Theorizing the Western

D O RO TH Y S EB A S T I A N ' • W W S. V A N D Y K E « 3 F WKogoldwyn M a y e r P E T E R B K Y N E ’S S tirringE s s a y R e v i e w T h e o r i z i n g t h e W e s t e r n S u s a n k o l l i n In T h e B o o k o f W e st e r n s, first p u b lish e d in 1 9 9 5 , D o u gla s P ye la m e n t e d t h e st a t e o f W e st e r n film c r it icism . A c c o r d in g t o h im , sc h o lar sh ip in t h e field a p p e ar e d all b u t d e a d , w it h t h e W e st e r n it se lf b e c o m in g “t h e gh o st t o w n o f ge n r e c r it ic ism ” (1 1 ). Sy m p t o m a t ic o f S u s a n k o l l i n 2 3 9 t h e cr isis in film st u d ie s w as t h e fa c t t h a t m an y o f t h e m a jo r p u b lic a ­ tio n s in r ecen t y ears w ere referen ce b ook s. “U se fu l as th ey ar e,” P ye c o n ­ t e n d e d , “t h e y h a v e t h e fe e lin g o f t o m b st o n e s m ar k in g t h e p a ssin g o f t h e ge n r e ” (9 ). A lt h o u g h h e b e m o a n e d t h e d e m ise o f sc h o la r sh ip o n t h e W e st e r n , P y e t r ie d t o a c c o u n t fo r t h e r e aso n s w h y a c e r t a in k in d o f film c r it ic ism h a d d ie d o u t . A p p e a r in g b e fo r e t h e o r ie s o f sp e ct at o r sh ip a n d r e p r e se n t a t io n b e c a m e im p o r t a n t in film st u d ie s, e ar lie r sc h o la r sh ip o n t h e W e st e r n w as sh a p e d b y lim it a t io n s t h a t m ad e it le ss r e le v a n t t o cu r r e n t c o n v e r sa t io n s in t h e field (1 1 ). T h e d e c lin e o f t h e W e st e r n , b o t h p o p u lar ly an d sch o lar ly , w as also t ie d t o a d e ­ c lin e in c e r t a in fo r m s o f n a t io n a l id e n...