Article: The rise and fall of the western: the true western, whether book or movie, was more than entertainment; it was an encapsulation of the American myth. (includes related article)

The Rise and Fall Of the Western

A NATION which loses its myths is in danger of losing its soul. Just as the legends of King Arthur were "the Matter of Britain," so Westerns have been the Matter of America; which is why what's happened to the Western is no trivial affair. That something has happened is surely beyond dispute, the clearest proof being the simple absence from the screen of new Western films or series; today's predominantly youthful audiences are supposed not to be interested. The alleged exceptions prove the rule. Not only are they treated as coelacanths, rare survivals from another age, but they are advertised as possessing qualities incompatible ...

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