Hang Em High Essay

610 Words3 Pages

Hang ‘Em High is a Western movie that was released in 1968. The movie is directed by Ted Post, and it stars Clint Eastwood, who also co-produced the film. The storyline follows Eastwood's character, Jed Cooper, who's wrongly accused of a criminal offense and left to be held. However, he's being held by a federal marshal, who gives him a task. Cooper accepts the offer and goes after the perpetrators who have falsely accused him and hanged him.
To address the American justice system, the filmmaker utilizes the movie as a means of communication. The film exposes injustices in the legal system, where people are frequently wrongfully accused due to fake witnesses or mistaken identification. This becomes evident when Cooper is wrongfully imprisoned …show more content…

This can be seen in the form of vigilante justice, in which he takes matters into his own hands. This topic is showcased for the duration of the movie, as Cooper sets out to discover those who have wronged him and bring them to justice. This subject has been embedded in American culture for an extended period of time, where revenge is often seen as a means to restore justice.
The film's context is set against the backdrop of the Sixties, when there was civil unrest in America. The USA has been in a state of turmoil, with civil rights activists demanding equality and justice for all. The film's topics of injustice, racial anxiety, and violence have been very applicable for the duration of this era. The movie can be seen as an attempt to offer commentary on the social and political climate of the time.
The movie's depictions of race and gender are tricky. The movie portrays the ladies as helpless sufferers, and their roles are restricted to being either prostitutes or widows. There is no illustration of ladies in powerful positions; that's complicated because it reduces the female characters to mere props in the storyline. The portrayal of people of color in the movie is also difficult, as they may be relegated to secondary roles as both outlaws and servants. This portrayal reinforces the belief that human beings of color are inferior and reinforces the racial stereotypes well-known throughout that