Spaghetti Western and the role of music in the revival of the western genre - Essay Example

?Introduction The ability to identify different concepts and expressions is one which is based on the use of several mediums. Using theories, thematic materials and concepts that relate to other ideologies helps to create a different understanding and application to a specific genre. When looking at the Spaghetti Western, it can be seen that there was a direct link to the Western genre and to the use of music in each of the films. The Spaghetti Western worked to revitalize the Western genre, specifically because of the approach toward the mainstream which was taken. The concepts in the production made statements about the sociological and cultural context while creating an alteration in the standards used for the genre. The music became a metaphor for the film, specifically by showing the social and cultural context and defining the challenges that were in the Spaghetti Westerns. The music was then able to become the identity and the popular concept relating to the Western genre. Historical Aspects of Western Music The concept of the Western genre began to develop in the early 1800s as an American genre. This was mostly defined through the music of the time; however, the themes of the material remained the same. The sounds of the genre began with the concepts of slave labor, which was inclusive of spirituals that were sung in the field. These spirituals were transferred into more upbeat types of sounds with arrangements by the end of the 1800s, specifically which led into a secular genre of the blues. The genre then divided into two types of sounds, the first being jazz and the second based on the Country – Western genre. The division between these changed with the musical theories and forms which were used. However, both originally kept the same theme of the suffering of men at given time frames and in specific conditions. Country Western music expanded on this specifically by noting that the cultural problems were based on trying to develop the land and the difficulties which came from building into the culture and society (Ellison, 1995: p. 7). The concept of country music in the early 1900s led to the concepts of the folklore of the time. This was based on the ideology of working the land as a past part of America, while new developments, movements into industrialization and daily activities were beginning to change. During this time, there was a division with Western genres, specifically with many who were interested in the genre because it was a part of their roots and upbringing. Others didn’t like the music as a main part of listening because of the other available alternatives that were available. This caused the genre of Western music to become specialized and to create divisions within society, specifically based on identity and what was considered as acceptable for listening. The identity was then based on those who lived in urban areas, lived with specific ideologies and which connected to different trends. This marginalization led to the country music filtering only to those who were interested in the lifestyle and which were interested in concepts such as the barn dance and country living (Tichi 1994: p. 9). The concept of country music is one which is reflective of the overall ideology of the Western genre and what it stood for before the Spaghetti Westerns. The identity which was used with the music as well as the understanding of what it meant to be a part of the Wild West and the western culture were all depictive of those living in the wild or on farms and working through the difficulties that were a part of this. It was from these characteristics that the Spaghetti Western began to gain its values and to understand the overall culture which became the Western genre used both in movies and in other forms of expression in the mainstream culture. History of Spaghetti Westerns The concept of country Western music didn’t move into a popular genre until there was revitalization in the late 1960s and 1970s. This was based on other aspects of the genre, specifically which were highlighted by the style of country living. The 1960s and 1970s flourished with this concept specifically with the genre of westerns in film and the use of different ideologies which were based on the Western. The context which was used included those who had built American history, settled the West and which continued to live in difficulty to make history and to create a future for those interested in the culture. The idolization of the West not only led into a reminiscence of history but also was based on other cultures looking at the Western to show the attitudes and myths that were a part of settling the West. The European reflection of this was seen in the Spaghetti Western, named after the Italian directors that were interested in creating the genre of film (Frayling: 2006: p. 13). The main ideology that was created with the Spaghetti Western was to understand and explore the culture which had framed America and which continued to shape the identities of the Americans. Synchronization and dubbing for country – specific concepts were used in this. The synchronization was inclusive of changing the setting to a Western region, including the identity of cowboys and changing the voices to the Western style of speaking. The concept of creating the atmosphere of the Western frontier and exploring what this meant culturally was the main point which was used in the Spaghetti Westerns. The exploration of the Western dream was often the main theme, with the dubbing and other technicalities following with this story line as the main myth which had been created in America (Przybylowski, 2005: 6). The Spaghetti Westerns were only produced for a time frame of 10 – 15 years, beginning in the late 1950s and going through 1972. While there were very few productions, it caused revitalization in country music and the genre as a whole, specifically by changing the outlook of those that were interested in the concept of the identity of the Western. After this time, Western music and the heritage of the West became a popular identity of Americans, specifically which was noted on working the land and living with the myth of building the American dream. The building of the frontier became noted as a type of mythology that were based first on finding respect for this part of the culture and building into creating a historical relevance to the identity of America. After this, the idea of country living as well as the identity of being a Western became a mainstream ideology that many looked toward as a part of the myth of settling the frontier (Edwards, 2000: 15). Sociological Applications of the West The sociology of both the music and the Spaghetti Western relate by creating a sense of identity. The concept of audio in film is one which uses the ideal of hybridity. The plot line of the western combines with the music specifically to relay the same message with the context of the time. The thematic material and plot line then combine with