Critical Analysis of Western Genre Films 'Stagecoach' and 'Unforgiven'

Two western movies 'Stagecoach' and 'Unforgiven' are synonym and antonym of western genre films. Stagecoach shows optimistic community and hopeful people, brighter side of western. On the other hand, Unforgiven shows agony and atonement for one's sin. Both films meet audiences' expectations and create western film era.

First, Stagecoach has many typical western features such as an outlaw, cowboys, alcohol and cynical point of view towards civilization. Surviving attacks from Native Indians and gun action across desserts make the movie more conventional western film. Also, Native Americans are seen as primitive, barbarous villains focusing more on actions over dialogues. Also, its background Monument valley is one of western generic formulas sppearing west geography, showing its extensive scenery. The movie is black and white, and this makes the movie seem little unsophisticated and less technicolor.

The movie mainly uses close up shots to focus on facial expression occasionally to show emotions like pain and etc. The movie does not have complicatedly edited scenes that were intentionally added. Also, romance enhances plots of the movie and make it almost hybrid genres, interaction of romance and western and express more values. Stagecoach gives a message of frontier spirit through the movie and showing characters learn about one another through their journey and grow.

On the other hand, Unforgiven could be more descriptive towards emotions compare to other western films. Of course, some patterns and setting of Unforgiven are common western such as its background Wyoming, and cowboys. Besides these features the movie is not a typical western movie. The movie does not focus on chasing scenes or riding horses or gun shooting. No romance and no hero. Although the movie has some western features to it, the movie focuses more on self-examination like an agony of William. Unlike the traditional western, William suffers from guilty conscience. The movie shows him suffering from killing and its guilt. This kind of self-criticism is also not very western like.

Also, the usage of gun is different in the movie. William does not show off his gun skills like classic western. Unlike classic western, William is hesitant to kill instead. He does not admire gun fighting. 'Unforgiven' does not follow generic formulas of western genre movie. If generic formula of western was applied, William would have ruthlessly kill everyone or win love.

Unforgiven could be an example of subgenre that defines a very specific version of western genre with a distinguishable character and reflection of a social ritual. The movie uses long shots to show landscape and create an aesthetic atmosphere of riding horses with sunsets. For example, long shots of Bill's house in the beginning and the ending of the movie. Also, cutaway when Will enters Big Whiskey and raises his shot gun, showing each character and switching between dialogues build a great tension. This is also not like typical western kind of editing. Also, music of the movie's ending is also not western alike. The ending's guitar sound and the declining sun do not conclude an epic western hero but solitary.

Both movies have some similarities as well. They both focuse on a lot on showing beauty of nature and the landscapes throughout the movies. Both movies have some certain amount of actions, battle and revenge, use non-diegetic sound, music to make a certain atmosphere.

On the other hand, they have different opinion towards some issues. For example, women. Unforgiven shows women's breasts more directly and they are dressed less old fashioned. Also, women have and show more power in the movie, they talk back to cowboys saying that they are not horses that they can ride.

Stagecoach does not show feminism like Unforgiven. Women in Stagecoach are just ordinary, role of a man's partner, common and not much of a power or charisma. For example, Lucy, she is just a pregnant woman that is loyal to her husband and being protected by other men. Also, Unforgiven editing like cutaway is more bold editing and expressive showing emotions. More importantly, unforgiven represents more social issues like feminism and racism. The mood is also different because Stagecoach has more scenes during the day time, the movie has brighter atmosphere than Unforgiven. Although Unforgiven has some scenes of the day time, it has more calm feelings to it and most of the time its mood is darker.

The western has been long loved genre in Hollywood. Also, affected many other genres such as action through its splendor of gun fighting. However, classic western focused too much on white male centered scenarios, and had many issues like sexism, racism and slaughter of a native. Although some features of western might make it not as popular as it used to be, western could still be revised from old western and used to convey important messages through movies like Unforgiven. Regardless of its wrong ideology, western has contributed so much to film grammar. As Clint Eastwood did, more film makers should confront wrong side of the history and dedicate.