'The Contemporary Western offers a judicious interjection into a scholarly field currently dominated by transnational explorations. In refocusing the critical lens on the Western as a specifically American form, it illuminates the complex interplay between post-9/11 politics and established mythologies, demonstrating the genre's continuing ability to shape the ideological perceptions of America's popular-cultural imaginary.'
Matthew Carter, Senior Lecturer in Film, Manchester Metropolitan University

A distinctive examination of post-9/11 films in relation to the Hollywood western

The September 11th attacks in 2001 and the subsequent 'War on Terror' have had a profound effect on American cinema, and the contemporary Western is no exception. In this book, John White explores how films such as Open Range, True Grit and Jane Got a Gun reinforce a conservative myth of America exceptionalism; endorsing the use of extreme force in dealing with enemies and highlighting the importance of defending the homeland. Placing their characters within a dark world of confusion and horror, these films reflect the United States' post-9/11 uncertainties, and the conflict between civilised values and the brutality employed to defend them.

John White is Senior Lecturer in Film and Media at Anglia Ruskin University.

Cover image: director Quentin Tarantino on set of Django Unchained (2012) © The Weinstein Company Photographer: Andrew Cooper/Photofest

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ISBN 978-1-4744-2792-0
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