End-of-the-Western
Sep 21 - Oct 26, 2010
Six Tuesdays, Sep 21–Oct 26, 7–9pm
Instructor: Robert Cumbow
Tuition: $100/NWFF members, $120/general
Max Attendance: 25
If any genre defines the film medium, it is the Western. The second half of the 20th century saw a continuing dialogue of culminating epic westerns, defining and redefining the genre, announcing its end while struggling to point toward new directions. We'll try to define the essential features of the western genre, and why it lends itself so appropriately to crisis, apocalyptic finality, and some kind of renewal. We will focus on Red River (Howard Hawks, 1946), The Searchers (John Ford, 1956), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (John Ford, 1962), Once Upon a Time in the West (Sergio Leone, 1968), The Wild Bunch (Sam Peckinpah, 1969), and Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood, 1992), relating each film to the vision of its director, the time in which it was made, and the westerns that came before and after it, and seeking to draw some conclusions about this quintessentially American film genre.
You’ll be responsible for obtaining and watching the required films on your own. All of the films are available on DVD, and may be easily obtained for rental, purchase, direct download, or on-demand viewing from Netflix, Amazon.com, Deep Discount DVD, Alibris, Powell’s, and other online resources. Be sure to obtain and watch the film far enough in advance that you will have seen it before our class on that film.
Register for End-Of-The-Western
