"Border Bridge Standoff". In the scene I chose, the bandits have just stolen army-grade guns and ammunition off a train and are now trying to escape. Pike Bishop leads his men, along with the stolen cargo, through the dusty plains of Texas to a bridge that reaches over to Mexico. As they cross, the horse-drawn wagon carrying the guns become too heavy on the feeble bridge, causing a hole to create and the wheel to get stuck. Deke Thornton and his bounty hunters have reached the bridge at this point, causing a gunfight to break out as the bandits desperately try to pull the wagon out before the explosives go off. They finally free themselves and lead Thornton and his crew to the center of the bridge. Just as Thornton is about to shoot Bishop, the explosives go off. The collapsing bridge …show more content…
The dense brush covering the rocky mountains set the backdrop for the men in each shot. Also, western accents of the characters and the cowboy apparel worn by the bandits and bounty hunters, as they rode horseback, added to the style. A traditional cowboy standoff between outlaws, bounty hunters, and the army establishes the film's tone. Though they were bandits, they seemed to have a greater code of conduct than the those who were supposed to be upholding the law; they were loyal and they worked together. Their standards were much unlike the bounty hunters hired by the sheriff. Thornton's men never listened to him when he gave them an order, rifled through the dead like animals for their treasures and even shot the soldiers that they were supposed to be helping. Editing often used in this scene and throughout the film was quick-cut editing. Lastly, the fast-paced, western style orchestra music, being applied, heightened the audience's emotions during the standoff. So, the western genre of the film was made through traditional, iconic costumes, settings and fights often seen in western