How genres have changed over time #3

How genres have changed over time

Blog Post #3

In order for me see how genre has changed over time I was given a case study called 'The Western'. Whilst reading 'The Western' case study I had learnt various factors. 'Western' is a type of genre which commonly features their protagonists as cowboys, gun slingers and bounty hunters. Many people are fascinated by the western genre due to its 'mystical context'. Western genre films tend to be set in isolated and abandoned places allowing filmmakers to explore moral and social ambiguities. 

During the 1920's-1930's vast amount of westerns were made and it was considered as the most predominant cinematic genres. Alan Lovell identified four principle elements which contributed to the western genre;

The Covered Wagon - 1924

• A structure drawn from the 19th century melodramatic literature, involving a virtuous protagonist and a wicked antagonist who menaces a virginal heroine.
• An action story, composed of violence, chases and crimes appropriate to a place like the American West in the 19th century.
• The introduction of the history of the migration westwards and the opening of the frontier signaled in such films as the 'Covered Wagon' -1924 and 'The Iron Horse' -1924.
• The revenge structure, which was present by the time of Billy the Kid in 1930.

Italian Director Sergio Leone

During 1939, Stagecoach was released, this was specially known as the first ever 'modern western', this is when things started going up for the western genre as their was a significant development in the growth of the genre. As well as directing films such as Stagecoach John Ford also directed films such as 'My Darling Clementine' - 1946 and 'The Searchers' - 1956. During this period, the introduction to 'stylised' western also came to the film industry with films such as 'Johnny Guitar' - 1954 and 'High Noon' - 1952, this period was also cited as the 'classical' western period after its peak and breakthrough however shortly after wards the genre was facing a huge downfall in the late 1950's to the early 1960's. After that a new type of western came out called 'spaghetti western' which was produced by numerous Italians (Sergio Leone and Serigio Corbucci) which usually stars Clint Eastwood, a notable film is 'Fistful of Dollars' - 1964 and its sequels.

The late 1980's and early 1990's saw the dearth of westerns. The genre had lacked in contemporary audiences and other genres such as horror and science fiction (sci-fi). However towards the end of this period, they were making 'new' westerns, in 1988 'Young Guns' was released combining key conventions of a western with the 'bratpack' of young characters who at the time were popular, it also included a modern popular soundtrack. Shortly afterwards directors started to cast Native Americans (Indians) in a much more positive light. Very soon, even the white male protagonist (central to any western) was being displaced with 'Black westerns' . In 1992, Clint Eastwood turned to a director as well as an Actor,

In conclusion, you can see that the western genre developed over a certain period of time in order to survive, There has been many types of westerns such as stylised, new and classical. There have been quite a significant amound of western films in the 21st century such as 'True Git' - 2010 and a highly successful one 'Django Unchained' - 2013.