Anti-Western

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Anti-Western is an umbrella term for films that represent a countercurrent to the early, classic Western genre. The idealizing and stereotypical representation of the settlement of America's west, of settler virtues and American heroism is deliberately unmasked in "Anti-Western" by using classic storylines, sets, stylistic devices and characters, but in the sense of the previous Western representation use inconsistent.

Origin and change

The decisive time for the emergence of “anti-westerns” was the 1960s , when confidence in American politics and the morality of American culture in general began to wane in the United States , primarily due to the Vietnam War . The western genre of that time in particular became the target of pacifist and intellectual currents, for whom the genre reflected the unreflective nature and mendacity of American patriotism. In the same decade, filmmakers began to incorporate this criticism into the genre in the USA ( late western ), but especially in Europe ( spaghetti western ).

The term “anti-western” itself soon became problematic or misleading, as the western genre did not dissolve by breaking away from classic knitting patterns, but instead developed in different directions and continues to celebrate successes to this day. The genres of spaghetti westerns or late westerns were shaped by this detachment, but set a variety of new priorities that were and are no less idealizing. A frequent motif in these genres is the conflict between the “good old days” and progress , urbanization and industrialization . Heroism - albeit not on the basis of a clear separation of good and bad - is always an important motive there.

Motifs

Deviations from the previously communicated stereotypes arise mainly in these points:

  • It occurred anti-hero on.
  • Stronger roles for women.
  • A sympathetic (more) representation of the native American population ( Indians ).
  • Generally a critical examination of the wars / the displacement / the murders of the American indigenous population
  • A critical stance towards the American government and the military.
  • A critical attitude towards the male characters.
  • Increased violence and lawlessness.
  • Non-traditional sexuality.
  • Black humor .

Well-known examples

These are films in which various anti-western aspects can be found:

literature

  • Kobak, Stuart J .: A western is a western is a western .
  • Marsden, Michael T. / Nachbar, Jack: The modern popular western: radio, television, film and print. In: A literary history of the American West, Fort Worth: Texas Christian University Press 1987, pp. 1263-1282.
  • Seeßlen, Georg : Western: History and mythology of western films. Revised New edition Marburg: Stoking 1995

Web links