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January
Vistas and Vengeance: The Western
Taught by Andrew J. Douglas, Ph.D., Director of Education, BMFI

The Western, like jazz, is an original American art form the influence of which has spread far and wide to nations (and filmmakers) such as Japan (Akira Kurosawa), Italy (Sergio Leone), Australia (George Miller), and Taiwan (Ang Lee).

In this course, we examine the definitive characteristics of the genre—its iconography, key practitioners, and recurrent themes—to better understand how these tales of people weathering the beautiful, but often brutal, frontier are myths that attempt to address the concerns and allay the fears of a society that appears to have abandoned the values such films represent.

Its stories are the conflicts of America: civilization vs. wilderness, order vs. chaos, white vs. other, justice vs. vengeance.  The changing attitudes toward these issues throughout the nation’s history are evident in the western’s evolution during its over 100-year existence.  We will discuss classic and more recent big-screen westerns that will leave you wondering, as you ride off into the sunset, why Hollywood only very rarely, if ever, makes them like they used to.

Among other films, this course will feature a 35mm screening and discussion of the highly acclaimed new film There Will Be Blood.

Unforgiven (1992)