The Western

The western is a genre that has long held fascination for a film audience, partly because of its 'mythical' context. This is because its set in the past, in isolated places removed from the rules and laws of modern society. This allows the film makers to explore moral and social ambiguities without any reference to any issues. In the original westerns a fight between forces of good and evil would happen. The heroic cowboy being victorious and the audience faith in humanity restored. However, the western has experienced a series of changed, adaptations and revivals in its cinematic history.

During the 1920's-1930's a big amount of westerns were made. Alan Lovell identified four principals which contributed to the form of genre:

• A structure dawn from 19th century melodramatic literature, involving a virtuous hero and a wicked villain who menaces a virginal heroine.
• An action story, composed of violence, chases and criminal 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 signalled in such films as 'The Covered Wagon' in 1924 and the 'Iron Horse' also in 1924.
• The revenge structure, which was presented by the time Billy The Kid in 1930.