In Rooster Cogburn, there are obvious differences between the alpha male in this film compared to the alpha male cowboys of previous films we’ve seen. For example, the alpha male cowboy, Rooster Cogburn, first appears in the film with a sidekick, something that rarely happens with other alpha male cowboys. In other films we’ve watched, if the alpha male cowboy has a sidekick with him he lets the other person know that he’s in charge. In Rooster Cogburn, Cogburn meets Eula Goodnight after her father was murdered by a group of criminals. Cogburn is following these criminals and Eula insists on helping him find them. She is unlike any other female character we have seen in Western films thus far. Typically, a female’s presence in Western films practically goes unnoticed because females are portrayed as emotional, talkative, and vulnerable― all qualities that the alpha male cowboy does not wish to embody and tries to avoid. Eula, on the other hand, is the exact opposite from other female characters. Though she is talkative, she is extremely strong-minded and shares her opinion with everyone. When Hawk first arrives in her village, she doesn’t stop reciting a passage from the Bible, despite the fact that Hawk is shooting at her feet. She isn’t afraid of violence or death because of her strong faith in the Lord, and she turns out to be a great companion for Rooster to have on his search for Hawk. She can shoot well and she also gets Rooster to open up and have conversations with her. Unlike other Western films, there is a lot more interaction between the alpha male cowboy and the main female character. Rooster shares his feelings a lot more and the viewers knows his feelings for Eula. The alpha cowboy's presence isn’t as powerful in Rooster Cogburn as it is in previous Westerns, mostly because of Eula’s strong presence in the film and her ability to be Cogburn’s equal in the film.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
In Rooster Cogburn, there are obvious differences between the alpha male in this film compared to the alpha male cowboys of previous films we’ve seen. For example, the alpha male cowboy, Rooster Cogburn, first appears in the film with a sidekick, something that rarely happens with other alpha male cowboys. In other films we’ve watched, if the alpha male cowboy has a sidekick with him he lets the other person know that he’s in charge. In Rooster Cogburn, Cogburn meets Eula Goodnight after her father is murdered by a group of criminals. Cogburn is following these criminals and Eula insists on helping him find them. She is unlike any other female character we have seen in Western films thus far. Typically, a female’s presence in Western films practically goes unnoticed because females are portrayed as emotional, talkative, and vulnerable― all qualities that the alpha male cowboy does not wish to embody and tries to avoid. Eula, on the other hand, is the exact opposite from other female characters. Though she is talkative, she is extremely strong-minded and shares her opinion with everyone, including Rooster. When Hawk first arrives in her village, she doesn’t stop reciting a passage from the Bible, despite the fact that Hawk is shooting at her feet. She isn’t afraid of violence or death because of her strong faith in the Lord, and she turns out to be a great companion for Rooster to have on his search for Hawk. She can shoot well and she doesn’t need protection from anybody, especially from Rooster. She weakens Rooster’s presence as an alpha male cowboy because she possesses qualities that classic Western films portray as masculine. Rooster’s presence as an alpha male is also weakened because he shares his feelings a lot more and the viewers knows his feelings for Eula. The alpha cowboy's presence isn’t as powerful in Rooster Cogburn as it is in previous Westerns, mostly because of Eula’s strong presence in the film and her ability to be Cogburn’s equal in the film.
ReplyDelete