Over the weekend I
went to go watch The Lone Ranger. I was a little skeptical going into the movie
but was pleasantly surprised. I had heard many mixed reviews about the movie
but like Johnny Depp so I decided to see it anyways. The movie stars Johnny Depp as Tonto who is
the narrator, and Armie Hammer who plays John Reid. Reid becomes the last
Ranger after all the others a killed. Tonto and Reid cross paths and both
reluctantly join forces to fight corruption and evil in the old west.
The film is an
example of media portraying social differences in the world. The conflict model
was clearly evident in the film. This model emphasizes conflicts and
inequalities within social life and the difficulties groups have in living together
(Hoffswell, 2013). The film took place in 1869. This was a time of extreme
conflict between the natives and the westerners when land was the focal point
of the disagreement. The land the Native Americans had was rich with silver and
natural resources that the railroad industry wanted. These resources would help
the westerners expand the railroad allowing easier trade and travel routes. A clear example of this was at the beginning of
the film. The Lone Ranger showed the social differences between Reid, the privileged
lawyer, his brother and his rangers, and Tonto the Native American. Tonto and Butch were changed in a train as
prisoners when Butch was rescued by his outlaw comrades. Butch was an outlaw
who worked for a railroad kingpin. He would steal the silver from the natives.
A big difference between
the two groups was the way they both felt entitled to power. The native Americans
believed they truly owned the land because they had cultivated and lived off of
the land for many years. The white man felt they had power to the land because
it had the natural resources they needed and they could easily overpower the Indians.
The movie did a good job showing the conflict model of media and power. I was
not disappointed at all in the film and would recommend it to anyone.
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