Bobby Shalom

I'm looking for a scene from a Western that could have a parallel with cell footage of police shooting unarmed African Americans. Hoping to find a scene from a pre-1960 Western.

On top of that - I'd love any other suggestions of ugly depictions of Native Americans in a Western Film.

TIA

Mabuse

If you don’t know, why should I tell you just so you can make a shallow point?

The Western is one of America’s great art forms.

“Uh, I don’t know anything about the film musical. Can you guys provide me with examples of 1930’s Hollywood musicals where the male lead is overbearing so that I can score lazy points by drawing a corollary with #metoo? Thanks!”

If you are so lacking in film literacy that you can’t find the examples yourself then you shouldn’t be using cinema to make your point.

d2cheer

Good Burger.

Bobby Shalom

So, I'm working on a video project about a Native American documentary filmmaker. She talked about taking a survey of Western film class at film school. So I am trying to make a point with the scene, but I guess it seems a little cruel that you are flippantly calling it shallow.

Mabuse

Yeah d2cheer. Don’t be a dick.

Bobby Shalom

You seem to have a chip on your shoulder. This message board seemed a lot more helpful in the past.

Mabuse

In all seriousness why don’t you take a survey of western film class? It would help prepare you. As I’m sure it prepared her. Even if she didn’t like what she saw, I imagine she stands in opposition to the tropes of the unique genre, it was the exposure that prepared her to stand in opposition.

It sounds like you want to intercut Hollywood westerns with real police shootings. I wouldn’t recommend doing that without being familiar with the genre.

At least pick up the Criterion Stagecoach, Red River, My Darling Clementine and watch all the supplements. And watch Shane, Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, 3:10 to Yuma, and The Searchers.

High Noon, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Iron Horse, Pat Garett and Billy the Kid, Destry Rides Again, Bend of the River, Ride the High Country. And don’t just watch John Wayne films. That’s shallow.

Ash Ketchum

SOLDIER BLUE (1970)

Mabuse

I don’t want to direct this project for you Bobby, but if the subject of your doc didn’t like the depiction of Indians she encountered at film school, then interview her, have her site examples, and then cut to clips of those films.

Bobby Shalom

Okay, in all seriousness... I guess I find your post condescending, but that may be due to my not putting a lot of information down in my original post. I wanted to keep it short. But here's the long version.

I am pretty well versed in the Western genre - my dad used to take me to see many different genres of films in the 70s, and we saw The Searchers, Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Rio Bravo, High Noon, Stagecoach, etc, The first DVD I bought in 1981 was The Searchers, and I've also watched many of the westerns directed by Anthony Mann, Howard, Hawks, John Ford, Budd Boeticher, Leone, etc.

So far for this project I've identified scenes from The Searchers, Drums Along the Mohawk, and Two Rode Together. I asked for more scenes, because I'm hoping to use 6-7 clips.

As far as my project - I will try to describe it to you. It's about a young native American woman in film school who is making a documentary about an organization that started after the Jamar Clark verdict (police found not guilty of shooting an African American male) here in Minneapolis.

In the opening of the video, which is about a minute long -she discusses taking the Western film class - and she says that the depiction of indigenous people in the westerns made her want to make films where people have control of their own narrative.

I wanted a scene that might mirror a police shooting to foreshadow the content to come.

Bobby Shalom

Thanks Ash, I forgot about Soldier Blue, and I actually own a copy of it. This is very helpful!

Bobby Shalom

And for that - I am thankful.

Mabuse

I think you might find more parallels with police brutality in film noir and gangster movies.


On Dangerous Ground has a fabulous verite moment of handheld camera work that maybe prefigures body-cam sort of stuff. I’m trying to find the clip.

inri222

This one is from 1964

d2cheer

Bobby Shalom

Thanks! Going to track this one down.

printerati

dom56

I thought it was a pretty good movie about the plight of native american searching for their home. The scene with Jimmy Stewart as Wyatt Earp however wasn't need to be in the film and should have been cut out.

Mondo Kane

Do spaghetti westerns count?

Hazel Motes

Am I missing something? Was there a deleted post somewhere that detailed Bobby Shalom tracking down the whereabouts of Mabuse and pissing in his cheerios?

Greg MacGuffin

What a fucking shitty comment.

Mabuse

So Greg, help him out. What examples of pre-60s western cinema can you recommend that relate to negative depictions of native peoples as well as police brutality?

Mabuse

Bobby,

Greg is providing you with cricket sound effects that you can use in your documentary.

Dr. Mantle

Somethig's wrong with him. He starts his own threads asking for help, but when someone else has a question, it's all, "Figure it out yourself, asshole."

GhostLee

At least he addressed the topic, even if it was a "shitty comment," instead of just coming into the thread to take a shot at someone. What advice did you two offer Bobby?

Back on topic, I'll try to think of some other scenes that might work and get back to you.