WELLINGTON FILM SCHOOL - WHY WESTERNS?

The Winter Film School, held at Victoria University over the Queen's Birthday weekend, is now a regular feature of the Wellington Film Society's annual programme. The 1957 School, the fourth of the series, attacked the question "Why Westerns?"

It is reported here by Mr Laurie Lee of the committee of the Society.

The attendance was a little smaller than usual, with women noticeably in a minority, but from the point of view of animated discussion the School was perhaps the most successful so far held. In fact, after three days of spirited argument, members were still not agreed on a satisfactory definition of a Western.

In his introductory talk, Mr Gordon Mirams, Government Censor of Films, mentioned that he had seen at least 500 westerns in his official capacity, and about another 1000 in the rest of his film-going life, and he suggested that the film society member was apt to get his understanding of the western film right out of perspective if he tended to see only the classic westerns and to avoid the countless little B-grade double-feature productions which make up the bulk of Hollywood's western screenplays. It is these latter which give the western film its unique colour and flavour. The repetition of the patterns of entertainment woven into them is what really makes this type of film so important as a social force and cultural influence, as a reflection of national character and philosophy, and as an evocation of the folklore and myths of a whole civilization.

In attempting to define what is meant by a western, Mr Mirams said that it must be a product of American studios and set in the western half of the North American continent. The period is less important, although 72 per cent of western screen stories are set in the 60's and 70's of the last century. In recent years, westerns have constituted 25 per cent of Hollywood's total production of feature films and 20 per cent of all features released in New Zealand. Inevitably there is a great deal of repetition of themes, settings, characterisations, and plot situations, and a high proportion of westerns are as adult and sophisticated as any other class of film. In the past twelve months, Mr Mirams stated, 27 per cent of westerns were considered too adult to get (G) certificates, and he suggested that the western as a brand of entertainment eminently and invariably suitable for nice little boys may be on the way out.

Although one usually thinks of the western in terms of melodrama, Mr Mirams mentioned sub-classes of musical western, the comedy western, and even the horror science-fiction western. Analysing a representative sample of westerns, Mr Mlrams found that some form of law-breakmg and bandltry provided the dominating interest in 37 per cent of them, and the complementary theme of law-enforcement supplied the main interest in another 23 per cent; "crime" is therefore the motivation of 60 per cent of all westerns. The remaining 40 per cent are concerned with such major, "respectable" themes as pioneering, and the development of the West, Indian warfare, gold-prospecting and exploration.

Pursuing the theme of law-enforcement, the Censor said that 62 per cent of the street settings in western films featured the boardwalk under the verandahs of some ramshackle western town, with the swinging doors of the saloon in the offing - the last stronghold of the custom of duelling. He suggested that such films make some sort of atavistic appeal to the unacknowledged sympathy which many of us feel for the glamorous law-breaker. Only 14 per cent of villains in westerns get what is coming to them through due processes of law, The majority are violently brought to book by some heroic character who takes the law into his own hands, often through motives of revenge, or perhaps by some fellow "baddy' who simply wants to elimmate competition.

What is surprising is the laxity in the performance of their duties by the duly appointed guardians of the law - only 54 per cent can be relied on as men who are honest, efficient, and morally upright as well as quick on the draw and dead shots. Other points mentioned by Mr Mirams are that western heroes tend to be getting on towards the age of 40, and that western villains are mostly over 40; 35 per cent of western screenings make a definate claim to be authentic, and though this mostly cannot be substantiated, they nevertheless contain a big residue of historical fact and atmosphere; one particular incident, Custer's last stand, and two main themes - the range war between the big ranchers and the small holders, and the white man's attitude towards the Red Indian - have each inspired countless screen variations; the romantic attitude towards the cowboy was created largly by Owen Wister's novel, The Virginian (1902) which has been filmed several times; and that violence in westerns has been steadily increasing.

Four films were screened during the School, and although not perhaps all that could have been wished for, illustrated many of the points discussed. The Cariboo Trail was a B-grade film, typical of the bulk of westerns. The Plainsman (Cecil B. de Mille, 1936) was the western woven around historical characters, with Custer's last stand thrown in for good measure. Rio Grande (John Ford, 1950) and Escape from Fort Bravo were stories of the U.S. cavalry which some members did not regard as genuine westerns. A short documentary film, The Cowboy, was also screened.

Discussion was lively at all sessions of the School, which was chaired by the president, Mr Max Riske. The eight categories into which two French authors have recently divided western films were generally rejected, members preferring the simpler analysis proposed by Mr Mirams. Argument revolved around such points as the spectator's identification of himself with the western hero, the western as an incentive to, or glorification of, juvenile delinquency, symbolism in the western, the placing of the "crazy, mixed-up kid" in a western setting, and the increased use of sociological themes in adult westerns. At one stage it was suggested that all the ingredients of the western, except North American location, could be put into a story set on the west coast of New Zealand.

Some agreement - but not unanimity - was reached in the final summing-up session. It was considered that initially westerns had moulded the film-going public by offering entertainment with simple themes and by publicity, but that later the public had "made" the western. Four essential ingredients were recognized in the western: the theme of law-breaking, a near-historical setting, the concept of the superman in nation building, and an outdoor locale. Tendencies seen in the recent western were increased sophistication, sadism and violence beyond that necessary to the story, sex themes, and "fairness" to Indians and Mexicans.

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