The Myth of the Outlaw

The outlaw is one of the more prominent figures in the myth of the West, because it combines the popular and enduring image of the cowboy with someone who is dangerous and daring, beyond the capabilities of the law, and, in more romanticised variations, a figure who fights for the common man against the corrupt government systems. These figures living outside the norm is undoubtedly another factor in their continuing popularity and interest to Americans. The West is a source of entertainment, be it through films, books, paintings, songs, shows, or old tales passed down from generation to generation, and the life of an outlaw has always provided escapism from everyday life.

Such figures, then, are clearly popular to base films around. For example, well over twenty-five films have been produced about Jesse James, one of the most famous outlaws, from Jesse James as the Outlaw in 1921 to American Outlaws in 2001. Other well known outlaws include Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Billy the Kid, Calamity Jane and Butch Cassidy, all of whom have had their lives, or tales about them, adapted into at least one film. These include everything from classic movies such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, to modern epics such as Wyatt Earp, via other genres, such as the musical Western Calamity Jane.

It isn't just characters based on well known real people that appear in films, of course, with movies often offering entirely fictional outlaws. The American audience's affinity for them is shown by the fact that they are often played by famous actors such as John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, and the audience is often expected to side with the character against their opponents, be they men of the law or equally lawless characters. Some characters are entirely based in legend, rather than fact – Zorro, for example, is clearly an outlaw in that he helps save the common man from more corrupt authority figures, even though he doesn't fit with the stereotype of a cowboy.

Whilst the outlaw may have originated in the West, the values and ideas behind the myth pervade American culture. Crime is, obviously, not something that is encouraged within a modern setting, and so whilst the outlaw has survived into modern dramas he has become just an outsider. The character may often he work within the system, but he is prepared to bend or break the rules to do the right thing for the average man. The battle with authority is one value that is present in many police dramas and action series – in 24, for example, Jack Bauer frequently ends up being hunted by various government authorities as he attempts to do the right thing. Whilst this may not be identical to the idea of the 'lone ranger', chased across the West by the law, its basis is arguably in the same myth.