Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

Angela Pusateri
Saint Xavier University
Cowboys, Cold War Values and the Death of the American Individual
Introduction
Westerns were one of the most popular genres of film in mid 20th century America. These popular
film narratives functioned not only as entertainment, but also reflected major events and helped audiences
assimilate ideological shifts in the era. Westerns helped to mediate such shifts by grafting history onto myth
to examine changing definitions of national identity. At their best, these films effectively define history and
contemporary trends to appeal to mass audiences while they impart a critique of the society in which they
were made. In these narratives one can clearly see the common beliefs and values of the time in which they
were written and filmed. Not only are these films about the history of America’s West, they function, in an
allegorical sense, as a history of the creators and audiences that viewed them.
John Ford was the definitive Western director of mid 20 th century America, and John Wayne the
embodiment of the Western individual. Both of these men’s names are synonymous with this genre, and for
good reason. Some of the most significant work in the genre came from collaborations between the two.
Neither man was out to create puff pieces when working together. Ford filmed every shot and Wayne
delivered every line with intentionality and purpose. The Westerns they created were not only sensitive to
the currents of historical change, but also expressive of shifts in national mood and circumstance. This paper
examines how John Ford’s Westerns in particular, exemplify the cultural shifts in America, particularly in
examining America’s view of the individual in society.
Examining John Ford’s films reveals an evolving critique of social and political mores of mid 20th
century America. From Stagecoach (1939) through The Searchers (1954) to The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
(1962), Ford’s message transitions from the celebration of the individual in society, to the individual
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