The Big Sleep

10 Pages 2549 Words

A hero is the main character of a story who solves the insisting conflict through intuition, skill and knowledge he gained through the course of a narrative. The archetypal hero is a tradition that dates back to the Arthurian legends. Medieval knights make the ultimate warrior hero. They are covered head to toe with metal and are armed with large steel weapons. They have an intimidating presence and are called upon to fight for it’s governing body. While their tasks may be violent and ruthless, but simultaneous they obey a strict code of ethics. The juxtaposition of zealotry and chivalry create an conflict that is guaranteed to intrigue an audience.
The cowboy is much like the knight. They both have codes and conventions pertaining to combat, sexuality, loyalty and honor. King Arthur and his Knights went on a quest for the Holy Grail, while in a western a cowboy goes searching for a fugitive to claim a reward. While the cowboy and the knight physically appear different they are essentially the same characters. The world of the western is much different from mediaeval Europe, but the hero is a constant in any setting.
Later westerns are similar to the gangster film considering the hero is often in opposition of the law. The gangster character tends to be religious, have strong family values, a sense of honor and values friendship highly, yet they murder, cheat on their wives and they’re pathological liars. Despite their anti-social behavior the audience is still able to identify with the chief protagonist.
The hard boiled detective is a less morally ambiguous character, but is still dark and jaded. They started to appear during the 30's and 40's as an alternative to a classic murder mystery. Film noir was a departure from the rules laid down by Sherlock Holmes. The filmakers wanted to create a darker reality for the screen.
John Huston’s The Maltese Falcon starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor was released ...