Truth be told... I had never really seen a western film before watching My Darling Clementine in Art of Film this past week. That's not to say that I was never exposed to the western mythology. I've read countless western novels, including Lonesome Dove, The Virginian, and The Dark Tower Series (yes... this is a western of sorts... think of it as a fantasy / spaghetti western / horror series). Anyways, besides watching old episodes of Bonanza and Gunsmoke, I had never really watched a western (Blazing Saddles doesn't count).
That being said, watching My Darling Clementine in class has really made me remember what it was that i loved about westerns. I really identify with the classic western hero: the strong, silent loner who has to come to terms with the changing world around him. I also love watching the conflict between the frontier and civilization. In my humble opinion, I think that this conflict is far from being resolved, even in modern society.
The other thing i loved about westerns is simply that they're beautiful to watch. When shot well, westerns have a sort of unstated beauty. The scenery can overshadow the actors and whatever conflicts there are in the story, and for a moment the focus of the film is the silent beauty of the setting.
3 comments:
You definitely have a good point about how the settings are really good in westerns. Do you think if the movie had been in color instead of black and white it would have taken away from this beauty?
I think that is what is pecuilar about the genre. The movie becomes idealized and generalized to some unique, brief era of America, because of it, the plot loses alot of its value and emphasis (at least in my view). I feel the newer westerns don't fall into this trap as often. To make an analogy, the classic-type western is to post-war America as what the cheap, HBO action film is to us. A fun and exciting movie to watch, but not one to look too far into.
---Colin
I dont think I could have put it any better myself. If I sat in front of my computer for an hour trying to find the right words to describe a western, it would still not be near that. Definitely agree with you, great writeup salter.
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