Vistas and Vengeance: The Western The Western, like jazz, is an original American art form the influence of which has reached 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 for modern America. Its stories are the conflicts of our country: civilization vs. wilderness, order vs. chaos, white vs. other, justice vs. vengeance. The changing attitudes toward these issues throughout our nation’s history are evident in the western’s evolution during its over 100 year existence. A highlight of the course is a 35mm screening of a legendary big-screen western that will leave you wondering, as you ride off into the sunset, why Hollywood has all but abandoned the genre.
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