quintessential western scenes

Impress Me

you will sledge nearly alone
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 8, 2010
Messages
842
Reaction score
202
Location
In my mind, a brutish place with soft cushions.
Hello all,

I'm not a genre western writer, and have only read a few westerns in my time, although I'm reading like mad now. But I'm trying to capture some of that feel in my WIP, which isn't really a western -- set in modern times with female main characters.

Wondering what those of you in this game, see as the quintessential scenes in a classic western.
 

alleycat

Still around
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 18, 2005
Messages
72,873
Reaction score
12,224
Location
Tennessee
Well, they made so many western TV shows and movies years ago, that the quintessential western scenes actually became cliches.

I'll try to see if I can think of a classic scene or two that didn't end up being overused.

We can give you some book or movie recommendations if you'd like.
 

Captcha

Banned
Joined
Jan 27, 2010
Messages
4,456
Reaction score
637
My favourite is the one that's being used in the trailer for The Losers right now, with the characters all walking (strutting?) towards the camera, all spread out from each other in a loose sort of arrowhead formation, generally in slow motion, looking cool and tough and excellent. I think Reservoir Dogs used it, too, but I mostly associate it with Westerns.

I'm not sure how you convert it into words, though.
 

Impress Me

you will sledge nearly alone
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 8, 2010
Messages
842
Reaction score
202
Location
In my mind, a brutish place with soft cushions.
Such a relief, thank you. I thought this thread was perhaps old and buried.

Yes, Kate, I know the image you're talking about. It conveys a pose, a friendship, but the arrowhead structure means one character is in front, taking the greater risk, giving the other's courage. Very classic. Thank you. I can picture it and, I think, tweak a scene to use it.

Alley, I'm actually looking for the cliches. Since my book isn't classic western, I'm not worried about overdoing cliches. I want to play with them, use them, figure out what universal human relationship are being conveyed in the cliches and kinda turn them. If that makes sense.

So far, I've thought of:

the poker scene in which the bad and good guy judge each other's strength's and weaknesses

the stand off, in which a plethora of characters get a chance to make a final decision about which side they really want to be on

the shoot out, in which good and bad test their skills against the will the mob/fate/god

The problem with trying to cram-read westerns is that my mind doesn't have years to warp and analyze. What are the classic western scenes? What universal themes are they speaking to?
 

Captcha

Banned
Joined
Jan 27, 2010
Messages
4,456
Reaction score
637
This is fun.

How about the dangerous loner, riding down an abandoned street while the townsfolk all watch from the porches of the stores?

Or, yeah, the stand off, with that thing where people literally go and stand behind the person they're supporting. At first the hero is all alone, but then one brave soul joins him (her?), and then a few more, and they look all look at each other and recognize the common whatever that's brought them together.

Or the bully going into the saloon, pushing people aside, and everyone scampers away, and then the bully gets to our hero, and the hero doesn't get aggressive, doesn't barely pay attention, but the hero doesn't move, either!

How about at the end, where the kid (possibly playing with a dog, or something else wholesome), looks at the hero with worshipful eyes as the hero, of course, rides off into the sunset?

And the scene where the love interest patches up the hero's injuries, while the hero sits stoically.

Hmm, what else? The hero being totally beat up and injured, but still dragging himself to where he needs to be (some fight, probably)

The wholesome family dinner (firelit, of course, and probably eating stew with thick slices of homemade bread) that the stranger is invited to - if he knows the family, make sure to kill them off to give him a reason for revenge; if he doesn't know them, he can fight to protect their wholesome way of life, even though he knows he will never truly be part of it.

If more come to me, I may be back...these sorts of scenes are a guilty pleasure - I know my emotions are being manipulated, but I like it!
 

Impress Me

you will sledge nearly alone
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 8, 2010
Messages
842
Reaction score
202
Location
In my mind, a brutish place with soft cushions.
Great list kate. I've got to use the bully in the saloon and the beat-up hero dragging himself to confrontation.

What about the jailbreak scene or the almost hung scene, where the hero saves his buddy who's about to be strung up? Do you think those are cliche western scenes?
 

dpaterso

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
18,802
Reaction score
4,591
Location
Caledonia
Website
derekpaterson.net
Methinks they're all cliché to a degree, until you do something fresh with them. :)

I tend to think of potential stories in terms of # of characters. The man who stands alone against all odds. The man alone through choice. The lawman. The gunslinger. The posse. The gang. Just thinking about those choices starts the idea hamster running in his treadmill.

