The Hero's Trail

<p> The great American Westerns can be profoundly meaningful when read metaphorically. More than mere shoot 'em up entertainment they are an essential part of a vibrant evolving national mythology. Like other versions of the archetypal Hero's Journey these films are filled with insights about life love nature society ethics beauty and what it means to be human and are key to understanding American culture.</p><p> Part film guide part historical survey this book explores the mythic and artistic elements in 52 great Westerns--some orthodox some subversive--from the genre's first half-century. Each film is given detailed critical analysis from the earliest silent movies to Golden Age classics like <I>Red River</I> (1948) <I>High Noon</I> (1952) and <I>Shane</I> (1953).</p>