Re: RARA-AVIS: Re: hardboiled and westerns
Mark Sullivan (ANONYMEINC@webtv.net)
Tue, 9 Feb 1999 18:26:22 -0500 (EST)
Many, particularly John Cawelti, have noted the many
commonalities
between westerns and private eyes. Both are about loners
with
uncivilized skills which are employed to make society safe for
the
common folk. This also applies to Matt Helm and, for that
matter,
Parker. Although Parker does not make society safe, his story
is like
that of the Wild Bunch, a man who is finding his outsider
skills
increasing obsolete, as crime becomes more corporate and there
are fewer
places that have stores of cash large enough to be worth
stealing.
By the way, skip "Payback." It's a very inconsistent, spoofy
version of
Parker that does not work. And if you know the book The
Hunter or the
earlier movie version Point Blank, you'll probably like it
even less.
Mark
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