Once Upon A Time in the West (2) – The History of the Western Genre

Our Western series continues until the end of July, showing films from all the key phases of the genre. The Western is essential for an understanding of the American nation, for it is here that its foundation myths are reaffirmed and challenged on a constant basis, as the genre moves between the conflicting demands of historical fact and the need to create myths and legends. The crisis in 1960s America that arose from social tensions, the civil rights movement and the war in Vietnam is also reflected in the Western, with its heroes becoming insecure, melancholy and defeated. Finally, the Italo-Westerns and their opera-like, excessive staging ceased even to draw on reality anymore, taking their bearings instead from the Hollywood myths themselves.