Essay/Term paper: Westerns

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Culture

Westerns


The settlement of the west has prompted storys which have captivated
the public throughout this century. More than any other historic event it has
been written about in books, magazines and comic books. Screen writers are no
exception, it has been the most popular subject of motion pictures from their
inception. It's nearness in history is one of the most important reasons for
it's success.
Soon after the west's settlement, motion pictures became popular.
Parents and grandparents were telling stories that were made even more real by
the events seen on the big screen. A person could much more easily imagine
events occuring within the past 50 years or so as compared to 150 years with the
revolution. This nearness in history gave stories of the west a realistic appeal
for the masses.
With the turn of the century came the industrial revolution. At this
time the average person's life changed radically. People now became "factory
workers," clocking in and leaving their brains at the door. The glamour offered
by these stories gave the majority of people a short escape from the everyday
"grind." People were able to ride off into the sunset for a few hours becoming a
rugged individual who makes a difference as opposed to the faceless body that
may turn one screw hour after hour. Storylines variety was endless for the
west's story tellers. Any story could be written and placed as a western. The
love interest, hated villian and old enemy all fit in a western. If a writer did
not want to take the time to develop an enemy, one was readily available in the
native americans. The wests stories can be varied by switching points of view as
seen by the outlaw martyrs view, lonely marshall and wandering cow hands view.
The appeal of the wests settlement to writers will forever be strong.
It's impact on the movie industry alone has been tremendous as witnessed by the
7000 plus westerns made. It was said at one time that every movie star has
played in a western. That saying will be true for quite some time to come.