the film music to create a sense of identity and place within society. These are themes which the individuals in society can relate to and which shows a direct relationship between the two. The thematic material within Western music was then adapted to the frontier that was built while the cinema combines with the music to attract society at large through specific themes. The use of film not only altered the approach to the Western during this time but also changed the trends of themes for Western music after the film lost its popularity because of the same sociological applications which were a part of the music (Brownrigg, 2003: p. 1). The concept of the Spaghetti western not only caused a revitalization of the history and identity of being a part of the West. There were also applications which were related to the idea of belonging to the West and what this meant within society. Those who moved West, especially after the founding of America, was interested in settling in new territories to build a better life and to obtain freedom. The concept of the Wild West became well – known, specifically because there was a sense of freedom and a lack of control from government or other social standards that were in society. The isolation of these areas as well as the general powers was able to display a sense of corruption within the society. The sociological implications came at a time when several were looking for concepts of freedom and the ability to overcome adverse situations. The Spaghetti Western was able to highlight this, with the overall genre of country being about overcoming the trials that were in life while living with a sense of freedom (Wilson, Connery, 2007: p. 134). The concept of freedom was only one type of identification which was known throughout the time. The Spaghetti Western also moved into cliches that were a part of the culture. The concept included men that were noted as heroes and women which displayed the suppression in society that was outside of the feminist thoughts which were occurring at the time. Ethnic barriers and the breaking of these barriers were also common themes in the Spaghetti Western. The concept of showing the barriers that were a part of the Western society, tying this into the Wild West and building into the sociological paradigms were used to create a deeper understanding of the place of individuals in society and how these territories needed to be broken. The ideal was to break down the barriers and to create a sense of not having territories or divisions between different areas, specifically because this created barriers hat would then lead to fighting. This sociological application was based on the time frame that the Westerns were made in which combined the conflicts of the day with the legends of the Wild West. This not only led to more popularity with the films, but also opened the genre of country western into different thematic material that was relevant for the day (Prato, 2007: p. 441). An example of this particular application comes with “A Fistful of Dollars,” created in 1964 by Sergio Leone. This was a part of a trilogy created by Leone, including this first episode, followed by “For a Few Dollars More” and “the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” The trilogy includes Clint Eastwood playing the main character, which is specified as his role as the man with no name. The main concept of the man with no name is to take away from the injustices that are occurring, specifically which relate to the greed and division which occurs in society. This is combined with his continuous focus to create a sense of justice in each of these situations while working outside of the law and the regulations of the land, specifically so the justice can be brought about and the new wild west can be won and go back into balance. These concepts show the sociological implications of the Spaghetti Western and how it relates to the sociological and pressing issues of the 1960s with justice, divisions and the need to change the movement toward problems within society based on corruption (Carradine, 1993: p. 1). The same concept is seen with the music that highlights the theme and which creates a different perspective with the identity of the West. The theme goes outside of the traditional country Western, specifically with the breaks, use of instrumentation and the reflection of the Wild West which is out of context with the country music. For instance, in the theme of “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” there is a specific melody that is used to define the overall movie with the movement of the notes creating a sound that is ‘western.’ However, this doesn’t relate to the main country music heard before. The only relationship which is found is from the electric guitar and use of a yodeling type sound with the voices as well as gun fire and whistling that make the theme recognizable. Trumpets, breaks from the drums and other motives come from recognizing the character and relating to the general issues that the movie conveys. The main theme instantly was regarded as popular music and stayed on top of the charts for over a year and is still commonly recognized. The change to country western music was enhanced because of the mainstream popularity of themes such as this as well as how it was instantly related to the Wild West and the sense of justice brought by the characters (Mansell, 2007: p. 1). This example is one of the most widely used with the Spaghetti Western and the popularity of country music. The context is one which links to the idea of justice and to heroes that roamed freely and were able to save society by allowing it to carry a sense of freedom, such as with the west. The concept was then placed as a value of association with the movie as well as with the themes which it carried. More important, the identity of other country music began to change with the same value of association. Many began to look from the perspective of the Spaghetti Western when looking at other country music, which opened the genre and changed the popularity into one which wasn’t marginalized and which moved back into the mainstream context. Hybrid forms of country and popular music as well as an evolved sound of the country western genre began to emerge while following in line with the popular music. These each linked back to the association of the sociological themes of the time that were highlighted in the movie (Vischer, 2003: p. 72). The music in this instance is not only important because of the main sociological context which is implied with the main theme of “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” The music combined the use of thematic material with the character themes. This was done by allowing one instrument to be representative of one of the characters. For instance, the flute was representative of Dolly, which was played each time she was in the scene as well as in the main theme. The representation followed a specific melody line used throughout the movie and which was able to create a direct relationship to the film. The