Reinventing the Western: A Generic Exploration of Masculinity and Vulnerability in The Rider.

As part of a course module last semester, my class and I were asked to watch Chloe Zhao’s 2017 film The Rider with the purpose of then composing a video essay centred around its prevalent themes. Uninformed, I approached the film adamantly, expecting it to be a banal and emotionally restrained Western, and me not being an avid fan of Western films, I prepared myself to feel detached from The Rider’s cinematic world and the consequent academic work I was expected to produce on it. However, I was quick to retract the prejudice I initially undertook this task with, as during and after my viewing of the film I was pleasantly surprised by its touching and existentialist narrative. Upon further research, I came to find out that the film is classified as a Neo-Western; a sub-genre of the Western which adopts its parent genre’s characters, settings, and themes yet implements them within contemporary sensibilities. This explained The Rider’s sway away from the stoic and individualistic characterisation of the typical Western protagonist and its wider societal implications. Thus, with my newfound knowledge, I reflected on and developed a reading of the film considering its generic distinction. 

With The Rider, Zhao’s paramount intention was to produce an evocative rendering of the burdensome lives led by Native Americans living in neglected reservations. The film follows non-actor and “real life young cowboy” Brady Jandreau as he enters and navigates an unfamiliar and staid phase of his life after he is forced away from the rodeo following a debilitating head injury. Zhao uses Brady’s dismal life story as a microcosm for the the social and emotional state of members that populate America’s underprivileged Sioux communities, and formally “melds two classic film genres, the Western and the Melodrama” to create a Neo Western that poignantly portrays the social contexts they inhabit. Being a Neo-Western film, Zhao places particular thematic importance on Brady’s experience with masculinity, and subverts the traditions of the Western genre by giving equal importance to his vulnerability. The Neo-Western genre is predominantly characterised by its incorporation of the “Western genre’s iconography in its mise en scene” immersive cinematography and themes of personal guidance; the integration of these filmic elements in The Rider work in tandem to strengthen Brady’s characterisation and as a result bring Zhao’s artistic intention to fruition. 

A nod to Brady’s fragile masculine identity is first visible towards the beginning of the film, in the shot depicting him putting on his cowboy hat in front of the mirror. This scene marks the first time Brady is seen with the accessory, as he was styled in previous shots solely with gauze wrapped around his head wound. The cowboy hat, being the ultimate identifier of the Western male protagonist, carries the same connotations of rugged heroism within the Neo-Western genre and by wearing the hat to conceal his injury, Brady briefly escapes his mundane life, away from the rodeo, plunging back into his glory days when he perfectly embodied the socially dominant and autonomous persona of the Western man. An economic meaning can also be extrapolated from the mise en scene piece, as this emblem of his past as a rodeo star prompts him to reminisce of a time of greater financial stability, during which he fulfilled the traditional masculine stereotype of being his family’s provider. To further humanise her Native American protagonist, Zhao arguably draws from Lacan’s universally experienced mirror stage theory, which states that the “wholeness of the reflected body – can never be completely realised” by the individual object. Therefore by gleaming at his idealised image in the mirror, Brady attempts to digest the fact that following his accident, his old hyper masculine image is now unattainable to him.

Brady’s endeavour to reclaim his masculine identity is once again, conventionally portrayed in The Rider during the sequence in which Tanner and him are wrestling, however, Zhao here experiments with the genre’s submerging cinematography as opposed to its scenic traditions. Similarly to the cowboy hat’s allusive meaning, Tanner also serves as a token of Brady’s former success in the rodeo, as Brady is repeatedly seen training Tanner in the discipline. Thus, by challenging Tanner to a wrestling match, Brady seeks to release his suppressed resentment and jealousy by asserting physical power over Tanner. As per the Neo-Western’s formal canons, Zhao shoots this scene in a wide shot, capturing the entirety of the men’s bodies. The spacious framing allows for their physicality to be ostensibly displayed, capturing both Brady’s struggle and eventual victory over Tanner, and ultimately permitting Zhao to communicate Brady’s grapple with embracing his new identity by subduing his former masculine urges. The choice of framing also integrates the scene’s background in the shot, which comprises pieces of Western American memorabilia as well as a horse race screened on the television, their subtle inclusion situates Brady’s heavily phallocentric environment as an additional factor in his continuous battle with accepting his new and ‘less’ masculine duties. By cinematically venerating the scene, Zhao stresses the currency of self-consciousness, drawing a supplementary connection between her Native American subjects and the spectators, with the purpose of cultivating sympathy for the troubling social circumstances Zhao holds a mirror to. 

