In order to analyze these revisionist westerns, we must be able to compare them to the classic western. The classic western has certain attributes which allow them to be classified as a classic western. Of these themes, I will analyze the difference in approach between the classic and revisionist western. These themes include:

The classic western was a story of a hero (a white male), who in the end always prevailed over the “bad guys.” The hero most likely possessed an exceptional ability with a gun, and would use this ability to fight for good, which would most likely be helping the weaker individuals of society defend themselves and their land from the villains or “bad guys.” The her

Violence in McCabe and Mrs. Miller was less glamorous than that in the classical western. The violence that the hero is involved in is far from honorable, and we see him shoot his enemies in the back and in surprise. There are no face-to-face, man-to-man gun duels. This seems to be a more realistic take on violence in westerns. It couldn’t have always been so honorable and valiant.

Our hero in Unforgiven is William Munny. We learn that in his past he was a cold-blooded bounty hunter, but he has moved on with his life and become a pig farmer, leaving behind his past as the dishonorable man that he was. When he decides to go back to his old ways, we see that he has lost is talent as a gunslinger, and as a horseman. Again, the hero who had normally been looked at as flawless in the classic western is being depicted as less than perfect.

In the end of the film, Cassidy and Sundance’s outlaw past catches up with them. The hero dies, skewing the classic portrait of the western hero, who was immortal, in essence.

Women in the classical westerns were depicted as weak individuals who were second to the men in society. Rarely was a woman a main character in the films, and if she was, she was shown to be weak, holding the man back, trying to tie the man down. Women in the classic western were

Some topics in this essay:
Little Bill’s, McCabe Miller, Unforgiven Dead, Women Women, Schofield Kid, William Munny, Mike Alice, , Violence Violence, Katherine Ross, classic western, classic westerns, revisionist western, female character, mccabe miller, revisionist westerns, western genre, western film, cassidy sundance, hero dies, seen classic western, “bad guys” hero, western film hero, classic western depicted, women classic western,