The National Myth

In the past, Westerns were so important that they were considered our national myth. Our western films and books explained our nature to the world. If you wanted to understand America, you studied our westerns.

Times have changed, and there aren't enough western books and films being generated to support any concept of a national myth. But today's western stories are also radically different from the earlier ones, for the most part. In earlier times, the western depicted qualities that have largely vanished from our affluent, comfortable life.

In particular, earlier Westerns celebrated the character and courage of those on the frontier, and even now we tend to think of those hardy, brave people as somehow models for the rest of us. But the contemporary western story no longer celebrates those qualities, and some even feature anti-heroes who are anything but courageous.

The earlier western stories might feature a lone man who takes on an army; a determined man who resists the social pressures of a town to do what he deeply believes is right. These stories depicted people with raw courage, who faced terrible odds and yet did not cave in, and somehow carried the day by the final chapter or the last reel.

That is all washed away. Generally, character no longer matters in a contemporary western hero: what matters is being first to shoot, and possessing the skill to make his shots count. There may be some sort of residual bravery or courage in a gunfighter, but the emphasis now is on his skills with weapons, not his great heart.

I think it could be said that the long reign is over. Westerns are no longer even remotely our national myth, and no longer explain our nature to the world. If they explain anything, it is our vices and follies that are on display.