Regarding The Rider’s principle theme of “male vulnerability”, Brady's fragile psychological state is arguably most evident in the scenes portraying him working at the grocery store. Throughout the film, Brady is most frequently illustrated in expansive natural environments, populated by animals. As dictated by the codes and conventions of the Neo-Western, these settings are often depicted using wide framed shots such as long shots or extreme long shots so as to give viewers insight on the protagonist’s location for which they tend to feel a strong sense of belonging to. The lack of proximity between the camera and Brady in outdoor scenes belittles and subsequently incorporates him into the backdrop, causing him to appear as one with his background, consequently reinforcing the strong connection and comfort he feels with nature. Thus, when juxtaposed with tighter framed shots of him in an industrial setting, his vulnerability is revealed to the audience. Here, Zhao stays true to the genre’s codes and conventions by giving visual importance to Brady’s background through her “contained” choice of framing, yet the employment of three-quarter shots embrace the sense of claustrophobia and imprisonment Brady feels in the grocery store. As he had to take up this job to financially support his family after losing his main source of income as a rodeo star following his traumatic head injury, his new work environment acts as a reminder of his free and passion driven life before his accident, clearly reflecting his emotionally vulnerable position and allowing Zhao to realise her film’s emotive intention.

Zhao’s formal exploration of vulnerability is also apparent in the scene capturing Brady and his friends sharing stories about their injuries around a fire. An open fire is an element of mise en scene commonly present in Western films. By virtue of the genre’s heavy narrative focus on combat, violence and justice, fires are used to symbolise passion, anger or danger. In this scene, Zhao adopts the props signification of passion as the characters in this sequence share an intense affinity for the rodeo. Though, by situating the men at a distance from the central fire, Zhao displays their unifying vulnerability as they are collectively forced to stay away from their source of passion and escapism for the sake of their neurological and physical wellbeing. By using the mise en scene piece to give interiority to the film’s characters, Zhao succeeds in challenging the Western genre’s roots in stoicism and consequently spreads awareness on the emotionally demanding lives of those who comprise America’s native communities. 

To conclude, Zhao’s amalgamation of the film’s ubiquitous themes and her adoption of this modernised genre’s key filmic features allow for a more layered and concurrent impression of native Americans and the American west, not only aiding her in composing a moving cinematic piece but also in humanising and fairly victimising her film’s socially, economically and culturally alienated subjects. Zhao’s discovery of a common existential ground between her viewers and protagonists, followed by her study of masculinity and vulnerability, feeds into the audience’s narcissistic tendencies causing them to recognise their own personal difficulties within Brady, (hopefully) leaving them with greater awareness, understanding and initiative towards The Rider’s socio-political context. 

Filmography: 

1. The Rider (Chloe Zhao, 2017). 

Works cited:

1. Zhao, Chloe. “Chloé Zhao: ‘I saw Brady training horses and I knew I had to make a film with him.’” Interview by Killian Fox. The Guardian. 8 September, 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/sep/08/chloe-zhao-the-rider-director-i-saw-brady-training-horses. 
   

2. Brewer, Sue. “How The Rider Reframes Cowboy Culture & Toxic Masculinity.” Dismantle Magazine. November 11, 2019. https://dismantlemag.com/2019/11/11/the-rider-cowboy-toxic-masculinity-chloe-zhao/.
   

3. Campbell, Neil. Post-Westerns: Cinema, Region, West. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2013. 
   

4. Zuern, John. “Lacan: The Mirror Stage.” CriticaLink University of Hawaii. https://www.english.hawaii.edu/criticalink/index.html. 
   

5. Maier, Alanna. “Male Vulnerability in Rio Bravo.” By Arcadia. May 10, 2022. https://www.byarcadia.org/post/male-vulnerability-in-rio-bravo.