This document provides an analysis of the Western genre and conventions through examining the film Django Unchained. It discusses the typical elements of Westerns like climactic shootouts between heroes and villains. The document also analyzes how the trailer for Django Unchained represents people and reinforces or challenges stereotypes, noting it depicts the historical mistreatment of blacks during the era of slavery in 1858.

1. Colour = Blue
By Gelsomina De Lucia
12B

2. THE GENRE.
 The genre is Western.
 Other films in the same genre are :
 Dances with Wolves – 1990 ( By Kevin
Costner)
 Tombstone – 1993 ( By George P. Cosmatos )
 True Grit – 2010 ( By Coen Brothers )
 The Wild Bunch – 1969 ( By Sam Peckinpah)
 Unforgiven – 1992 ( By Clint Eastwood)

3. DJANGO UNCHAINED - 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUdM9vrCbow

4. THE PURPOSE OF WESTERN GENRE.
 The purpose of the Western genre is to
portray the later half of the 19th century in
the American Old West, hence why in the
majority of Western movies, the accents are
similar.
 Additionally, it is to show the audience what
life was like during this period.

5. THE AUDIENCE.
 The target audience for Western films is a
wide age category due to a lot of violence
being in the films and also because older
generations are more intrigued into westerns
due to westerns being on TV a lot
throughout their childhoods, but the main
group they are aimed at is males due to the
violence within them.

6. LIST OF FEW CONVENTIONS OF THIS GENRE...
Western Conventions Examples from Films
The lone, cynical cowboy who is trying to be
honourable in a dishonourable environment.
Usually he is lonely because he is a widower,
or he was wronged.
True Grit – 2010 Directed By Joel and Ethan
Coen.
A woman who is the voice of reason, (and
probably the love interest) for the "hero.“
Damsel in distress.
Django Unchained – 2012 Directed By
Quentin Tarantino.
A climatic shoot-out between the hero (or
heroes, including the strong woman) and the
villain.
The Wild Bunch – 1969
Directed By Sam Peckinpah
Explosive scenes. Tombstone – 1993
Directed
By George Cosmatoes.

7. Conventions Evidence Explanation
A climatic shoot-out
.
This is because during the later
half of the 19th century, men
would shoot each other in a
sort of face off to see which
one is more of the ‘better’ man.
A strong woman
who is the voice of
reason.
There has to be a women who
the main character is in love
with or in search of.
Explosive Scenes Explosions were another form
of weapons used to create
damage but also it makes to
movie seem more effective and
entertaining to the target
audience.

8. SUBGENRE
 A subgenre is two genres fused together.
 The subgenre of the movie is
Western/Adventure.
 Other films from this subgenre are ;
 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly– Released
in 1966
 Once upon a time in the West– Released in
1968
 Young Guns 2 – Released in 1990

9. HYBRID.
 A hybrid is when there are 3 genres fused
together.
 An example of a Western hybrid is :
Western/Drama/Adventure.
 Jeremiah Johnson – Released in1972
 True Grit– Released in 2012.
 Dances with Wolves– Released in 1990

10. CONNOTATION AND DENOTATION
The denotation
would be that there
are two men riding
horses together.
A connotation would be that in a typical cowboy movie, the
main character would travel alone however here this is not
the case.
Also, the fact
that this movie is
about the
slavery, this idea
challenges the
idea of the
historical
background of
the movie.As the
main strong
cowboy is black.Two shot is used to
show that both people
in this shot are very
important characters.

11. CONNOTATION AND DENOTATION
Denotation would be
that there are
flowers covered in
blood.
However the denotation could be that as they there
white flowers, white symbolises purity, and red
symbolises angry, this could show that the main
character was pure and hatred free until his wife was
taken away and his innocent was lost.

12. HOW ARE PEOPLE , PLACES AND/OR OBJECTS
BEING REPRESENTED IN THE TRAILER?
o There are many zoom in
shots within the trailer to
highlight his
importance, power and
strength. This is typical of a
villain as they are always
the main focus of the
movie.
o This behaviour was normal for
white men to treat blacks as there
servants and has this character has
more than one, he seems to be
someone of great importance.

13. HOW ARE PEOPLE , PLACES AND/OR OBJECTS
BEING REPRESENTED IN THE TRAILER?
o Women were treated like ‘dirty’
and therefore by dragging her on
the ground, it means that she is
dirty.
o No respect for women.
o The man dragging her is white
and therefore this shows
historical content of slavery and
what life was like for black
women.
o By sitting her down and having
his hand over her head, this
shows that she is below everyone
else but also the man holding her
is powerful and has control over
her.

14. STEREOTYPES IN THE TRAILER...
o This was a very stereotypical poster which would have been found in
ever bar in real and in the movie life of Western. People were always
getting hunted for money in return whether they found you dead or alive.
In Western movies, there will always be someone who is being the hunter
or the hunted.

15. STEREOTYPES IN THE TRAILER...
o There are always gun fights and horse chases in a Western movie. Whether
is be that the hero rides the horse or the villain. There is always a horse chase
scene which is shown in the second screen grab.

16. RE- INFORCED OR CHALLENGED?
Stereotype Re – in forced Challenged.
‘Wanted Dead or Alive’
Poster.
This is re – in forced
because the basic meaning
behind a western movie is that
someone is hunting someone to
kill them or they are being
hunted.
Weapons and Horse Chases. This is also re - in forced
because in every western
movie, each cowboy has a gun
and a horse.

17. HISTORICAL CONTENT
 This movie involves slavery at the time and the
mistreatment of blacks in one of the years of
1858, which was a big part of American history
with civil rights.
 The idea that there is a black cowboy, it challenges
the stereotype that white men are usual cowboys.