sociological building with this then allowed the music to become a metaphor and representation of the characters and how they were associated with the identities which were in society. The relationship to the western genre then relied on these specific types of representations as a part of belonging to the Wild West and representing the main ideologies of the characters while creating a sense of memory through the music that was played. Cultural Context Another concept associated with the film and the music was the cultural context that many began to refer to with the Western. The main concept was to create the film as a piece of history which was associated with the culture. The Spaghetti Westerns were taken from the viewpoint of creating mythology and folklore that was the main identity of America and which built the founding values of the nation. Those which were in contemporary society and which held the identity of country living maintained the myth of the values and morality that were seen in the Westerns. The Spaghetti Westerns then became a reflection of history and how it emerged into the contemporary times and the difficulties associated with this. Each part of the Western, ranging from the theme and plot to the characters and music, was a direct reflection of the building of America. The cultural context of history then became the basis of how America was the Wild West first and how it took the characteristics of justice to rebuild the regions (Rollins, 1983: p. 7). The concept of culture in the Western didn’t just associate with the myth that was common in the contemporary perspective. There was also an understanding of postmodernism and the growth of the consumer culture as well as the relevance to the changing times in global politics and history. There are several concepts which relate directly to the modern culture, building of the contemporary society, such as through city life, and the political agenda which matches with this. Many believed that the contemporary and consumer culture related to the ideology of contemporary colonialism. It was believed that the politics included agendas for global domination and the several wars which followed this with the greed that was taking over several countries. The economy, modernist approach and politics intertwined into the current culture and times, all which reflected the injustices and greed which were taking place. The corruption was one which was fought against in the Spaghetti Westerns with justice and freedom as the main concepts. Those who lived with the country identity were also the individuals that held true to the values and with the belief that the changes into modernism were going to have adverse affects in society. This cultural philosophy is one which many agreed with because of the specific changes which were occurring at the time (Slapsak, 2002: p. 15). The emergence of the post – modern as well as the contemporary resistance against the dominant politics and economy is significant not only because of the Western rebelling against this. The importance also links directly to the concept of the Spaghetti Western being produced in Italy and being a part of the European perspective of Westerns. From this perspective, the Western was able to look at the culture of America and critique it between the old West that was interested in values with the new West, which was interested in the consumer culture, colonialism and domination both politically and economically. During this time, questions of globalization, modern societies and the domination over specific cultures began to be questioned. The statement was one which critiqued what America had become and how others were suffering because of the modernist ideals which were beginning to emerge within society. The concept was one which was based on the counter – Western ideals by using the Western characters, combined with creating a cultural dialogue with using the traditions of America as a reflection of what the country had become (Sarzynski, 2009: 81). The role of music in this context is one which kept to the same cultural values. The Country Western music in the film was reflective of the identity of the past in which America had the same values. It was also a reflection of the old culture, as opposed to the newer time frame which had disintegrated in values and given into the contemporary culture of politics and economy. This appeal created a specific definition of what it meant to belong to the country, specifically by creating a belief that one that was defined as a part of the Country ideology instantly held a heroic set of values against contemporary society. This caused the concept of the Western to move back into popular society while creating a sense of cultural value between the old and new America. The themes of the film related specifically to the music and continued to relate to music after the genre faded out, specifically with the changing themes in the music which was played afterwards (Stadler, 2010: p. 117). An example that is seen with the cultural value of the old and new America is depicted in “The Grand Duel,” released in 1972. This was one of the last Spaghetti Westerns which were released and is also known as one of the most popular. The plot line consists of a sheriff who finds that a man has illegally been framed for murder when it is really coming from a gang of other individuals who are swindling the law. The importance comes with the representation of the gang, also known as The Patriarch. They have taken over the majority of the Western land and are using it or corrupt deals to take place. When the sheriff tries to assist at first, he is fired from his office, leading to the two becoming bounty hunters against The Patriarch (Gastaldi, 1972). The importance of this film comes from the counter – culture which is seen from the Italian production. The Patriarch represents those who have taken over the political powers and which are reinforcing corruption into the modern day society. Those who carry the values are considered outlaws, creating an imbalance of powers and injustice and corruption to be throughout the land. This is reflective of the beliefs which many had about the changes in politics and the modernist movement as well as the approach which many were looking at in terms of the new powers that were taking over in society. The different side of the sheriff and The Patriarch becomes a metaphor between the old and the new and how the process of change also led to a change of values in society. With this metaphor being the driving component in the film are also several reflections that come with the music. The main concept was to create an understanding that the politics and movement into modernism was one divided by culture because of the inability to settle the land in a way that was outside of corruption. When listening to the film music, there is a direct relationship to the older folk style music, including the use of instruments such as the Native American drum, harmonica and guitar. This is combined with the concept of the older