OSHER 669 - Western Films Part II: They Went That-A-Way!--Again!!

Cowboys and Indians, horses and guns, the saloon and the showdown have been part of the most durable genres of film and television, from 1903 to the present. This course will study westerns from 1956 ("The Searchers") to 1992 ("Unforgiven"), exploring justifications for violence, the shifting nature of "the frontier" (where everyone has a fresh start), and the tension between the individual and the community, and justifications for violence. We will examine clips from classic westerns and analyze how western film conventions, characters, and repeated patterns are altered by the social context around them.