Legends of Western Cinema Week || My Tag Answers
1. Do you tolerate, like, or love Westerns?
I wuvs them, precious! :D
2. What do you enjoy about them and, more broadly, the West? (Eg. the history, accompanying paraphernalia, etc)?
I love that they're such a distinctive aesthetic.
I love their simplicity.
I love the vistas of the American West to be found in them.
3. What's the first Western you can remember watching?
Ooh! I guess it'd depend on how strict your definition of "Western" is. The first Western-ish show I watched would have been either The Apple Dumpling Gang or Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. But in terms of a "hardcore," no-doubt-about-it Western? I'm really not sure. Probably True Grit??
Ooh! I guess it'd depend on how strict your definition of "Western" is. The first Western-ish show I watched would have been either The Apple Dumpling Gang or Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. But in terms of a "hardcore," no-doubt-about-it Western? I'm really not sure. Probably True Grit??
John Wayne and Robert Duvall are the only significant ones that are coming to mind. I like some others, but Wayne and Duvall will almost certainly ensure that I'll at least look further into the Western in question.
5. What is your favorite performance by an actress in a Western?
At this point, it's Laura San Giacomo as "Crazy Cora" in Quigley Down Under. She's amaaaaziiiiingg. Her performance is one big, talented balancing act between Cora's mental "fragility" due to all her trauma and her simultaneously stark grip on reality. She's frail and powerful, both at once. Love her.
6. What is your "go-to" Western, the one you'll typically reach for?
Mmmmm. Probably my favorite, Broken Trail. But if I need one that's not quite so "heavy," I'll usually watch The Big Country or Rango.
Mmmmm. Probably my favorite, Broken Trail. But if I need one that's not quite so "heavy," I'll usually watch The Big Country or Rango.
8. Pick one Western to live inside for a week, and explain why you chose it.
Mylanta. I don't know! Perhaps The Magnificent Seven? Because I could wander around the village and get to know all seven cowboys? Or maybe Spirit, because it's gorgeous and has interesting race-relations stuff going on.
9. Share one (or several!) of your favorite quotes from a Western.
I find this one (from Quigley Down Under) extremely satisfying in context:
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Once again, here are the tag questions, should you be interested in filling them out! (*hint, hint*)
2) What do you enjoy about them and, more broadly, the West? (Eg. the history, accompanying paraphernalia, etc)?
3) What's the first Western you can remember watching?
4) Who are your favorite Western stars, the ones whose presence in a Western will make you pick it up off the shelf?
5) What's your favorite performance by an actress in a Western?
6) What is your "go-to" Western, the one you'll typically reach for?
7) Do your family/friends share your interest in Westerns, or are you a lone ranger (pun completely intended)?
8) Pick one Western to live inside for a week, and explain why you chose it.
9) Share one (or several!) of your favorite quotes from a Western.
Nice. These questions make us think and explore our connection to the genre.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yes, I like questions that make me really think about my feelings on Story.
DeleteEnjoyed reading your answers! The Apple Dumpling Gang is great. XD
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's wonderful, hands down, the end. :D
DeleteOkay, but I really really really love what you said about the Western genre being a good place to explore and critique the concept of masculinity, and to provide healthy examples as well as bad ones. Because, in a way, I think that's a big reason why I like reading Westerns--and why I am now *cough* writing my own ;-)
ReplyDeleteEVEN THOUGH mine are of course a lot more female-centric than most of the ones I've read/watched cuz WE NEED MORE WOMEN, PEOPLE--I still want to give a fairish amount of attention to the male characters. And to let them, like, Be Masculine if they feel like it (although some of them don't seem to feel like it, and that's fine too. ;-) )
I think it's been one of the things I like about the genre for a long time, but in an unconscious kind of way, ya know? (Aaaahhh, I can't wait to read your Westerns. ;) They're gonna be good, I can tell.)
DeleteAND YES I AM HAPPY YOU'RE WRITING ONES WITH MORE WOMEN. (Because, much as I love the genre . . . Really. Sometimes I get irritated thinking about its treatment of women, particularly in older Westerns.) Yes! Out of curiosity, what (to you) constitutes letting them Be Masculine if they feel like it?
Thank you!!! I can't wait to share them with you <333
DeleteIt's really complicated, because some days I'm like, "ah, yes, Westerns, with their intriguingly male-driven stories, me like." And other days I'm like "THERE ARE LITERALLY NO FEMALE PROTAGONISTS, THIS SUCKS, BURN IT ALL DOWN." So I am . . . of two minds, to put it mildly ;-P ;-P Probably part of the reason why the Western stories I'm currently working on seem bent on overturning the classic tropes. [So like, there's a girl hero trying to rescue the guy she loves from a massive danger he knows nothing about, instead of the guy hero trying to rescue the girl.]
