[originaltext] Is there such a thing as a typical American film? There are m

Is there such a thing as a typical American film? There are many features that mark a movie as American, but perhaps the most essential is the theme of the loner hero. From the earliest days of silent films until the recent science movies, the American movie has concentrated on the role of one individual who spends his or her life combating the forces of evil — and the good guy, the hero, usually wins.
    In the western movie, which comes out of many legends of the American West, a typical figure is the lonesome cowboy. He wanders into a town and straightens out its troubles. Then the strong and independent hero rides off into the sunset alone. Americans like this image in their films because they are highly independent, and individualism counts a great deal with them.
    Even the gangster movie, a very popular form of the typical American film, usually has a hero, either he is a lawman out to catch the criminals or a gangster who suddenly sees the light and tries to go straight.
    Recent science fiction films deal with the same themes. Against the forces of alien powers, people will fight to protect their ideals. Here, too, the action centers around a single individual, but now he or she must save the world.