values that were a part of the Western music and which moved against the contemporary belief systems and ideologies. The image of the West was able to create questions about the identity as well as whether the changes would lead to corruption or the ability to hold onto values. The music became a reflection of what the older values were that shouldn’t be lost (Koepnick, 1995: p. 22). The music to work with the representation of these ideologies was combined with the understanding that the Western genre was able to hold onto the true values against modernism. It was the representation of the music that led to the psychological approach and belief that each individual was able to find with the idea of the Western. When listening to the music, one is able to recall the older styles of living when there wasn’t a sense of domination through politics. The music becomes a representation of what it means to be Western. The genre of the Western style then keeps this impression that there is a sense of living with the old values by carrying this identity. The formula which followed with the Western genre kept to the main sociological and cultural relationships while using the concepts such as the music to create a psychological relationship to the Western philosophies and belief system. Music as Metaphor and Reflection The concept of the Western music genre in the Spaghetti Western is one which was noted with popularity, specifically because of the ideologies which it carried. The historical, social and cultural context all pointed to the concepts of the time while revitalizing the genre as a whole. The ideologies began with the films, specifically because of the capacity of creating the understanding of plot and character as belonging to the values which were carried on through the myth of the Wild West. Enhancing this aspect was able to move into contemporary society with several concepts which directly linked to the music that was used and the metaphors which were based on each of these newer thought patterns in contemporary society (Snaevarr, 2009: p. 36). The importance of the music in the Spaghetti Western was not only important because of the metaphor that it created but also because of the associations which it developed in modern society. “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” was the apex of this, specifically with the western sound reaching the top of charts and staying at this level for over one year. The Country Western genre moved from being a marginalized concept and into contemporary society because of what it represented in terms of character, the Wild West and the bringing of justice from the values that were a part of the culture. The films were a way of creating a sense of knowledge about these values and moving it into society and culture, specifically because there was an understanding of what the music meant and represented both traditionally and in terms of the current psychology and culture of the time (Liverpool, 2009: p. 5). Another representation which shows this is the song “Django,” also which is identified as the top Spaghetti Western sound track. The soundtrack combines the authentic sounds of Country western music as a genre, including the lead guitar, twang sounds of a banjo and the voice which was often used in Country Western music. The drum beat and the overall sound of the music related directly to the style of Country Western genres at the time. However, the Django theme was related to the country hero of the Spaghetti Western and the need to fight because he lost his love. The themes and the music which combines with this show the metaphor and also helped with the idealization of Country Music as a genre which every individual could relate to during this specific time frame. To assist with the popularity of this song, there is also progressions and small sounds which sound like they are in the rock genre, specifically which adds into the popularity of the music for the time frame. By combining the sounds, relating to the theme and using lyrics about the heroic plot of Django, there is the ability to create a metaphorical approach to the music while allowing this to relate to the Spaghetti Western ideologies that were from the cultural and social context. The different concepts which were attributed to the music and the ideologies of the Spaghetti Western were not only important because of the metaphor created with the arrangements of the music. There were also specific applications which helped with the overall evolution of the music. The relationship between the music and moving images created a consistent understanding of what country music was associated with. The country compositions which heightened the relationship to the film were used specifically to enhance the musical styles and to polish the visual images. Each of these principles not only reflected with the Spaghetti Westerns but also was attributed with the evolution of country music. As the images and the overall identity of the Western became a respected genre in Western culture, was also a revitalization of the Country Western genre and the approach which was taken toward the music. It was the aesthetics, sound and the lyrics which matched with the film popularity that began to define the next steps for country music, all which related to this specific concept from film (Sirius, Clarke, 1994: p. 62). The development of the Western genre as a whole related to the Spaghetti western as the height of country music as well as with the development of films. The use of music created a metaphor which allowed one to instantly recognize the arrangements because of the Western feel and arrangements which were used. This was combined with the building of philosophies and identity which the music represented and which linked directly to the film. The psychological association which grew from the music continued to represent the values which were stated in the Spaghetti Western, allowing the genre to continue to develop in this vein and with the identity of the American West being one which held specific values in society. Conclusion The concept of the Spaghetti Western was known to directly relate to the ideologies of the west and the values which were created through the film. The historical, cultural and sociological relationships which were reflected in this particular genre were based on the building of the West and the revitalization of older values that were in the Wild West and in America. This combined with the metaphorical aspects of the films and the relationship to subtle statements based on the cultural and social problems of the time. For the Western genre, this created a movement from the marginalized concepts that were a part of the music before this time and into modern approaches that allowed both the music and the Western film to be a part of mainstream culture. The music was used specifically because of the reflections of the theme and the characters while defining the Spaghetti Western and the themes which it was interested in. 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