-Derek
 

Puma

Retired and loving it!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 21, 2006
Messages
7,340
Reaction score
1,535
Location
Central Ohio
Classic western settings/scenes - red rock canyons, distant snow-capped mountains, herds of cattle bawling, cottonwood trees, sagebrush filled draws, box canyons, a storm scene with intense lightning, a town you can spit through with wide streets, boardwalks, false fronted buildings, double swinging doors on the saloon, boot hill with graves marked by painted boards, Native American villages and horsemen on paint ponies, the US Cavalry, dusty streets, tumbling tumbleweeds

Events - jumping off a roof onto a horse (or falling off a roof or out a second story window in a fight), the posse and the inevitable hanging, dancing (meaning shooting at a person's feet to make them dance), the hideout, playing cards on an upside down barrel, cattle round-ups and branding, coffee brewing in an old metal kettle over a campfire, the chuckwagon and "cookie", the bad guys pulling their scarves up over their faces, six shooters (and too many shots fired for the cylinders to hold), the wagon train ambush, the stagecoach ambush, runaway horses, the train ambush (with rocks rolled onto the tracks to stop the train), the fight on the train that continues up onto the roof and someone finally jumps or gets knocked off, filling the water on the train from the elevated wood water tank, riding herd in the rain, the sounds of spurs on wood walks, the gunfight

Hope some of those help. Puma
 
Last edited:

Impress Me

you will sledge nearly alone
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 8, 2010
Messages
842
Reaction score
202
Location
In my mind, a brutish place with soft cushions.
depat, yes, the traditional western characters are just as rich.

Puma, great images. I've been considering the train scenes recently. I did set a railroad running through my modern town, and one character arriving by rail, but I haven't yet figured out how to modernize the train scenes with four middle aged women for main characters. Still thinking.

I think I'll make a couple of the characters' children intent on learning to swing onto a horse bareback style.

Definitely need a campfire scene. One question, do any of you have a sense of what goes on plot-wise or character-wise in the campfire scenes. Seems to me they're often getting-to-know-you scenes or relax-before-the-confrontation scenes.

Are there other ways the campfire scenes are traditional/symbolically used in classic western literature?
 

alleycat

Still around
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 18, 2005
Messages
72,873
Reaction score
12,224
Location
Tennessee
Along the many different ways campfire scenes have been used (and it's sort of "mix and match with these) . . .

There is the "what do we do next?" scene, where the group sits around and discusses what's going to happen next, or what they're going to do next.

There is the confrontation scene, where one of the group wants to be the boss, but the leader puts him in his place (similar to gangs these days). We generally know that later on the guy will betray the group. Sometimes the first guy does take over.

There is the "getting to know the new guy" scene.

There is the "old regrets" or "old memories" scene.

There is "arrival of news" scene. Someone shows up with news that will effect the group.

There is the "do we give up, or go on even though we don't stand a chance" scene (similar to the "what do we do next" scene).

There is the "ride off" scene. One or two guys, for good or bad reasons, no longer want to be part of the group and rides off. Sometimes they're the good guys, sometimes they're the bad guys.

Those are just example off the top of my head. I'm sure I could think of many others.
 

Captcha

Banned
Joined
Jan 27, 2010
Messages
4,456
Reaction score
637
I think often the campfire scenes are a sort of bonding situation. Outside the ring of light is the dark, hostile world, with howling coyotes and dangerous enemies. Inside the ring, though, is companionship and safety. And harmonicas.
 

alleycat

Still around
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 18, 2005
Messages
72,873
Reaction score
12,224
Location
Tennessee
One campfire scene I particularly remember was in one of Louis L'Amour's books (I can't remember which one, his titles were often similar).

A stranger rides into a camp. He obviously knows what he's doing because he doesn't just ride in out of the dark (that's a good way to get shot). The group shares their food with the stranger (and maybe he shares something he has). They talk, become friendly. Another group ride up. They are enemies of the first group of cowboys. There is a confrontational. The stranger sides with the first group, even though it's not his fight (as the trail boss reminds him); his reply is that since he's eating their food and sharing their fire, he'll stand with them. The "bad guys" back off (of course, with the warning that they'll be back). It wasn't a long scene, but telling, because we learn a lot about the stranger, and about the group of cowboys, and about the "bad guys".
 

Impress Me

you will sledge nearly alone
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 8, 2010
Messages
842
Reaction score
202
Location
In my mind, a brutish place with soft cushions.
Kate, I think what you said about the inner sanctum of light and camaraderie, set against the dark, unknown backdrop must be the elemental bit about this campfire scene. If you plug this idea in alley's list, it fits every time.

You guys helped me understand how I can imbue the scene I'm settling in to rework tonight -- wineglass full, child and husband having dinner with friends. It has a group of old friends reuniting at a bar, which has a cut-barrel firepit outback, as a new person insinuates herself into the group. I love the idea of making the stranger take sides with her new clan against an outside force. I'd set this scene outside the bar, but not at the fire. Of course! I should move my women around the fire. Smacking forehead with palm.

Many thanks.

Think I'll keep this screen live as I while away the hours, just to keep the lantern shinning.