Rethinking the Western

Reelworld Screen Institute staff members Safia Abdigir, Hannah Yohannes, Alison Cosgrove and Pahull Bains take over Hollywood Suite’s four channels Sept 29 and 30 showcasing some of their favourite films from the 70s through to today. 

Westerns have a lot to answer for, the backdrop of white fantasy, a rewriting of colonial expansion via the hero’s journey to name a few. Yet, like most films, people of colour watch it and insert their own gaze, sometimes with and without an awareness of what’s being inverted. When you know the ways your life is shaped by forces outside of your control, the role of the lone ranger is seductive. The idea that your fortune could be turned around by the barrel of a gun, that your victory in a duel is all it takes to give you a new life — no wonder it’s loved. The following films in their own ways push against the myth of the white frontier or at least a fruitful one.

Buck and The Preacher

Sidney Poitier’s comedy directorial debut featured him in the role of Buck and the charismatic Harry Belafonte as Preacher. Tasked with leading a wagon trail of Black people across the land to “unsettled” Kansas, Buck must negotiate with Native tribes for safe passage as violent slave catchers try to scare the people back to Louisiana. For a genre that continuously uses Indigenous people as props, Poitier’s honesty in exploring the tension and understanding of shared struggles between Black and Indigenous people is a refreshing take on the genre.

McCabe & Mrs. Miller

Robert Altman took all the romanticization out of the western to leave a film brimming with complex people trying to make their home. Westerns have created this false memory of expansion and opportunity that doesn’t translate to the real reality of living on a stolen land and trying to survive through hostile weather. Set in Washington during the winter season, the unconventional settings allow the simmering of yearning to play so beautifully as John McCabe (Warren Beatty) tries to build a town around a brothel run by Mrs. Miller (Julie Christie).

Rashomon

It’s usually Seven Samurai that would be included in a line-up of westerns. If the genre is stretched a bit then Kurosawa’s masterpiece Rashomon fits in this line. Gone are the rolling hills and quest for new lands, but the film wrestles with justice and the despair felt when honour amongst people is lost. Using flashback and genius editing, four people narrate their perspective on the event that leads to a murder and rape. Depending on who’s telling the tale, the facts change and the ugliness of the human spirit is shown.

Safia’s Picks – September 29

McCabe and Mrs. Miller – 9pm ET on HS70

Buck and the Preacher – 11:05pm ET on HS70

Rashomon – 12:50am ET on HS70

Safia Abdigir, Reelworld Industry Programming Manager

An avid film lover, Safia is a Toronto-based arts culture worker specifically interested in the facilitation of diverse perspectives in the Canadian film industry, including 2SLGBTQ+ racialized identities. She worked on Home Made Visible, a nation-wide archive that digitized home videos/films to preserve the self-recorded histories of racially diverse Canadians. In 2020, the project garnered the prestigious Governor General’s Award. Her work experience includes managing events at various festivals throughout the city, including the Regent Park Film Festival.