In a genre that constantly displayed chaos and disarray, John Wayne became the constant, the order and the authority. The western genre was celebrated during early filmmaking but has recently disappeared. Through this week’s readings and viewing of Stagecoach it becomes more apparent why this genre has gone to the waste side and that reason seems to be the death of John Wayne. As the Gary Wills article pointed out, Wayne used his body unlike any other star of that time. That use and particular movement that was unique to Wayne is part of his attraction and reason for his success as a western hero. The play up of his body and movements was seen in Stagecoach since there were very few close ups of Wayne. The director decided to utilize the long shot in order to capture Wayne’s entire body and emphasize just how at ease he looked in the Wild West.
The article written by Andrew Britton also links the star to their particular genre. He said that genre is a way in which the audience can figure out the star in an easier way since they portray the same type of character in the same genre most of the time. Wayne was very much the characters that he played on screen and the audience fell in love not only with his characters but with him as a person as well. I believe that his death led to the decline in mainstream western films and television shows. The fact that he was the favorite actor long after his death shows that the audience still needed John Wayne and all of the ideas he stood for but since no other star has mirrored his image, the western has lost its value.
John Wayne was the west and along with his death went the western film. Through the readings and the image we saw of Wayne in Stagecoach it is easy to see just how linked together Wayne and western style films were. His gestures, smile, kindness, masculinity and even his towering body were all characteristics that America needed and wanted at that time. However, since his death no other celebrity has been able to fill those specific needs.
Do you think the western genre could be popular today? Explain.
If the western could become popular once more, which actor could fill the role of a present day John Wayne?
Do you think that actors who stick to one genre are limited with their acting ability or smart because they create a very specific image?
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