The film Rooster Cogburn is the first showing of a new alpha male cowboy. John Wayne plays a much different role in this film than in his previous work. Here, Wayne was an ex-sheriff who lost his badge for shooting too many criminals. John Wayne has never been a promoter of the law, or working for it. The past alpha male cowboy has always pushed the limits of the law. In “The Searchers”, Wayne and Martin were both wanted for murder. They disregarded any aspect of the law and as Matheson puts it, prefer, “to settle their problems on their own”. Another example of our alpha male’s disrespect for the law is in “The Man Who Shot Liberty valance. Wayne has to tell Stoddard, “You’d better star packing a handgun..i know those law books mean a lot to you but not out here. Out here a man settles his own problems” (Matheson 896). Rooster Cogburn as a sheriff really brings a new role to the John Wayne name.
Another interesting aspect of this movie is the fact that the secondary character is a woman. The alpha male cowboy is never seen sharing the spot light with a character of the opposite sex. Women are not considered equals to males at this point in time, and Eula’s role in this film is very unique for the era. Normally, the women are only in the movie for a short bit but Eula goes on the trail with Rooster. Eula has brought the soft charisma of a woman to the trail with her and Rooster. She actually breaks the alpha male cowboy in this movie. This is the first time we really see the male make a decision dependent on what a woman said. We see in Red River, Wayne’s one love begged to come on the trail with him and he said no. In “The Searchers”, Debbie gets her father to offer Martin a job, and a home to stay in. He turns it down as well for the opportunity to continue his journey. Matheson states it perfectly when she says, “In Rooster Cogburn, he agrees to trade the wagon full of nitroglycerin for Wolf’s safety – after Eula Goodnight insists that he do so. Rooster’s shell may be hardboiled, but his heart has a soft spot at its core”(Matheson 899). Eula’s character really brought the opposite sex into the light for Westerners and opened up the roles for women in future films.
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The “other” in this film is the first time we see a woman share the spotlight with the alpha male cowboy. Women are not considered equals to males at this point in time, and Eula’s role in this film is very unique for the era. Normally, the women are only in the movie for a short bit but Eula goes on the trail with Rooster. Eula has brought the soft charisma of a woman to the trail with her and Rooster. Although she is a women, this does not affect her talents on the trail. We find Eula to be extremely crafty with a gun, as well as an excellent rider and hunter. Eula also breaks away from our typical female role we have seen in movies. Normally, the female has been very needy on the alpha male in past films such as The Searcher and Red River. Eula states that, “She did need a man.” She actually breaks the alpha male cowboy in this movie. This is the first time we really see the male make a decision dependent on what a woman said. We see in Red River, Wayne’s one love begged to come on the trail with him and he said no. In “The Searchers”, Debbie gets her father to offer Martin a job, and a home to stay in. He turns it down as well for the opportunity to continue his journey. Matheson states it perfectly when she says, “In Rooster Cogburn, he agrees to trade the wagon full of nitroglycerin for Wolf’s safety – after Eula Goodnight insists that he do so. Rooster’s shell may be hardboiled, but his heart has a soft spot at its core”(Matheson 899). Eula’s character really brought the opposite sex into the light for Westerners and opened up the roles for women in future films.
ReplyDeleteRooster is a much different cowboy than in previous films. One big aspect is his alcoholism. He is constantly drinking throughout the entire film. It really hurts his character because it makes the viewer doubt his capabilities based on his drinking habits. We don’t know why he drinks so much but it could be and escape from life. Another big change in this film is Roosters reliance on Wolf. This is the first film in which we see a non-white character with actual responsibilities. Rooster actually relinquishes his power to him. He trusts him enough to even give him a gun. Normally Native Americans are depicted as a very negative role in these films. Another major difference in this film is Rooster’s interaction with Eula. We see the two of them constantly joking with one another. It is very weird to see this much dialect shared between the cowboy and another character. Normally, the cowboy is calloused and quiet. Here we see the affect of speech on the alpha male. It actually feminizes Roosters and makes him more vulnerable because it opens up his feelings.