High Noon and The Ballad of Little Jo-CJ N

While most Western films focus on the alpha male and create an environment that emphasizes the male's dominance, both High Noon and The Ballad of Little Jo break away from the stereotype. In both films, women play important roles which is a change in itself. Furthermore, these female roles break away from the idea that women are weak, indecisive, and reliant on others.
Take for example Kane's Quaker wife, Amy. Seeing as she is a Quaker and a wife, the typical western would portray her as a pacifist, and completely compliant and reliant on her husband. However, in High Noon, neither is true. Amy has the courage to first leave her husband and board a train without him, with the possibility that she may never see him again. Then, she is able to go against her religious beliefs and resort to violence in order to save the one she loves. While this scenario does fit into the typical double binds and lawlessness of the west, it also offers a strong female role that proves integral to the plot of the movie. High Noon also portrays Helen Ramirez as a strong female figure. She has influence over the townspeople, and even has a surmountable amount money due to her successful profession. Ramirez demands respect from others and has a hard exterior learned through her life as an immigrant. In a nutshell, she is everything women are not in other westerns. It's no coincidence that High Noon was made in 1952, the starts of the feminist movement. This movie reflects the growing concerns with female empowerment and equal rights for men and women.
While The Ballad of Little Jo also portrays a stronger, more independent female protagonist, it reflects another ongoing social issue as well. After Josephine is exiled from her home and town because of her illegitimate child, she lives her life under the disguise of a man. The movie shows how capable she is, and reveals that women are just as able as men. However, seeing as this movie was made in 1993, the feminist movement was already over. Instead, this movie touches upon the controversy regarding the gay rights movement. When Josephine dies and her identity is revealed to the town she has settled in, the males respond more in anger and a sense of betrayal rather than despair at her passing. It reflects the mindset of the majority of society in the nineties and its homophobic sentiments. It is difficult for the town to move beyond the fact that Jo was a female and appreciate her for her friendship and legacy she left in the town.