The Cowboy (and Cowgirl) in American Culture: A Brief History of Western Film
Kerry Soper, American Studies

This course will trace the cultural meanings and uses of Western film in American cultural history from the 1930s to the present. We will study one or two representative films from each cultural era, looking at genre conventions, narrative patterns, and character archetypes. By charting significant shifts in the tone, content, and structure of these films from era to era, we will diagnose a variety of cultural anxieties and fantasies addressed by Westerns. Films studied during the week will include The Searchers; Shane; High Noon; Rio Bravo; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly; Little Big Man; The Wild Bunch; and Dances with Wolves.