A genre I find interesting, and one with lots of conventions, is that of the Western. This genre has gone through a number of stages in it’s development, and many directors have recently played with the conventions created in the past. Westerns were churned out in the 50′ s and 60’s(although originated a long time before that) and have continued to be made in modern times as they are exceedingly popular. I find them so interesting due to their historic basis and plot elements. Western’s interpret and represent history to themselves. Although fictional, they make you believe in setting of the western frontier they represent. The vast landscapes and large scope of shots in films such as There Will Be Blood(Paul Thomas Anderson, 2008) make me feel apart of the world. The extreme long shots of Clint Eastwood riding through the desert in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly(Sergio Leone, 1966) accompanied by the renowned western music leave me breathless. Rough characters like Joe Kidd keep me entertained, no matter how much I see them.

Western’s typically tell their tales in the later half of the 19th century, in the Wild West. Conventional characters include the nomadic cowboy or gunslinger, Native Americans, and  lawmen among others. Along with conventional characters, there are many common themes within Western Films. Themes such as the conquest of the wild west, the cultural separation of the East and the West, or the conflict between Cowboys and Indians are all recurring in this genre. American Western Film usually revolves around a stoic hero and emphasizes the importance of honour and sacrifice.

Within the Western genre, there are many sub-genres which have sprouted. There are classical westerns, spaghetti westerns, space westerns and many more I don’t have the space to list. I have loved watching the change from 1960’s western’s such as Once Upon a Time in The West(Sergio Leone, 1968) to the modern westerns like Django Unchained(Quenton Tarantino, 2013).  The latter film deviates from the normal western in a  number of ways showing hoe some directors can toy with genre conventions. In the classic westerns, the exterior is focus, with rolling landscapes and almost entirely outdoor settings. In Django, a lot of the action takes place inside(in the mansion of Mr. Candie). The cowboy and sheriff characters are also far less prominent. It instead focuses on story of a black slave. Tarantino, of course, also uses classic conventions of the western genre.

It is impossible to string out more than a short preview of my thoughts on 150 years of the western genre, as so much has happened over the years. It is, in my opinion however, the richest genre and best genre to study when looking at conventions. Especially ones so renowned(such as the close-up holster shots or the saloon fights). Westerns are fast paced and ever changing. They are modern, and old. They will always have boundaries, but in modern times these have been stretched. I will finish this case study with one word describing why I find this genre so inherently intriguing: explosiveness.