Westerns are the major defining film genre of the American film industry. They are one of the oldest most enduring film genres of all time. "The popularity of westerns has waxed and waned over the years. Their most prolific era was in the 1930's to the 1960's, and most recently in the 90's, their was a resurgence of the genre" (Dirks).
"The western film genre often portrays the conquest of the wilderness and the subordination of nature, in the name of civilization, or the confiscation of the territorial rights of the original inhabitants of the frontier" (Dirks). For example, in the classic American western film, Silverado, the film portrays the conquest of both wilderness in the name of civilization and the confiscation of territorial rights of the original inhabitants of the frontier.
The typical Western film plot is good vs. bad, virtue vs. evil, man vs. man, the classic simple goal of maintaining law and order on the frontier in a fast paced action story. They typically tend to involve gun fights, shoot-outs, outlaws and sheriffs, breath-taking settings and open landscapes and western costumes. The typical western hero is often a masculine person of upstanding moral integrity who is courageous, tough and self-sufficient. The Western hero usually stands alone to face danger using one of his many skills (roping, gun fighting, etc).
Sub-genres of Westerns:
- the epic Western
- the 'singing cowboy' Western
- the "spaghetti" Western
- the "noir" Western
- the "contemporary" Western
- the "revisionistic" Western
- the "comedy" Western
- the "post-apocalyptic" Western
- the "science-fiction" or "space" Western (Dirks).
Western themes are the heart and soul of the American Western film. In Silverado, the theme music can be as majestic as a cowboy and his horse galloping through the frontier or as calming as the open landscape. There is no good Western without it's theme music. The theme music of Silverado only plays when all four of the protagonist's are together. It helps develop a sense of camaraderie between the young men. Between the vivacious horns, majestic flutes and delicate violins there is an uplifting feel to the music, one that makes you feel that everything will work out. Without music in film, you would not feel fully submerged in the action and dialogue.
Works Cited
Dirks, Tim. "Westerns Films." Greatest Films - The Best Movies in Cinematic History. American Movie Channel. Web. 06 Oct. 2011. <http://www.filmsite.org/westernfilms.html>.
