Westerns from Hollywood

Westerns from Hollywood

In looking at the Westerns from Hollywood, it represents and

propagates the American Manifest Destiny to the West. (1998, American

Exceptionalism) The classic of these movies provide a glorification of

the history where people settle in the west, and bring peace to the

new land. Heroes were set in place, using violence against villains:

Indians or corrupted westerners, to bring peace and order in the new

land. I would like to focus on talking about the violence in westerns

here.

In light of the westward expansion of America, many immigrants, as

well as outlaws, were encouraged to move or forced to the west for

settlement. The land could hardly be legally claimed in the early

stage of settlement, and there were not enough resources to keep law

and order, to protect property rights. It is easy to conclude that

violence was an easy out in the wild west at that time.

The westerns usually romanticize the use of violence against the

villains, and justify the use of violence in demonizing the enemies,

in return bring peace to the west. According to Madsen (1998, American

Exceptionalism), through fighting off the villains, liberty of the new

land will be secured.

Using Stagecoach as an example of classic westerns, Ringo Kid bravely

fought the Indians and protected the fellow passenger to safety. Using

Shanghai Noon as an example of revisionist westerns, Chon Wang and Roy

had also fought off the villains who kidnappers and the evil manager

of the Chinese immigrants.

The romance of using violence against the villains in resolving

problems is a particular strong idea in all the westerns, of course in

other action-packed movies, yet the westerns intensively and

constantly target a certain group of people to demonize, so as to

justify the use of violence is a must.

In classic westerns, Indians in particular is demonized as an obstacle

to freedom and safety in the west.