Revisiting the Myth of the Cowboy - Worksheet 1

From the second half of the 20th century, American movie directors have decided to make invisible cowboys visible. 

Watch the movie trailer your teacher assigned you and do the activities below.

1. What do you see in the trailer?

• Title: ...
• Main characters (gender / age / ethnicity / expression): ...
  
• Situation or plot: ...
• Clothes and accessories: ...
  
• Background / setting: ...
• Colours / mood: ...

2. Which values or ideas linked to the cowboy myth are shown?
🟩 Freedom
🟩 Violence
🟩 Justice
🟩 Adventure
🟩 Isolation
🟩 Masculinity
🟩 Other: 

3. Does the trailer correspond to what you have learnt about the archetypal cowboy? Be ready to explain your answer.  

4. Do you think this trailer questions the myth of the cowboy? How so?

5. Group work.

a. In groups of three students who saw different trailers, discuss your respective trailers and compare them.
b. Prepare a short oral presentation of your discussion.