#videoessay #western #cinema
For the first fifty years or so of cinema's life span, the Western was a major genre, dominating the industry up until the 1970s. But as cinema entered into a new era, it left the Western behind, with modern filmmaking rendering the frontier setting stale when compared to alien worlds or alternate dimensions. This video tracks the life cycle of the Western, from its humble beginnings to its end, looking at how it represents America as a country, and why we might benefit from its return.

Timestamps:
00:00 - The Great Train Robbery (1903)
01:36 - Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
03:28 - Pre-war
05:11 - Post-war
06:01 - Revisionism
07:00 - 80s Decline
08:37 - 90s Resurgence
09:35 - How Westerns Reflect America