Oh, good gravy. "Well," said Rabbit, twirling his whiskers. "Now you're asking me." *laughs* *but also cries* HOW DO I EXPLAIN MY OWN CONCEPT OF HEALTHY MASCULINITY WHEN I DON'T HARDLY UNDERSTAND IT MYSELF
Mostly, so far, it consists of letting my male characters be massively overprotective, as long as they can prove to me they're able to do so without being controlling--and usually they can--'cause protectiveness has always been a positive trait I've associated with guys. [Mostly because of my brothers.] Other things I try to let my male characters do: be reticent about their emotions, translate most of their negative emotions into Anger, even when that doesn't make sense to me as a female writer ("I would say I'm sad, except I've forgotten the word for 'sad,' so I wanna Punch Something" "George no" "George YES"). Sometimes they're boisterous and loud, and often they play-fight with each other as a way of showing affection. Again, weird to me; but I try to back off and let them do it. ;-)
'Twill be wondrous. :)
DeleteHAHA! Yes. It is a polarizing conundrum, to be sure.
(Heehee, I liked Rabbit's appearance. ;)) Protectiveness can be such an awesome trait. (As when exemplified by our dear Tom Harte of Broken Trail fame. :')) Those all sound like pretty typical masculine traits. *smiles the wry, commiserating smile of a girl who also has brothers* Glad you're able to let them be themselves!
You know what? The focus on menfolks in westerns is a big reason why I like them, to be honest. Men fascinate me. Much more than women. And I don't mean that in a sexual way, necessarily -- it's more like I kind of intuitively *get* male characters better than female ones. Which is weird, since I'm female, but also just... kind of how my brain works. I find male interactions and behaviors really fascinating, and I identify with a lot more male characters than female characters in fiction, movies as well as books. So yeah, one of the things I love about westerns is how many guys there are in these stories.
ReplyDeleteAnd it doesn't hurt that in movies, they're often a delightful contribution to the scenery ;-)
That's fascinating! I think I have difficulty relating to characters in general, so I don't know whether I tend to relate more to male or female characters. I think I tend to gravitate more towards female characters when I try to analyze them, but I'm not sure. But regardless, it IS great that Westerns offer such a unique space to study males and male dynamics.
DeleteHeh heh heh heh, yes, well. Perhaps the less said on this subject the better. ;-P
Heck, why not answer these questions super late... they look fun. ;)
ReplyDelete1) Do you tolerate, like, or love Westerns?
Well *cough*, if you'd asked me 5 years ago I wouldn't have even said tolerate, but now I think I could say I like a good western, but I am pretty picky about what I consider to be good westerns. (My sisters loved most movies without one female character, which always drove me mad. So at least one female character who was in there for something more than just a pointless romance is one thing I often look out for. ;))
2) What do you enjoy about them and, more broadly, the West? (Eg. the history, accompanying paraphernalia, etc)?
Perhaps the grittiness, rawness, and down-to-earth perspective they portray. They don't sugarcoat life in westerns, and I do appreciate that. There is generally something very laid-back about them, too.
3) What's the first Western you can remember watching?
Hmm... waaay back when I was knee high to a grasshopper... ;) Probably The Magnificent Seven. I don't remember a time when I didn't know that one. Or the Man From Snowy River! (If that counts?)
4) Who are your favorite Western stars, the ones whose presence in a Western will make you pick it up off the shelf?
Probably Steve McQueen... I don't watch a whole lot of westerns so there aren't many that have actors in common.
5) What's your favorite performance by an actress in a Western?
Ooohh, does Nicole Kidman in Far and Away count? :D
6) What is your "go-to" Western, the one you'll typically reach for?
The Magnificent Seven, I'd say. It would be "the ultimate western" for me. But True Grit is excellent, too!
7) Do your family/friends share your interest in Westerns, or are you a lone ranger (pun completely intended)?
No, it's more like I'm the lone ranger who isn't crazy about westerns, haha. xD But to be fair, my family have really gone off westerns and moved to more action/thriller types now... when I was growing up, all we'd ever watch was Bonanza and any John Wayne movie showing on TV. But to answer the question - mostly my Dad and older sisters.
8) Pick one Western to live inside for a week, and explain why you chose it.
"The Man From Snowy River"... because, in a way, it would feel like home. And I believe I would be fully at ease in the snowy mountains, riding on a horse (or preferably lil' mountain pony :D), with Jim.
9) Share one (or several!) of your favorite quotes from a Western.
"Well that didn't pan out." (True Grit)
Or one that my sisters and I say from time to time with no context whatsoever:
"I thought you was gonna say the sun was in your eye! That is to say... your EYE." (also True Grit) (but I'm a huge sucker for Matt Damon. :P)