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Home , Chris Adams (character), Ethan Edwards, John Wayne

The American and The Genre

By: Matthew Danko

Introduction

The American Western was a prominent genre in literature, television, and film in the early part of the 1900's. Hollywood would make these romanticized features about the Old West every year, sometimes with the same actors. It was a way for audiences to connect with a part of their culture while still being entertained. Eventually, the classic western faded away and a new genre took it's place - The

Superhero genre. This innovation in film started a new wave of storytelling while borrowing heavily from it's predecessor. Westerns like in 1956 and in 1960 are comparable to films like Batman from 1989 and The of 2012. Details like the characters and archetypes introduced in both genres to the types of settings these stories take place have been altered to create something new and different, but at their core, remain the same.

Western Genre

The Western genre has been shaping American culture since it was introduced in the 1900's.

Stories of the Old West gave audiences values and beliefs like loyalty, bravery, and virtue. The protagonist of these stories were meant to reflect the American way of life - a hero that will stand up for what is right over what is wrong. When Hollywood cast men like and John Wayne over and over again to exhibit these traits they soon turned into a symbol of the very characteristics they possessed. Audiences wanted to see them return to form because they were the true American hero that our country needed. These tales of western civilization spawned archetypes that were used throughout the genre. Characters such as The , The Gunslinger, The Outlaw, and The Sheriff all became stereotypes of what to expect in a Western feature. For example in 's The Searchers our protagonist is Ethan Edwards who is played by John Wayne. After being enrolled in the Confederacy he returns to his homeland. Years of war gave him a strong code of ethics and morals that he now lives his life by. Courage, Bravery, Loyalty are all present, but more so than any other is doing what is right. He was a soldier and so he believes in the codes of war but with no real law enforcement he must take matters into his own hands and fight back against our antagonist - Scar.

The Outlaw archetype is slightly different than one would expect. The antagonist is not a cowboy who wears all black, but instead is a Native American Indian. He presents our conflict to the hero when he slaughters Ethan's family and livestock as well as kidnaps his niece. These native

American Indians are portrayed as savage warriors that will scalp or kill anyone in their way. They don't have clear motives, but are presumably out for revenge against the white man for taking their land. The similarities between Scar, the chief, and Ethan Edwards are staggering but are meant to draw tension out of the story. There will always be similarities between the protagonist and the antagonist even if protagonist won't admit it. What makes the audience root for one over the other is simple - the hero is an embodiment of good and the villain is an embodiment of evil. This goes back to the very beginning of storytelling. Good versus Evil. This is what all storytelling is predicated on, but in a Western it makes it obvious.

The physical characteristics of these characters contributes to this distinction as well. For instance our western hero always wears light color clothing (Figure A1). He is all that is good and should be drastically different in appearance than our antagonist. In this movie, since he is an Indian

Chief (Figure A2) Scar is portrayed as a savage. A warrior with body paint and full head-dress. He will stop at nothing to harm the white man and must look like an animal for the purposes of painting him as the villain. Costume plays a big part in distinguishing our characters because they must represent Good or Evil in every possible way.

Then there are features like The Magnificent Seven (Figure A3). Chris Adams, Chico, Vin

Tanner, Bernardo O'Reilly, Britt, Harry Luck, and Lee are our Gunslingers and heroes of the piece.

These are a group of ragtag misfits are protecting a village from an Outlaw by the name of Calvera. We understand who is who because the seven men are hired to protect the village. They are guardians and saviors even if they have fallen on hard times. They value the villagers' lives more than they value money which is what Calvera and his men are ultimately after. These men could've said no and walked away, but something made them stay. There wasn't very much money offered to them to fight because the town didn't have much, but the men choose to fight off this bandit because it was the right thing to do, and some of them died defending it.

Films like these gave audiences a genre that was filled with exciting action and interesting characters. They wanted to see good triumph over evil, and they wanted to see Americans represented as strong-willed, powerful heroes, but what they most wanted to see where these final battles. By the end of the movie when the heroes couldn't take it anymore they broke out into a gun fight. Arguably, this is where the action genre originates from. All of the car chases and fighting sequences are derived from cowboys chasing each other on horses and trains to gunfights that take place in a small town.

They want to see the hero blast the villain away and their weapon of choice was always a six-shooter.

This entire set up of a genre has evolved into what we know today as The Superhero Movie.

Superhero Genre

In comparison, the superhero genre can be considered a modernization of the western. Instead of utilizing mountains and landscapes as the backdrop for our story the setting becomes a busy city.

The audience is still conditioned to root for the good guy, and in the modern age of film making they don't need it spelled out for them. They have witnessed many different styles of film and a variety of story telling that it all becomes common knowledge. Good guys wear white and bad guys wear black.

