The Objective Standard

The Objective Standard

Share this post

The Objective Standard
The Objective Standard
The Battle for Values in American Westerns
Arts & Culture

The Battle for Values in American Westerns

By Timothy Sandefur

Aug 01, 2019
∙ Paid

Share this post

The Objective Standard
The Objective Standard
The Battle for Values in American Westerns
Share

Editor’s note: This article contains spoilers for The Wild Bunch, High Noon, Rio Bravo, Rio Lobo, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and The Big Country.

The 1969 film The Wild Bunch marked a turning point for the Western genre. With its unprecedented violence and nihilism, it abandoned the values that classic cowboys had stood for, justice above all. And…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to The Objective Standard to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 The Objective Standard
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share