The Change from Hero to Antihero in Movies

Comparison of Modern Movie Heroes to Heroes of Classic Westerns

Sep 21, 2009

In modern-day movies, is it difficult to distinguish the heroes from the villains? A few decades ago classic movie westerns presented a much different image of heroes.

During the 1930's until 1960’s a code called the Hays code governed the morals and ethics of movie characters. The Hays code predated the MPAA system of rating movies, and a dramatic change occurred in movie characterization and on-screen ethics when the Hays code was abolished in 1968.

Movies Influenced by Hays Code, Myths, and Legends

However, the hero of classic Western movies was based on traditions and legends beyond the Hays code. The classic western represented the “great heroes, dangers, and voyages” of legend that writer Francois Lyotard opined was fading from contemporary narrative and stories (Danesi, 2007, p. 174). The Western "provided what has been termed our national epic" contends historian Wayne Sarf; the Classic American Western is "a substitute for an Iliad or Aeneid that serves as a young nation's heroic age and a reflection of that nation's values” (Bloch, 2006, p.6). The classic Western was “American Mythology” (p.7).

Westerns - More than Just Movie Entertainment

Adam Bloch in his thesis emphasizes the importance of the Westerns of movie and television stating, “the Western was not merely a fun and occasionally silly cinematic diversion, but often an accurate barometer of social and political events." Scholar Jane Tompluns adds that, “…People think of Westerns as light entertainment, adolescent and escapist, but there is nothing trivial about the needs they answer, the desires they arouse, or the vision of life they portray” (2006, p.5).

Bloch agrees that classic movie Westerns were more than mere entertainment, observing that “movies have been a primary, perhaps even the foremost, component of popular culture. As such, they have existed as a mirror of the national consciousness, reflecting the various subjects of contemporary events and public dialogue” (2006, pp. 5-6).

Movies – A Mirror of Society

So, these observations of Bloch and Tompluns establish that the western movie was a reflection of the ethics and beliefs of society. In other words, the heroes in the western movies had the same qualities that the public admired in real-life persons and heroes, but the portrayal or heroes in the movies began to change dramatically in the 60’s.

Many prominent critics argue that the shift from hero to antihero in modern movies mirrored the realities and changes in America during the Vietnam War (Bloch, p. 96). Whatever the reason, there was a profound shift in the portrayal of heroes during the 60's.

A Bad Man can’t be a Hero

A stark difference between the early movie Westerns and modern-day Westerns was that in the classic western “a bad man couldn't be a hero" (Dirks, T.) This was a mandate from the Hays code that affected films for several decades. But despite the Hays code, many adult westerns identified human fallibility, and complexity of character in the heroes. But between the 1952 premiere of High Noon and the 1973 premiere of High Plains Drifter, the traits of the movie hero changed dramatically.

What is a Hero?

The traits of a hero are described by Kevin Boon (who quotes Klapp) explaining “the hero exceeds…the standards required of ordinary (people)” and possesses “courage, self-abnegation, devotion, and prowess, being regarded as amazing.” This is the image that the hero of the classic western exemplified.

Klapp (as quoted by Boon) adds that heroes symbolized “success, perfection and conquest of evil, providing a model…” possibly for a “better self.” The description is quite lofty and idealistic and persisted until revisionist/modern-day westerns gradually changed the image during the 60’s.

An Example of a Classic Western Hero

The character Will Kane from the movie High Noon exemplifies the classic hero of the western. On Will Kane’s wedding day and his last day as the sheriff, Frank Miller - a murderer who has vowed to kill Kane - is released from prison.

Three members of Miller’s gang wait for Frank Miller to arrive on the noon train; their plan is to kill Kane and re-establish their domination of the town. Will Kane, although he must face the Miller Gang alone and risk widowing his wife, determines to confront Frank Miller and protect the town. The rest of the movie revolves around the Kane’s decision, his interactions and relationships with the townspeople, and concludes with the final showdown at noon.

Actor/director Clint Eastwood took the narrative of High Noon and reshaped it to present the story of High Plains Drifter - an antiheroic movie. In imagining the antiheroic tale, actor/director Clint Eastwood asked the question “what happens if the sheriff in High Noon is killed and symbolically comes back as some avenging angel or something?” (quoted by Bloch). Eastwood attempted to answer this question with the movie High Plains Drifter. To complete the contrast of modern-day antihero to classic Western hero a definition of antihero is needed.

What is an Antihero?

According to Merriam Websters Collegiate Dictionary, "an antihero is a protagonist or notable figure who is conspicuously lacking in heroic qualities." The antihero has the "nice guys finish last" attitude usually characterized by self-serving actions.

“John Vinocur of The New YorkTimes” describes the typical antihero of the modern westerns stating that the character is “a western hero without the western's traditional heroic characteristics. He had no sense of chivalry, no sense of regret, and an approach to a witheringly violent world that could be justified as ludicrously ironic, or condemned as a hired gun's cynicism and amorality" (Bloch, p.103).

The article "Hero versus Antihero" continues this article series and compares the movie High Noon with High Plains Drifter .

Bloch, A. (2006). Deconstructing the American mythology: revisionist Westerns and U.S. history. Williamstown Mass. Williams College.

Boon, K.A. (2005). Heroes, metanarratives, and the paradox of masculinity in contemporary Western culture.(Critical Essay). The Journal of Men's Studies. (13) 3, 301-312.

Danesi, M. (2007). Popular culture: introductory perspectives. Lanham, Maryland. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Eastwood, C., Kapsis, R., Coblentz, K. (1999). Clint Eastwood: interviews By Clint Eastwood. Miss. University Press Robert E. Kapsis, Kathie Coblentz

The copyright of the article The Change from Hero to Antihero in Movies in Film Westerns is owned by Marian Henderson. Permission to republish The Change from Hero to Antihero in Movies in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.