damaging and destructive to the people around it. The film also shows violence as the result of male insecurity, like when the prostitute gets her face slashed when she making fun of a man’s under-endowment in the beginning of the film. In the early 90s, President George Bush Sr. supported a monarchy government in the First Gulf War when lobbing missiles in Kuwait. This showed how powerful the nation was with our weapons of mass destruction. Eastwood shows the negative side of violence in this film and how it can destroy people through his characters Ned Logan and Will Munny. For the first time, Will expresses horror and contrition for his violent actions.

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral KO

In the film Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, the audience sees a unique relationship between the alpha male cowboy and his sidekick. In this film, Doc Holliday plays the role of the sidekick to the alpha male Wyatt Earp. The duo began once Wyatt saved Doc’s life, and thus Doc pledged his allegiance to Wyatt in hopes of returning the favor.
Generally, the sidekick is portrayed as sometimes the younger, less experienced man who is not as brave or courageous as the sidekick. Doc is special because he is older, dependent, loyal, and has a dark past, which on paper with those characteristics alone might define him as an alpha male. Doc may seem too strong of a character to be a sidekick, but he is not an alpha male because he is controlled by his vices of gambling and drinking, and is too old and sick. Doc Holliday is not an alpha male in this film because he is a prisoner of his vices and has failed, and in doing so he gave up his place when he honored his debt to Wyatt.