Charlie Prince…or is it Princess?
February 3, 2008
Well, quite a few of my latest posts have been revolving around Hollywood and several film reviews. Just a reminder, this site IS NOT an intended ‘review’ site. But anyways, I posted a comment on SignaVeritae’s article regarding Chivalry, in reply to a comment by Marcg, concerning the proper treatment of women. Marc made mention of the ‘gender identity crisis’ in the world today. (When men act like women, and women act like men.) Something struck me last week… A friend of mine ended up letting me borrow ‘3:10 To Yuma,’ which was an exceptional Western, but not without its strong language and a scene which needed fast-forwarding.
Charlie Prince (picture left) is my article of discussion this time. Personally, I noticed that the character had a ‘feminine’ touch about him. The way he walked, and even momentarily, the way he looked. Some scenes looked like he used eyeliner. I understand that eyeliner and paint were used in old films, such as the Silent Pictures, but in today’s world of movies and special effects, we know that eyeliner is not a necessary commodity. Jack Sparrow had some dark eyeliner in the ‘Pirates’ films, Depp reprised the role of a man wearing make-up in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,’ giving his character, yet again, another feminine touch. Mainly, to understand what I’m talking about when I refer to Charlie Prince, you need to see ‘3:10 To Yuma,’ (I Don’t Necessarily Recommend it,) but none-the-less, I thought I ought to bring the “hidden” ‘gender identity crisis’ which Hollywood puts forth into the light a bit.
But you have to admit. Charlie does a really great job at drawing his six shooters. (Note: Both his holsters are backwards.)
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Update: ‘Music’ Video composed of different clips of Charlie throughout 3:10 To Yuma. You can simply mute the video, but you can see what I was talking about for yourself.
Master Paul Xavier
Illustrious marceg
Miss Angela Rose
Lady Kerin
mjlovesballet
February 3, 2008 at 9:01 PM
Not a review site? That’s pretty much all you do…
February 3, 2008 at 9:02 PM
[...] Paul Xavier wrote an interesting post today on Charlie Prince…or is it Princess?Here’s a quick excerptWell, quite a few of my latest posts have been revolving around Hollywood and several film reviews. Just a reminder, this site IS NOT an intended ‘review’ site. But anyways, I posted a comment on SignaVeritae’s article regarding … [...]
February 3, 2008 at 9:16 PM
that movie was in my opinion a great stab at a modernday western but like u said like many movies in hollywood today, this one included they think they need to add things in there like this, and they do end up ruing the movie. the language i understand in a film like this although you could have done with out it, it’s not what really gets me. what does gets me is Charly Prince, and in the movie in one scene they do call him princess. i think that him being in that movie the way he was, was hollywoods way of saying that being “flameish” can be a manly thing. because when we in todays world or atleast i know i used to, think of the ultimate man as a cowboy. but we know now that that is false.
February 3, 2008 at 10:07 PM
Yes, I thought the same thing Marc! The whole idea is to ruin the ‘true’ masculine figure which for many years, to the average American, has been the Cowboy. They seem to be trying to ‘feminize’ the truly ‘masculine’ characters. For example, Jack Sparrow. A pirate is someone who is a bloodthirsty cutthroat. The ‘Pirates’ movies simply made a lovable character out of the pirate, and took away from the evil and gruff manly nature of the pirate… All in All, NO ONE can beat John Wayne.
February 4, 2008 at 11:30 AM
I haven’t seen 3:10 to Yuma, so I won’t comment on that.
What I do want to mention is that in areas with severe heat and sunlight, eyeliner serves a VERY practical purpose of deflecting the sunlight away from one’s eyes. This is why ancient Egyptians wore eyeliner, why Jack Sparrow wears eyeliner, and possibly why this cowboy is wearing it. (But some people simply have eyes that look like they’re wearing eyeliner even when they’re not.)
I’m not debating that there were problems with Jack Sparrow’s character. But the eyeliner was practical.
February 4, 2008 at 12:53 PM
I understand that eyeliner can do that for you. Just look at football players and such. But when you think of it, this would be the first time that you see a cowboy wearing it in a movie… Kind of peculiar, since he even carries himself in a sort of ‘feminine’ way…
February 4, 2008 at 8:41 PM
Yeah…my brother said that cowboy movies are never going to be viewed in the same way after Brokeback Mountain. Pretty sad…
February 17, 2008 at 5:12 PM
Actually contrary to popular myth, back then people drew their weapons across the body much like you’d draw a sword…so I guess if you’d want to be historically accurate his holsters are on the right way…
February 17, 2008 at 5:14 PM
I was wondering why they were backwards. But on the contrary, Charlie drew them by twisting his hand backwards, rather than reaching across like one would to draw a blade. Thanks for the info!
February 18, 2008 at 11:09 AM
Yeah Paul, the holsters aren’t backwards, and another thing they would do, would be strap them to the upper leg…
May 26, 2008 at 3:06 PM
Looser maybe your face looks like a woman’s… that movie is great go to a review site you do it very well
July 29, 2008 at 11:07 PM
Charlie drew his pistols in a cavalry-style draw. Holsters were worn that way because, at the time of the Civil War (which I strongly suspect Charlie was on the losing side of) the sword was considered to be a cavalier’s primary weapon, with the pistol being relagated to a secondary role and, thus, assigned to the off hand. Of course soldiers, being practical, used the pistol first and were, thus, drawing their left-hand, cross-draw holstered pistols with their right hands. The draw style was favored by a number of ‘cowboys’, especially among those who had served with the cavalry… with whom the cavalry draw would remain the modus operandi until adoption of the M1911 and the M1912 ‘Pershing’ swivel holster.
To the subject at hand, the character of Charlie Prince was informed by the classic rock-and-roll stars of the 1970s. I read his character in that context and found nothing effete about it.
August 7, 2008 at 8:49 PM
Couldn’t disagree more my friends. There is nothing particularly feminine (or masculine) about Charlie Prince – he is actually a crackingly good anaemic, amoral, psychopathic serpent of a pantomime villain that was needed to be extra-bad so making Russell Crowe’s sort-of-baddie more likeable.
Nice gun facts too, Olaf. I wish i was a cowboy
September 12, 2008 at 4:10 AM
By the way, here’s the link for that crossdraw advantages… Once again, RESEARCH IS YOUR FRIEND.
http://www.willghormley-maker.com/AdvantagesOfCrossDraw.html
December 8, 2008 at 6:41 PM
Interestingly enough, the fellow who is linked to the advantages of cross-draw, also made Charlie Prince’s and Ben Wade’s gun rigs in “3:10 to Yuma”. Small world.
Will
May 16, 2009 at 3:06 AM
Hmmm he did have a wierd way about him (Charlie Prince) I get what your talking about to an extent. I don’t think hes a “peter puffer” though. Not that you went that far, but I get what your getting at. 3:10 to yuma was a awesome movie, strong language, violence and all. It’s bad if you have to self-censor a great movie by fast forwarding or putting your fingers in your ear so to speak. It was a great movie and on that note we will have to agree to disagree about the movies quality. But Mr.PRince(cess) hahaha thats funny, did seem a bit akward, he’s kinda like that in a lot of movies, even in the wierd role he played to in the vampire movie “30 days of night” comic book to movie adaptation he seemed wierd in that role also. Something just not right. Interesting conversation none the less.
May 17, 2009 at 7:15 PM
Thanks for the Comment! Glad you have the same understanding. I noticed that the bit about his guns being backwards isn’t anything historically inaccurate. The cavalry had their holsters like that, but the way Charlie rests his hands on them in the film, gives the impression of a feminine character. Prancing Princess.