America was built on Westerns and with them, the tropes that have been cemented into audiences’ brains for decades.

Classics like High Noon; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid have offered up cinematic archetypes including the cowboy; the outlaw, the missionary, the natives and of course, the damsel in distress. In the Zellner Bros.’ latest film, Damsel, brothers David and Nathan Zellner take aim at these tired Western stereotypes.

But, don’t be fooled; the filmmakers’ reaction to the genre is born from their deep love for it.

According to David, Damsel stole inspiration from “classic Westerns, spaghetti Westerns, acid Westerns of the ‘70s and even things like Looney Tunes,” he said.

“They all just seeped in.”

The film stars Robert Pattinson as Samuel Alabaster, a handsome cowboy who hires Parson Henry (David Zellner) to help him track down his beloved Penelope (Mia Wasikowska), who has been kidnapped.

Without giving too much away, the story takes a drastic turn at the midpoint — a choice most traditionally-structured films would shy away from. Once that happens, the perspective of the film shifts from one character to another.

“We like the idea of playing with the way people perceive the world around them versus how the world really is and the conflict that arises when a character’s expectation doesn’t meet reality,” Nathan said.

The first half of Damsel introduces Samuel’s character in a way that is classic and supported by the genre, according to David.

“You are learning about [Samuel’s] love, Penelope, through his eyes, through his memory and his projection. When we meet Penelope’s character, we realize things are a little bit different from her perspective,” he said.

One element found in nearly every Western is a huge, unavoidable dose of masculinity and the Zellners were ready to pull apart what it means to be a man in the genre.

“It’s always fun to poke fun at masculinity,” Nathan said.

David agreed.

“It was fun … to riff on it in terms of what masculinity is; what it encompasses, especially in Westerns where characters are hyper-masculine,” he said.

We see this dissection mainly through the character of Samuel, who believes himself to be chivalrous and brave on his mission to rescue his bride-to-be. But of course, this is not a film about a damsel in distress.

To further help tug at the tropes of Western movies, the Zellners cast unconventional actors in the leading roles.

“So much of this film is about subverting expectations,” David said.

“We liked the idea of casting actors who hadn’t played roles like this before.”

Pattinson, known for his roles in the Twilight movies and a handful of indies — including the critically acclaimed Good Time — hadn’t yet starred in a Western. Similarly, Wasikowska, while often recognized for her unconventional film choices, had yet to tackle the genre.
The Zellners say those two actors in particular helped them “shake things up,” in the genre.

Tonally, Damsel walks a fine line between drama and comedy. While there are plenty of comedic moments, the situations both protagonists face are often life or death.

“We look for a balance between pathos and humor,” Nathan said.

“Even in the darkest moments, there’s something funny that can creep in or break the tension.”

But to the characters, the situation is “dire,” David added.

“It’s a matter of perspective: If you’re the person in the middle of it or if you’re the person watching from across the street.”

It might be difficult to look at Westerns the same after watching Damsel, but this is hardly a negative. The Zellner Bros.’ quirky creation shines a light into the complicated genre while celebrating its rich history.

Damsel is in theaters now!