The Importance Of Individualism In Howard Hawk's Red River

The western genre is a genre of racism and rugged individualism, but also one of glory and pride in one’s country. Beyond this, it is a genre completely reflective of American history at the time, with the ability to provide a setting for romance and adventure. According to Jim Kitses, the western in fact is American history (Kitses 89). This is a bold statement, as we know westerns are just as much a product of Hollywood as any other genre. However, with that being said, “American frontier life provides the milieu and mores of the western” (Kitses 89), and the characters in Howard Hawk’s Red River strongly portray what was thought to be the idealistic man during the 1940s and 1950s. Both heroes in this 1948 film demonstrate these specific

In Red River, Thomas Dunson and Matt Garth alike serve as an “embodiment of authority, masculinity, love of country and other allegedly endangered American virtues” (Cambell 466). They are athletic, suave and rugged, and stick to their values, despite whether or not they are correct. These men are “seen as rough innocents” (Kitses 90); they have a good heart, but often do not correctly know how to use it. This is seen when Dunson takes Garth, a young boy orphaned by an Indian attack, under his wing, providing for him and teaching him how to survive in the west. Although the two men refuse to admit it, they grow to genuinely care for each other, and Dunson becomes a father figure to Garth. However, like most stereotypical western heroes incapable of expressing their emotions, they instead “found subliminal ways to express their love,” by means of a “grunt of approval” or “shared cigarette” (Cambell 472). It is not until the end of the film, after they almost kill each other, that they are able to admit just how much they do

If Dunson and Garth both so strongly believe they are invincible, they surely then believe, as white men, they are entitled to whatever they want. The two believe in a “distinctive blend of manhood and manifest destiny” (Cambell 467), and Dunson in particular stops at nothing to create the largest cattle ranch in Texas. Because of this, white men soon emerge as “good” and all other races seen as “evil,” as these races stand in their way of achieving this dream. When Dunson and his men come across the land that is soon to become his ranch, he learns that it belongs to a Mexican man named Don Diego. He immediately responds, saying, “that is too much land for one man,” (Hawks) claiming that the land is now his, as if he has the right to decide such a thing. Dunson goes on to quite literally shoot the messenger, and to brand Diego’s cattle with his name. The racism throughout the film does not apply only to Mexicans, but to Native Americans as well. From the very beginning, Dunson’s love, Fen, is killed by an “Injun attack,” leading the viewer to be partial to disliking Native Americans. The Native Americans are also compared to savage wild animals, as they use bird noises to communicate with each other before their attacks. Using a particular race to incite fear throughout the film is a direct form of racism not only seen in Red River, but in westerns in general. While many of the qualities portrayed in Red River of the ideal man