The Cowboy Mystique

I grew up on westerns.  I absorbed the ethos that is exuded by 20^th Century depictions of the American cowboy:  hard working; hard drinking; tough as rawhide; independent.  And yet under that sun-baked, leathery exterior, cowboys were poetic and moving in their own right.  Growing up in the country you learn what beats at the heart of a cowboy’s life: honor; integrity; courage; country; and, most importantly, family.  That’s what makes the cowboys so intriguing a character in American folklore.  That is not to say that they are simple.  By no means.  They are as complex a character as you’ll come across in all your travels.  Their passions often conflict with their character to create some of the most interesting men you’ll ever know.

With that in mind, I've decided to list out five of my favorite cinematic cowboys in particular order.

Gus McCrae (Lonesome Dove):  Robert Duvall’s character was, without a doubt, the prime example of the passions of the American cowboy best portrayed on film.  He embodied that independence and adventurous, go-get-‘em attitude that shaped the American west, which is why he conflicted often with the down-to-earth, pragmatic Puritan work ethic of Woodrow Call.  Between them the whole mini-series explores the nature of the American cowboy and how it shaped that ethos we've come to know.

Wil Andersen (The Cowboys):  Hardscrabble, tough, and at times unforgiving, John Wayne’s character embodied not only the cowboy but the very environment that made cowboys as he rode herd on a group of kids who ran his cattle while all the grown-ups were off of a fool’s errand panning for gold in Montana.  Part of the film shows him shaping and molding the boys into the men that they will become by the end of the movie; men who plan to “finish the job” in spite of rustlers led by Bruce Dern.

Josey Wales (The Outlaw Josey Wales):  Clint Eastwood’s Reconstruction Era classic follows as an ex-Missouri Raider and Quantrill Rider as he looks to escape the violent past, which began with the murder of his family at the hands of Kansas Redlegs.  After all the killing and fighting, Josey wants to find some sliver of peace so he heads south to Texas.  He’s rough and ready for anything, but he wants no part of killing anymore.  His sense of honor and courage is best shown in his confrontation and subsequent peace with Comanche Chief Ten Bears. 

Dan Evans (3:10 to Yuma):  A small-rancher, Van Heflin’s character is a devoted family man who believes that the only way the American frontier can be tamed is through devotion to what was right.  For him, that was honor, courage, and the belief that no man was above the law, no matter how frightening that man was.  To that end, Evans puts his money where his mouth is and escorts notorious outlaw Ben Wade (one of Glenn Ford’s most incredible performances) to the railhead at Contention City to put him on the eponymous train.  This puts Evans at odds with his wife; with stage line own Butterfield; and even with his own fears.  The outcome is both inspiring and surprising at the same time.

Steve Judd (Ride the High Country):  Joel McCrae’s aging, ex-lawman takes a job to escort a shipment of gold down from the Sierra Nevadas.  He enlists the help of old friend Gil Westrum (Randolph Scott) who winds up challenging the integrity of Judd at every turn.  Along with a young man named Heck Longtree, the three of them get up the mountain and get more than they bargained for.  When they rescue a young woman from her abusive father only to have to rescue her from her abusive would-be husband and in-laws, the four head down the mountain.  Judd, who has resisted the intrigues of Westrum, confronts his old friend later when Gil tries to make off with the gold.  Judd never wavers and even, in the end, brings his wayward friend back to the straight-and-narrow in what is one of the most elegiac and beautiful westerns ever made.