Red River LJ

In Red River there are two notable cowboys, Dunson and Matt. Dunson is the stereotypical alpha male cowboy, to a fault. His tireless devotion to duty goes beyond anything else, which makes him inflexible and tyrannical. "To Dunson in was just another job." Matt is younger, more flexible, possibly more fit for the role of alpha male than Dunson is due to his age. However, it is important that Matt always defers to Dunson, and the respect for Dunson that he shows even after taking charge of the drive is indicative of the power Dunson has over the other cowboys. I believe the film highlights the fact that Westerns realized they had to change. Heroes can't afford to get old, they are heroes because they have certain traits that interest and appeal to the audience at the time of their creation. Like a toy pistol and cowboy hat, interests change and we therefore stop playing with the latter two by substituting them with a Batman costume. Dunson is the old alpha male cowboy who loses the woman of his life, and therefore is left with "the job". Matt is practically a son to Dunson. However, despite his deferrance to him, he may be the better shooter, the better cowboy. He takes the initiative when he feels that Dunson is being morally wrong, and also gets the girl. This (personally) disqualified Matt from being the alpha male cowboy, but only because the traditional sense of the hero never gets the girl. This movie is all about the fact that alpha male cowboys must change, and this change is most embodied in the unusuallly (for the time) strong female role, Tess. Tess is not only strong and independant, but also offers Dunson a child for Matt's sake. Thus we are given a strong female that will also offer her body for personal gain. The difference between the latter and a prostitute is quite important.