Good guys want to protect a city and bad guys want to destroy it. This is the same concept the superhero genre is predicated on. Many of the same archetypes of the western era are present here such as The Hero, The Anti-hero, The Villain, and The Law. They all function the exact same way to tell a story, but can be presented in a slightly different fashion. For example, in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman our protagonist (Figure B1) wears an all black, rubber, body armor that protects him while he is fighting crime. This is vastly different from his 1966 on-screen predecessor Adam West who wore brightly colored spandex (Figure B2). Yet, we understand he is the good guy because his in the movie has him punishing two criminals for mugging a family. The speculate that "The Bat" might be lurking out in the city, and that they should be careful. Just then he arises from the shadows and strikes fear into their hearts. It is apparent that he has taken to protecting the city of Gotham from any crime that would seek it's demise. This is further illustrated when a robbery takes places at the Ace's chemical plant and Batman steps in to thwart evil doer Jack Napier and his gang. Unfortunately, Jack falls into a vat of chemicals and he is transformed into The Joker (Figure B3). This Villain differs from any other incarnation up to this point. Mainly because he is wearing the brightest clothing and is constantly smiling. However, it is his introduction that lets the audience know he is a criminal and his sinister behavior once he becomes something beyond a joke.

Batman and the Joker are aesthetically and morally different which makes them equal opponents. In the movie it is shown that when Bruce Wayne was a child his parents were murdered by

Jack Napier. It was from this moment forward that Bruce vowed to be Batman and protect the city.

When Batman tries to stop Jack Napier at the chemical plant he drops him into the chemicals that turn him into The Joker. Each man created the other and are now pitted against each other in a battle over the city. The Joker has a bag of tricks and highly volatile poisons to kill of citizens of Gotham city whereas Batman has countless gadgets like the batarang, grappling hook, and batmobile to save them.

They have strict perspectives on how they view their world, but they must do what they believe to be right. Since Batman is Gotham's protector we know he is the good guy.

Much like the Magnificent Seven the superhero genre has it's own team up movie - The

Avengers (Figure C1). As per, Marvel's plan, they have been slowly introducing single characters (Iron

Man, , and ) to create an expanded universe where they all can co-exist. They eventually would be brought together to face a common enemy and protect the city. Each protagonist brought something new to the table. can fly and blast pulsar rays from his suit. The is incredibly strong and use his muscles to lift almost anything. Captain America is the true American

Hero with an invincible shield. Thor has the power of a god and can uses his hammer as a weapon.

Hawkeye is a sharpshooter with bow and arrows and Black Widow has highly trained hand-to-hand combat skills and has training in special military operations.

Each of them has their own special ability and skill that they will use to save Manhattan (and by an extension the world) from destruction. Loki (brother of Thor) is the antagonist that opens up a portal over New York city to bring the army down to help him enslave humanity. There are many instances where heroes do no originally get along at first, but once a larger threat is introduced that will go against their goals and objectives (primarily to keep people safe) they put aside their differences and work together. This was also true for one of Marvel's other successful franchises - Guardians of the

Galaxy from 2014. The difference here is that they are considered anti-heroes (Figure C2). Each protagonist are introduced as a criminal or outlaw, yet still likeable. They do not get along with one another because they all have their own selfish motives and desires. However, both the characters and the audience can put aside their differences because they do not compare to the villain Ronan's plot to obtain an infinity gem and gain power over the universe. Ronan is a genocidal warrior that is only motivated by destruction, but these "guardians" want nothing more than to save the universe. They still aren't fully good, but they understand right versus wrong.

The Superhero genre has generated many characters and story lines that they can safely call their own, but none of these features would be possible without the foundation of the Western genre.

There are clear patterns that have developed over the years and audiences have become attuned to look for them. However, what makes these genres different from one another? Why aren't superhero movies considered to be westerns? Why aren't westerns called superhero movies?

Why so similar? These genres have just as many differences as they do similarities that place them in their respective categories. First off: The Setting.

As stated above the main difference between these genres are where these stories take place. In the western genre, the plot of the film usually takes place in a large open space that could only be found in America's great Southwest or Mexico region. The Magnificent Seven was primarily filmed on location in Cuernavaca, Mexico to gain beautiful shots of the landscape (Figure D1). One of the best places to gather shots of the open land was to actually film there; this was something that couldn't be achieved solely on a sound stage. In The Avengers they are taken to New York City which was also shot on location, but was primarily done with CGI (Figure D2). Now that the technology is available, the amount of CGI that goes into producing a superhero movie is an extraordinary amount in order to achieve all of the action and special effects that these films require.

The Special Effects are another clear difference between these genres. With the western style films, they were simple and easier to achieve. Gun shots, explosions, and breakaway furniture were the primary effects necessary for westerns. Today, it is far more than that and unfortunately no longer allow filmmakers to use practical special effects. CGI is used heavily in newer films of the superhero genre.

For instance, it is added to partial creations that the actor can wear for motion tracking. This means that for Iron Man's suit they can digitally alter it with as much flair as possible while allowing functionality for the actor to be able to act. If Roberty Downey Jr. had to wear an Iron Man suit with all of it's moving parts it would make his acting look as mechanical as the suit itself. They do have versions of the suit that can be worn for certain scenes, but to achieve the desired effect it is typically CGI. The suit is key.

