Similar to the last post, Johnny Guitar and Two Mules For Sister Sara helped break the mold that the majority of westerns helped establish. These two movies used female characters for substantial roles and redefined what the female in the western was previously thought to be. The key in these movies is that the female did not replace the alpha male cowboy in any sense, as he was still present in both films; Johnny Guitar and Hogan. Instead, these female roles were just as important and were able to do just about everything the alpha male could proving them equal. This sense of equality stemmed directly from the feminist movement and civil rights movement as both were in full drive when these movies were made.
In Johnny Guitar, Vienna embodies everything the typical male is supposed to. She is harsh, owns a business, and in the end wields a gun with the main confrontation being between two women rather than two men. Vienna also dresses differently, in this case with pants instead of a dress and clearly is a powerful character in the town and in her saloon.
This same idea applies to Sara in Two Mules for Sister Sara. She can drink excessively, help wield a firearm and becomes a strong component in the storyline; all of which are usually reserved for a male's role.
While these movies clearly reflect the fight towards equality in the feminist and civil rights movement at the time, Two Mules For Sister Sara also highlights another element of otherness. The Mexicans play a large role in the movie as well. They are seen in need of help from a stronger force in order to prevail and capture the fort. Sara and Logan play this role of a stronger force and in a sense act as America assisting in Vietnam at the time.
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