Tombstone is an American western movie that was released in 1993. It is set in the town of Tombstone, Arizona, which was founded as a silver mining town. Wyatt Earp and his brothers Virgil and Morgan come to town to make money and live a life of retirement. However, the Cowboys threaten peace in the town. The themes of masculinity and American ideals heavily influence this film. Men are presented to be powerful in this film, and that power derives from the fact that they carry guns and commit acts of violence. In the film, almost all of the males have either a pistol or a shotgun. This depiction is inaccurate, as most people in the west didn’t own a firearm. In contrast, women in the film are portrayed to be the weaker gender, being present only to take care of their partner. They also don’t carry guns with them, meaning that they don’t have any power. This also gives off the image that only guns can solve …show more content…
The opening scene portrays the violence between whites and Mexicans. This was a fairly common happening. There was a lot of racial animosity still in America. Another example of this is Sheriff Behan saying he was the president of the Non-Partisan Anti-Chinese League. These were fairly common during the 1880s, when the Chinese would come through Angel Island and work in the railroads and in the mines. However, they fail to address the killing of Indians by whites during this same time. The film also shows how big a part of life the gambling industry was in the west. There were several gambling halls in Tombstone, where men would spend their money, drink, and meet women. The film also correctly explores the gray line between law enforcement and criminal activities in the west. Sheriff Behan was in league with the Cowboys, who he had even deputized. Wyatt and his brothers were the law, according to federal government, but they all had shady pasts and shady dealings in