From the start of the opening credits, the audience can decipher that Rooster Cogburn is not like many of the other Western films. During this scene Rooster Cogburn is seen riding through the wilderness with another person by his side. This contrasts with the beginning of The Searchers, in which Ethan Edwards rides through the desert by himself, claiming his status as alpha male. Within the first ten minutes Rooster is stripped of his badge as U.S. Marshall after he avenges the death of his friend, the Deputy. This is the first film in which I have seen the alpha male cowboy punished by the law. Rooster’s appearance is also very different from that of other alpha male cowboys. He is a portly, disheveled drunk who claims that there “ain’t justice in the West no more” after he is told by the Judge that he abused justice in killing those men. Rooster shows his traits of the true alpha male once the Judge comes back and asks him to go find Hawk and to bring the criminal and dynamite back to Fort Smith.
Another aspect which makes this Western different from the rest is the role of Eula Goodnight. Eula is a daughter of a Yankee preacher and she acts as a sidekick to Rooster Cogburn, if not an equal. She displays her strong personality by sticking up to Hawk as he and his followers attempt to take over the settlement and says “I do not fear what men do to me.” As Hawk shoots she does not budge, even as bullets hit the sand next to her feet. As Hawk rampages her settlement she is most concerned with helping the Indians seek protection in the fields. After her father and friends are killed by Hawk and his followers, Rooster comes along and brings Eula and Wolf to keep them safe at Bagsby’s house. Against her will, Rooster tells her to stay there, but Eula refuses to do so. She believes it is her duty to avenge the death of her father, just like Rooster killed those men at the beginning of the film out of respect for the Deputy. While her frequent chatter and religious behavior are both seen as weaknesses in the eyes of the cowboy, this is the furthest thing from the truth. She is the reason why Hawk was deceived and caught at the end of the film by and why Rooster was reinstated by the Judge. Although Eula is instrumental in the survival of her, Wolf and Rooster, Rooster still makes it clear throughout the film that he views woman as weaker individuals. He tells Eula that it would be too much for her to go along with him and that she should stay at Bagsby’s and fix her fingernails and crochet. At one point he says to Wolf, “if they every give them the vote, God help us.” Rooster is stunned by her ability to shoot a gun and balance his expenditures. He tells Eula that she has “more backbone than femaleness.” This film sheds light on the female character as a useful and tough individual.
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From the start of the opening credits, the audience can decipher that Rooster Cogburn differs from the other classic Western films. During this beginning scene Rooster Cogburn is seen riding through the wilderness with another person by his side. This contrasts with the beginning of The Searchers, in which Ethan Edwards rides through the desert by himself, claiming his status as alpha male. Within the first ten minutes Rooster is stripped of his badge as U.S. Marshall after he avenges the death of his friend, the Deputy. This is the first film in which the alpha male cowboy is punished by the law. Rooster’s appearance is also very different from that of other alpha male cowboys. He is a portly, disheveled drunk who claims that there “ain’t justice in the West no more” after he is told by the Judge that he abused justice in killing those men. Rooster portrays his traits as an alpha male once the Judge comes back and asks him to find Hawk and to bring the criminal and dynamite back to Fort Smith.
ReplyDeleteAnother aspect which makes this Western different from the rest is the role of Eula Goodnight, a daughter of a Yankee preacher. Unlike the usual trivial roles played by women in the Western genre, Eula portrays characteristics of the alpha male. She acts as a sidekick to Rooster Cogburn, if not an equal. She displays her strong personality by sticking up to Hawk as he and his followers attempt to take over the settlement and says “I do not fear what men do to me.” As Hawk shoots she does not budge, even as bullets hit the sand next to her feet. While Hawk rampages her settlement she is most concerned with helping the Indians seek protection in the fields. After her father and friends are killed, Rooster comes along and brings Eula and Wolf to keep them safe at Bagsby’s house. Against her will, Rooster tells her to stay there, but Eula refuses to do so. She believes it is her duty to avenge the death of her father, just like Rooster killed those men at the beginning of the film out of respect for the Deputy. While her frequent chatter and religious behavior are both seen as weaknesses in the eyes of the cowboy, this is the furthest thing from the truth. She is the reason why Hawk was deceived and caught at the end of the film and why Rooster was reinstated by the Judge. Although Eula is instrumental in the survival of Rooster, Wolf and herself, Rooster still makes it clear throughout the film that he views woman as weaker individuals. He tells Eula that it would be too much for her to go along with him and that she should stay at Bagsby’s and fix her fingernails and crochet. At one point he says to Wolf, “if they every give them the vote, God help us.” Rooster is stunned by her ability to shoot a gun and balance his expenditures. He tells Eula that she has “more backbone than femaleness.” The determined, strong-minded and outspoken character of Eula sheds light on the female character as a useful and tough individual.