Red River

In the movie Red River, there are two alpha male characters and the first appears right away and it is extremely obvious. The second alpha male does not appear until a few minutes in, and is not as obvious right away. Tom Dunson (John Wayne) is the definite alpha male from the beginning and he has his usual characteristics that seem to be present in all Westerns. He is strong, confident, masculine, and as Matheson describes him, “the fittest and the strongest” (Matheson, 891). Tom Dunson shows his confidence immediately when asked by Matthew who the huge stretch of land belongs to when he responds abruptly “to me!” and goes on to explain what he is going to do with the land. When Tom Dunson responds to Matthew so matter-of-factly, to a completely viable question, it is obvious that he thinks of himself as superior. Matheson also describes “the Wayne persona is an antisocial loner” (Matheson 891). This is true from the very start of the movie when Tom’s love interest is begging to go with him and Tom says simply says no but with an iron fist. He is completely capable of being on his own.

The second alpha male, Matthew, comes into the movie as a small boy who Tom Dunson takes into their small traveling pack. When Tom Dunson kills his first enemy in the presence of Matt, it becomes clear that Matt will later become another alpha male. Matt asks Tom how he knew the other man was going to draw and Tom replies that he could see it in his eyes and tells Matt to remember that and Matt says, “I will”. It is obvious that Matt is taking in everything that Tom Dunson does in order to become just like him. Matt isn’t yet an alpha male in the beginning but in the very end of the movie when Tom Dunson is coming to kill Matt, Matt is no longer the little boy he once was. The way Matt acts towards Tom really portrays the way he is become his own person and a true alpha male. Tom comes in with a gun, and eventually puts it down and starts hitting him. The whole time he is yelling at Matt to speak and to hit him back. Matt just lets Tom hit him and scream at him. Tompkins writes, “Control is the key word here. Not speaking demonstrates control not only over feelings but over one’s physical boundaries as well” (Tompkins, 56). The way that Matt can control himself when he is being physically beaten just goes to show that he is in full control of himself, and he is not willing to let Tom control him anymore, and he is his own alpha cowboy. Through Matt’s actions Tom realizes that Matt has become tough and capable of being a part of Matt’s ranch and his Red River stamp for the cattle.