The Ballad of Little Jo (1993)
This was a very interesting unique take on the western genre. Written and directed by Maggie Greenwald and staring Suzy Amis, makes this a rare women-made western with a feminist theme.
Follows the story of Josephine, who is forced to flee her home and family, where she takes on the name of Jo and make herself look like a man. She slowly rebuilds a life back together, but is constantly challenged with the misogynistic views prevalent in the old west. Her story has various turns and development that spans a long time with quite a lot happening in the 2 hour run time. What makes it special is how Jo is not just a female version of a standard western protagonist. She has many conflict character traits making her very multidimensional and with her having to pretend to be a man in this male dominated world, makes for an unique exploration of masculinity in the old west, the western genre and modern society in general.
From the looks of it, this movie is severely underwatched and I really hope more people will give it a chance. It is very different from other women lead westerns such as The Quick and the Dead.
Rating: 4