Spaghetti Westerns emerged in the early sixties when European film companies attempted to recreate their version of the American Western. The reason the term ‘spaghetti’ is used is because a large majority of these films were financed by Italian companies. These films were not as popular as the classic American western, yet were still watched and enjoyed by many. Some key differences stand out when comparing the classic and spaghetti westerns especially in the films Navajo Joe and the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
In the film Navajo Joe, the main character is Native American. He is the hero of the movie and is constantly saving people from Duncan and his large gang of thieves. He has all of the characteristics of an alpha male cowboy of the classic western, but the fact that he is Native American is surprising. In the classic western Native Americans are certainly seen as the ‘other’ and always play a supplementary role. Even the half Indian girl who goes to look for him says she has never heard of a Native American named ‘Joe’ before. The spaghetti western is extremely theatrical and exaggerated in fighting scenes, relying on the slight humor of sloppy behavior to draw the audience in.
The film The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, provides a plot more similar to the classic western but does depict the civil war experience in a serious way. There was figure in the film that fought for good or had the goal of defending justice. The three main cowboys in this film are all after personal gain and solely driven by money. The European film companies did not truly understand why the people of America rallied around a strong alpha male cowboy figure that fought for good with a high moral standard. This style of film is known more for comedy and extremely sappy acting, and not for the upkeep of morals and a hero who represents the American dream.
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