In the film Day of the Outlaw we see the women as "other". When you look at the role women play in this film it is quite obvious what time period it was shot in. It was filmed in 1959. The fifties was a time era where women were thought to be more as an object of society. They were to tend to the husband when he got home from work, raise the kids, and clean the house. In the film we see the women treated more like objects than people. This is shown in the scene where the men are passing the women around the social like they are merely objects to occupy them. Also, when the gang rolls into town they feel as though they should be able to have their way with the women after a long trip. These attitudes toward women in the film reflect the way women were viewed in society during the fifties. They had hardly no social status and were basically believed to exist solely to take care of their husbands.
Another interesting development in the film was Helen's struggle to stay faithful to her husband. She wanted her ex lover Blaise. This is something that typically would not have been seen in the fifties. The era is known for its conformity, and families and relationships were typically very formal in those days. When Helen kisses Blaise I'm sure it was unusual to watch as a viewer back in the fifties because occurences like that were out of the ordinary. Even if such a thing did happen it was in private and kept quiet.
In the film Day of the Outlaw we see the women as "other". When you look at the role women play in this film it is quite obvious what time period it was shot in. It was filmed in 1959. The fifties was a time era where women were very insignificant figures in society. They were to tend to the husband when he got home from work, raise the kids, and clean the house. In the film we see the women treated more like objects than people. This is shown in the scene where the men are passing the women around the social like they are merely objects to occupy them. Also, when the gang rolls into town they feel as though they should be able to have their way with the women after a long trip. These attitudes toward women in the film reflect the way women were viewed in society during the fifties. They had hardly no social status and were basically believed to exist solely to take care of their husband and the family's needs.
ReplyDeleteThe theme of rape is also prevalent in this film. Although there is no blatant signs of it there are subtle signs. For example when the men go up stairs to check for more women and a women screams and runs downstairs with her clothes ripped, this suggests rape. Rape still was legal in the fifties and wasn't made a big issue until the sixties and ultimately the early seventies when legislation was finally passed. The subtle hints in the film represent the lack of attention such an act brought back in those days.
Another interesting development in the film was Helen's struggle to stay faithful to her husband. She wanted her ex lover Blaise. This is something that typically would not have been seen in the fifties. The era is known for its conformity, and families and relationships were typically very formal in those days. When Helen kisses Blaise I'm sure it was unusual to watch as a viewer back in the fifties because occurences like that were out of the ordinary. Even if such a thing did happen it was in private and kept quiet.