The New Western

Emulating the style of directors John Ford, Howard Hawks and Henry Hathaway, the Hollywood Western in its heyday of the 1930s through the 1950s reflected a grand patriotism. Then, it was ripe for revision in the turbulent 1960s. Directors like Sam Peckinpah, George Roy Hill, John Schlesinger and Dennis Hopper retooled the genre as a cultural commentary on America's involvement in Vietnam and the culture clash on American campuses. Between the mid-1970s and the turn of 21st century, the Western lost favor with the movie-going public. A few directors would briefly return the genre to its former glory, such as Kevin Costner with Dances with Wolves (1990) and Clint Eastwood with Unforgiven (1992). Yet for the most part the Western was revisited for comedic purposes in such films as Blazing Saddles (1974) and City Slickers (1991). Since 9/11, the Western has made a remarkable comeback, blending its original patriotic narrative with critical commentary on America's place in the global community. This collection of new essays explores how the genre today captures the spirit of our times, and explains why Americans return to the Western in times of crisis.