The hero (as well as the villains) have updated their wardrobe since the old west. No longer do they wear cowboy hats and revolvers, but have traded up to capes and cowls. Some heroes opt for a weapon of choice - Thor has his hammer, Captain America has his shield, Batman has his batarang.

These artifacts are similar to what John Wayne might reach for when putting down a no good criminal. They are useful tools that aid them in their mission to protect their city (or town). Instead of a horse for transportation they either have the ability to fly, jump far distances, or drive. These differences may seem small on the surface but when you look at them closer they are merely updated elements for an evolving world.

Which brings upon the next question, are the different? The answer is no. Even their differences are similarities. On when level you have a hero, a villain, and a town in trouble - The Searchers, The

Magnificent Seven, Batman, and The Avengers. Then when analyzing the elements that go into creating these worlds it is clear that the superhero genre is a modern adaptation of the western genre. Trade out the Old West for the New York, get rid of six-shooters and put in technological warfare, and introduce characters who are morally righteous (Captain America, Ethan Edwards, or Batman) versus unstoppable evil (Red Skull, Scar, The Joker) and you have one genre. All that's truly different is the time period they are told in. They maintain the same formula to tell their stories, and like westerns tried to do, superhero movies can possibly continue on indefinitely. Or can they?

Future of the Genre

Both Marvel and DC have announced their features for the next decade, but will they stop there? Most likely not. With new characters being created in comic books as well as animated and live- action features these companies have the ability to make an entire movie based on just one of these characters. Since Marvel's introduction (in the cinematic universe) of a shared existence among their characters there is no limit to how far they can go. Even characters barely anyone has heard of can be made into a a box office hit - The Guardians of the Galaxy is an example of that. But let's not forget what happen to the western genre. Eventually, studios started pumping out new westerns again and again because they were profiting off of a formula. This is what Marvel has been doing since 2008.

They introduce a character, they introduce the villain, they battle it out over the city, the hero prevails, and another link in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is added. Then they repeat the process until they have had enough stories and characters to build to a collective movie - The Avengers. That was phase one. Then they began tweaking the formula by adding more characters and more villains until they culminate into The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron. This is where there formula is readjusted, but still keeps with their original plan. Now they have multiple properties and story lines waiting to be made into features that bring the weekly comic book story arc to the silver screen. They can potentially cross-over every single character they've introduced because they are a part of the universe they've created.

However, they will reach a point where the audience will already be a step a head of them. They are using the same formula over and over again and introducing their characters in the same fashion, and consequently the story lines seem to be very similar in how they are achieved. The core audience will gaze in wonderment at the visual aspects of these movies (primarily CGI), but eventually they will grow tired of the genre. This is good and bad for DC. They have only just begun to mimic the formula of a Marvel movie by introducing a shared universe on screen. Man of Steel was the first in their

"phases" leading to The Justice League (their own Avengers). These team-up movies are ones that everyone is waiting to see, but afterwards the audience will be wanting more. They still have many characters to introduce in this new universe like Batman and Wonder Woman (both who will appear in

Batman V. ) and then for the first time will introduce characters like The Flash, Aquaman, and Hawkman who haven't appeared on the silver screen before. Since they are behind Marvel they stand somewhat a head by allowing them to try something different each time. However, by the time they get to a Justice League sequel, Marvel will have introduced so many stories and characters that the audience may be done with the genre.

Conclusion

It is no surprise that Westerns have fallen by the wayside of cinema. Hollywood made so many of the same stories in the same way that it became tedious to the audience. Once they figured out a way to use the same formula, but make it interesting, was to change everything about the genre. No longer was it just a cowboy in the old west, but it was a cowboy in outer space. This is how the western became the superhero genre. So what happens when the Superhero genre runs it's course? Will Thor trade his hammer for a spear and will Manhattan's skyline turn into an Aztec temple? Despite how many stories they can make in our current culture that is asking for more, eventually they will stop. The audience's interests will change and they will need a new way to keep movies interesting. As time passes they will start going back to make reboots and remakes of movies that are only a decade old. It would be fitting if once the superhero genre was tapped out that they reverted back to the way stories used to be told and the American Western became a prominent genre again. Figure Gallery

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Figure A1

Figure A3

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Figure B3 Figure Gallery

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Figure D2 References

Batman: The Movie. Dir. Leslie H. Martinson. Perf. Adam West and Burt Ward. Fox, 1966. DVD.

Batman. Dir. Tim Burton. Perf. Michael Keaton and . Warner Brothers, 1989. DVD.

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The Magnificent Seven. Dir. . Perf. , Steve McQueen, and Charles Bronson. MGM,

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The Avengers. Dir. Joss Whedon. Perf. Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson. Marvel

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Guardians of the Galaxy. Dir. James Gunn. Perf. Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper. Marvel Studios,

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