The New Western

<p> American moviegoers have long turned to the Hollywood Western for reassurance in times of crisis. During the genre's heyday the films of John Ford Howard Hawks and Henry Hathaway reflected a grand patriotism that resonated with audiences at the end of World War II. The tried-and-true Western was questioned by Ford and George Stevens during the Cold War and in the 1960s directors like Sam Peckinpah and George Roy Hill retooled the genre as a commentary on American ethics during the Vietnam War.</p><p> Between the mid-1970s and early 1990s the Western faded from view--until the Gulf War when Kevin Costner's <I>Dances with Wolves</I> (1990) and Clint Eastwood's <I>Unforgiven</I> (1992) brought it back with moral complexities. Since 9/11 the Western has seen a resurgence blending its patriotic narrative with criticism of America's place in the global community. Exploring such films as <I>True Grit </I>(2010) and <I>Brokeback Mountain</I> (2005) along with television series like <I>Deadwood</I> and <I>Firefly</I> this collection of new essays explores how the Western today captures the dichotomy of our times and remains important to the American psyche.</p>