I grew up on Clint Eastwood western films. I used to pretend the sticks in the backyard were the brown chewy looking cigarettes “Blondie” smoked. I would walk around my backyard pretending to be a cowboy. Much later, it struck me that there weren’t many female heroes in these westerns I loved. Where were the cowgirls? Of course, there were women in these films, but very few were of more importance than a maiden in need.

For this video piece I am appropriating western film clips to create my own narrative centered around the females in some of the most popular western films. The video creates a “trailer” like narrative surrounding the women that were certainly present in these films, but their heroism left unsung. I use both the more dominant female characters from classic western films, and less prominent characters in order to create a cohesive narrative but additionally, a relationship between assertive and submissive, bold and meek. Through both these positions, there is a depiction of the overlooked and uncelebrated Western heroine.

Gatling Gun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD_s-v2fgko&list=PLb5VPYieTl9tAwZbtbPMpJjsHGP27nH8D&index=20

Hannie Caulder:

The Belle Star Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8LzOBjf-cg

100 Rifles:

Deadlock

Once Upon A Time In The West:

El Topo



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