‘Women Walks Ahead’ Essay

The American Film Institute defines the conventional Western film genre as exemplifying
the spirit, the struggle, and the demise of the American West. British film director, Susan
White, illustrates a nuanced perspective into the corrosive forces of racism and sexism
present on the Western frontier through her 2017 film, ‘Woman Walks Ahead.’ White’s film
follows the narrative of Caroline Weldon, an American artist who after travelling to paint a
portrait of Sioux chief Sitting Bull in the 1890s, becomes entangled in the Lakota peoples'
plight over the rights to their land. Influenced by her personal fascination of Westerns,
White initially conforms to the traditional conventions of genre, to later challenge,
manipulate, and subvert them. Cleverly manipulating film techniques, she makes the
audience see the historical events surrounding Sitting Bull and his death through a different
and more neoteric perspective.
White manipulates film techniques in order to conform to the conventions of the Western
genre. In ‘Woman Walks Ahead’’ the characterisation of Indians as ‘’savages’’ who cut off
the ‘’scalps’’ of children by Colonel Grove is utilised to represent the heated contentions
present between the Whites and the Indians at the time. This is further reinforced by
White’s manipulation of pathetic fallacy when Catherine peers over the graves of soldiers
killed by Sioux Indians on a cloudy day, establishing Indian’s as malicious people who killed
‘good’ brave soldiers. Additionally, the western genre dictates that it is human prerogative
that white men are to not only manage the non-white world but to also civilise it. This is
evident through White’s characterisation and costuming of Susan, a subservient housewife
to her husband who is forced to dress in colonialist-American clothing and to not dare speak
the ‘’old language.’’ This representation highlights the cultural degradation of the Native
Americans in the late 1880’s and lasting effects of British colonisation. White seamlessly
conforms to genre conventions through her clever utilisation of film codes, in sighting to the
audience the traditional notions and hidden cultural degradation and racial contentions
embedded within the genre.
Despite initially conforming to genre conventions, the film ‘Woman Walks Ahead’ also
challenges expectations through the transgressive relationship between Catherine Weldon
and Sitting Bull. White illustrates this through the scene where they are both undressing,
and Catherine asks Sitting Bull if he would ‘’be staying the night,’’ insinuating her desire for
him. Reinforced through the manipulation of romantic non-diegetic sound, White challenges
the common expectation of the damsel falling for the white protagonist. White again
accentuates this when Catherine and Sitting Bull share their stories and their ‘’battles with
insignificance.’’ The utilisation of dialogue and emotive music is used to symbolises a deep
bond being formed through their shared marginalisation. Present in white society
patriarchal supremacy is commonplace, however, the transgressive relationship that White
illustrates does not abide by this convention. By the standards of Indian culture Catherine is
not to ‘’walk ahead’’ or ‘’behind’’ Sitting Bull but rather next to him, symbolising that they
are equal to one another. This additionally, emphasises the progressivity of the Native
American people and Sitting Bull’s respect for Catherine. Whites’ portrayal of a
transgressive relationship utilising film codes challenges the audiences’ traditional
expectations of the genre, as presented through Whites forward-thinking perspective.
 White manipulates genre conventions in order to present feministic elements into this
habitually male-dominated genre. Traditionally, women are seen as the property of men
and ‘need’ their permission to do anything. However, Whites’ representation of Catherine
not ‘’asking for a man’s permission,’’ when choses to peruse her career and paint Sitting Bull
goes against this notion emphasising her emancipation from patriarchal control. In doing so,
Whites’ application of dialogue represents Catherine as somewhat of a ‘’renegade’’ for her
time. This is further highlighted when she throws the painting of her late husband into the
river symbolising her rejection of the patriarchal ideology. As well as this, the angered body
language of Catherine when she does this, and the relieved facial expression afterwards
conveys the cage-like nature of the patriarchy and the devastating effects that it has on a
woman’s ability to forge a career. The utilisation of a wide shot in order to portray Catherine
dredging through a vast desert landscape despite the harsh and oppressive conditions, is
used to epitomise her courageous and determined nature challenges the expectation of
women being weak. Thus, genre conventions are manipulated allowing the audience to see
the American West through a progressive feminist perspective employing film codes.
Whites’ casting of Sitting Bull, a Native American, and his untimely demise subverts from the
genre expectation of a white hero saving the day, re-presenting these historical events from
a different perspective. During the ballot, the costuming of Sitting Bull dressed in his
feathers with a close up of a stern face and the cheers he receives characterises him as a
fearless and determined ‘’warrior’’ who will no longer endure the tyranny of white society.
In doing so, White makes the audience align themselves with sitting Bull and the Indians.
Furthermore, White subverts from the ritualistic privileging of white culture, instead
purposely favouring Indian’s cultural ideology of never taking too much from the land and
its wildlife. This is displayed utilising a long shot to depict ‘’buffalo bones’’ coving the
mountain, symbolising that this balance has been disrupted as a result of white colonialists.
This not only hints towards a loss of culture but also allows the audience to empathise with
Sitting Bulls later decision to fight. Archival footage and written codes portraying ‘’ 300 men,
women and children gunned down’’ after the demise of Sitting Bull is used by White
emphasise the tragedy experienced by the Indians and the harsh reality that the hero
doesn’t always win. Subverting genre conventions by presenting them from a different
perspective makes the audience view this classic story in a more libertarian manner.
Whites’ Woman Walks Ahead (2017) manipulates film techniques in order to conform,
challenge, manipulate, and subvert traditional genre conventions representing this story
through a more progressive gaze to the audience. Whites’ conformity to the genre
illustrates the issues of racism and loss of culture present in the American west in both the
past and present. As well as this she challenges the expectation of same-race couples
present within genre; manipulates conventions to present a feminist perspective and
subverts presumptions in order to accentuate the unfair deaths and cultural loss of the
Indians. As a young Australian Whites’ film gives me deeper insight into the plights of both
the Native Americans and women in the American West and reflect on the toxic nature of
racism and sexism similarly embedded in Australian society.