A conversation with one of my friends always comes to mind when I think about the Modern Western and what defines it. The older western is very definable, there are usually men wearing cowboy hats, shooting revolvers and riding horses. This a very notable and distinct set of conventions that anybody can recognise, whether they are a fan of the genre or not. However, when it comes to the Modern Western it becomes a lot harder to recognise. What makes a Modern Western? In this Western Wednesday, we will be answering that question. The Modern Western might seem hard to define at first, but when we look closer we can see the similarities between the two. The Modern Western is defined by its setting. Whilst, the older Westerns take place on the traditional American frontier. The Modern Western is similarly set in these modern frontiers. These aren't the typical western frontiers but instead the modern American frontier, where there is lawlessness or a lack of development. One major frontier that is focussed on in these Modern Westerns is the Mex-American border and the conflicts that go on there. The typical lawless gangs, sheriffs and horses, are replaced by Mexican cartels, American DEA agents and pick up trucks. A new element that is thrown into the Modern Western is the trafficking aspect. Many of the Modern Western's focus on drug trafficking between the Mexican and American gangs. For example, the AMC television series, Breaking Bad is a perfect example of a Modern Western set on the Mex-American frontier. We see our modern outlaw, Walter White, navigate through a world of outlaws, assassins and American law enforcement. Walter White also embodies the Modern outlaw mentality, where justification is used to negate the heaviness of their selfish acts. Again, this stems from the old form of the western, where greed would often overtake a character's personality. In the Modern Western, characters justify their greed. The Modern outlaw isn't outright greedy, like western antiheroes of old, they mask their greed in good deeds. For example, in Breaking Bad, Walt deludes himself that he is providing for his family. (at Los Pollos Hermanos) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCYYPxMHfpt/?igshid=fcq9kpepfzos
