The summer release of Jackie Chan’s “Shanghai Noon” seems to suggest that somebody in Hollywood still believes that movies in the western genre haven’t gone out of style.
Far from it, actually. A few years ago, Mel Gibson and James Garner teamed up to reprise the popular television series “Maverick.” Last summer, viewers came to theaters to see Will Smith’s re-enactment of the “Wild, Wild West.” And on the home movie front, films from the likes of Clint Eastwood and John Wayne have been released as box sets, while first-time DVD releases like “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” are making their appearance.
Why the continued interest in the Wild West, which American settlers tamed well over a century ago? Dr. Richard Levy, a history professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, believes westerns offer a way of freeing people from their jobs, as well as presenting an appealing role model for men.
“People today are too tied to their job, their computer or their Palm Pilot,” Levy said. “Westerns offer the autonomous male, the rolling stone that’s always free. A lot of what you see is pure myth, but that’s what is appealing about it. There also the “love as an obstacle thing” where the girl clinging to the cowboy gets cast aside so he can go fight someone. It’s the `doing what a man’s got to do’ thing.”
Dr. Virginia Wright Wexman, who teaches English and cinema at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said westerns retain an appeal thanks to their portrayal of land and racial issues, and their depiction of a portion of history with which American audiences can identify.
“Historically, more than any other genre, westerns have portrayed a story that conveys a sense of country and feelings about ourselves as a nation,” she said. “It’s also the only major genre that presents race as an important factor. You’ve got the Indians and Mexicans, and the white settlers, plus immigrants from Europe. There’s always the notion of what is the proper use of land and how much should people have.”
Modern westerns like “Wild Wild West” have added a technological, modern superhero spin, but the guns and horses, wide-brimmed hats, the towns with dirt roads and saloons, and a pretty girl thrown in the mix, still remain. Here’s a roundup of some video releases:
MGM has released the trilogy of Clint Eastwood “spaghetti” westerns, all in the letterbox (wide-screen) format: 1964’s “A Fistful of Dollars,” “A Few Dollars More” (’66) and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (’66). The DVD versions of the first two films ($25 apiece) each include a theatrical trailer, subtitles in English and French (“For a Few Dollars More” also includes Spanish), and a booklet that goes behind the scenes. “Good” offers 14 minutes of never-before-seen Italian footage, a theatrical trailer and production notes
Comparisons between these Eastwood films and the “Dirty Harry” series seem eerily familiar: the brooding cowboy of few words merely trades his boots, stumpy cigar and trademark over-the-shoulder blanket for a sport coat and a .44 Magnum. MGM also has released a box set titled “The Man With No Name Trilogy” ($60).
Much better is the March release from Paramount of the DVD of Howard Hawks’ 1967 “El Dorado,” ($30) featuring John Wayne, (the hired gun), Robert Mitchum (the drunken town marshal) and a young James Caan, whose character’s name is so long, friends call him `Mississippi.” The story is predictable enough and Wayne acts with the same gestures and inflections we’ve seen hundreds of times, but the digital transfer of this film made more than three decades ago sparkles. Colors are vivid and the sound is crisp and uncluttered.
It’s a pleasure to watch the motifs noted by Levy unfold, reminding viewers that westerns can be predictable but still fun.
“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (20th Century Fox, $30) is a Special Edition DVD that includes a 45-minute documentary, cast and crew interviews and commentary by director George Roy Hill and Hal David (among others), lyricist of “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head,” sung by B.J. Thomas. Burt Bacharach wrote the film score and nearly turned this 1969 western into a mini-musical. “Raindrops” is the film’s only vocal track and actually pales against a number of instrumental numbers that perfectly mirror action in the film.
Looking back on this Academy Award winner 31 years later, the film is carried more by the interplay between Robert Redford and Paul Newman than by the plot, which is an endless cycle of robbing banks, and then running away. The irony lies in that even the victims of the bank robbers, like the audience, root for the bad guys.
John Wayne’s “True Grit” (1969, Paramount, $30) offers the Duke’s Oscar-winning performance for his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn, an aging, overweight lawman who drinks too much whiskey and, in the view of the court, kills too many men. Some felt that Wayne’s Oscar was a token gesture, as he was aging and had not yet been crowned by Hollywood.
But the “True Grit” of co-star Kim Darby brought a new dimension to the character of Rooster Cogburn. Somehow, the film’s climax, which pits Wayne on horseback against four armed men, with a pistol firing in one hand and a rifle spinning in the other, makes this his finest ride.
Like “El Dorado,” the wide-screen version and the glorious color make viewing a pleasure.
Broad in scope and breadth, “Tombstone” (Hollywood Pictures, $30) contains all the motifs that have carried westerns throughout the years: horses, guns and the male code of honor. The 1993 film details the story of retired lawman Wyatt Earp, his brothers and their soulmate, Doc Holliday, who must restore law and order to the Arizona town of Tombstone, which has been ravaged by a red sash-wearing gang of outlaws. Val Kilmer’s portrayal of the drunken Holliday adds an usual depth not found in most westerns, as he plays the role of the resident scholar, psychologist, soothsayer and Renaissance man, in addition to being a deadly shot with a pistol. A tense drama with the sense of horror some war movies evoke.
Audio tracks in English, French and Spanish are included, as are Spanish subtitles.
“Maverick” (1994, Warner Bros, $25) allowed James Garner to reprise his role from the popular TV series, while Mel Gibson shines in the lead as the poker-playing smoothie whose charm is only surpassed by his incredible luck. Comic westerns are a Hollywood invention, since little about the real West was actually funny. But like horses and guns, wagons and Indians, the thirst for money, either through prospecting or gambling, often served as a plot device. Fortunately, little seen in “Maverick” is serious, which, of course, is exactly the point.
Included are English and French audio tracks, and subtitles in English, French and Spanish.
