Dark Jezter
First Post
For most of my life, I've been a fan of westerns. Although the western genre is not nearly as common nowadays as it was during its hayday in the 1950s and 1960s, there are still many classic westerns that we can still enjoy. This thread was created for people to list and discuss their favorite movies from the western genre.
And, just to get this out of the way quickly: I don't care if Joss Whedon calls it a "space western", Firefly/Serenity has no place in this thread.
Here are my picks (in no particular order):
The Searchers (1956): Directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, this epic western tells the story of two men who embark on a quest to rescue a kidnapped girl and avenge the death of their family at the hands of Comanche indian raiders. This film has been praised by many as one of the greatest films ever made, and has even influenced several later movies including Star Wars, Saving Private Ryan, and even Taxi Driver. It's also a favorite of Stephen Spielberg, George Lucas, and Martin Scorsese.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966): Probably the most famous of the Spaghetti Westerns (a subgenre of westerns so named because most of them were made by italian film studios), this is also the final movie in Sergio Leone's The Man With No Name Trilogy (although chronologically it takes place before the other two). This title of the movie refers to the three main characters:
"The Good" is Blondie (played by Clint Eastwood), a wandering bounty hunter. Although calling him "good" is a bit of a stretch considering that he looks out primarily for himself, he does have a certain sense of honor and is a saint when compared to the other two.
"The Bad" is Angel Eyes (played by Lee Van Cleef), a sadistic assassin-for-hire who always gets his mark.
"The Ugly" is Tuco (played by Eli Wallach), a greedy Mexican bandit who will be your best friend one moment and your worst enemy the next, depending on what he has to gain.
The movie, set during the Confederate Army's invasion of the New Mexico territory in 1862, tells the story of the 3 main characters searching for a fortune in buried gold. Each one of the men only knows a portion of the gold's location, however, so they are forced to cooperate with each other while simultaniously competiting against each other. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is famous for having one of the most recognizable sountracks in movie history, as well as the climactic shootout between the three main characters.
A Fistful of Dollars (1964): The first film in Sergio Leone's The Man With No Name trilogy, this film focuses on "Joe" (played by Clint Eastwood) as a gunslinger who arrives in a small town torn apart by two warring families. Eastwood's character decides to get rich by playing the two sides against each other, but his personal code of honor also drives him to help an innocent family caught in the crossfire. Quentin Tarantino considers this the greatest movie ever made, and it has heavily influenced his own films.
For A Few Dollars More (1965): The second film in Sergio Leone's The Man With No Name trilogy (although the final one chronologically). This movie focuses on "Manco" (Clint Eastwood's character) and Colonel Mortimer (played by Lee Van Cleef) as two bounty hunters who are searching for El Indio, one of the most wanted fugitives in the western territories. Although Eastwood's character is the one whom the trilogy would later be named after, Cleef's performance is what really makes this movie great.
High Noon (1952): Will Kane (Gary Cooper) is the marshall of a small frontier town. On the day of his wedding and last day before retiring from law enforcement, he learns that a man he sent to prison several years ago is returning with friends to take revenge. Kane triest to enlist help from the townspeople, but when faced with danger they show their true colors. This movie is a true classic of the genre, and has been screened at the White House more than any other movie ever made.
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968): Although not quite as famous as The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, this movie is considered by many to be Sergio Leone's greatest film. Starring Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda, this movie tells the story of two men protecting a beautiful widow from a murderous assassin.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962): Another John Ford western. This film focuses on two characters. One is an attorney (played by James Stewart) who believes in law and order and refuses to carry a gun. His friend (played by John Wayne) is a gunman who believes there is no law and carrying a gun is a necessity for living on the frontier. When the bandit named Liberty Valance came to town, the attorney learns that Valance isn't willing to listen to reason and some differences can only be settled through violence. This film is remembered for the great performances by John Wayne and James Stewart as well as the surprise ending.
Big Jake (1971): One of John Wayne's later films, this one has always been a favorite of mine. In this one, Wayne goes after a gang of outlaws who kidnapped his young grandson. Surprisingly violent for a John Wayne film, this movie also take place later than most traditional westerns (early 1900s instead of mid-to-late 1800s).
High Plains Drifter (1973): Both directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, this brutal and violent western tells the tale of a mysterious gunslinger who rides into a town plagued by outlaws, and leaves a trail of bodies in his tracks.
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976): Another film directed by Clint Eastwood, although not nearly as violent as High Plains Drifter. Set at the end of the American Civil War, Eastwood's character is a farmer-turned-gunman who seeks revenge on the Union Soldiers who murdered his family. Accoring to Eastwood, this is his favorite of the films he's made.
Unforgiven (1992): Yet another Eastwood-directed film. In this one, Eastwood plays a retired assassin named William Munny who, despite giving up his murdering ways years ago, accepts a job to kill a man who cut up a prostitute. Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, and Morgan Freeman all shine in this universally-acclaimed movie.
And, just to get this out of the way quickly: I don't care if Joss Whedon calls it a "space western", Firefly/Serenity has no place in this thread.
Here are my picks (in no particular order):
The Searchers (1956): Directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, this epic western tells the story of two men who embark on a quest to rescue a kidnapped girl and avenge the death of their family at the hands of Comanche indian raiders. This film has been praised by many as one of the greatest films ever made, and has even influenced several later movies including Star Wars, Saving Private Ryan, and even Taxi Driver. It's also a favorite of Stephen Spielberg, George Lucas, and Martin Scorsese.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966): Probably the most famous of the Spaghetti Westerns (a subgenre of westerns so named because most of them were made by italian film studios), this is also the final movie in Sergio Leone's The Man With No Name Trilogy (although chronologically it takes place before the other two). This title of the movie refers to the three main characters:
"The Good" is Blondie (played by Clint Eastwood), a wandering bounty hunter. Although calling him "good" is a bit of a stretch considering that he looks out primarily for himself, he does have a certain sense of honor and is a saint when compared to the other two.
"The Bad" is Angel Eyes (played by Lee Van Cleef), a sadistic assassin-for-hire who always gets his mark.
"The Ugly" is Tuco (played by Eli Wallach), a greedy Mexican bandit who will be your best friend one moment and your worst enemy the next, depending on what he has to gain.
The movie, set during the Confederate Army's invasion of the New Mexico territory in 1862, tells the story of the 3 main characters searching for a fortune in buried gold. Each one of the men only knows a portion of the gold's location, however, so they are forced to cooperate with each other while simultaniously competiting against each other. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is famous for having one of the most recognizable sountracks in movie history, as well as the climactic shootout between the three main characters.
A Fistful of Dollars (1964): The first film in Sergio Leone's The Man With No Name trilogy, this film focuses on "Joe" (played by Clint Eastwood) as a gunslinger who arrives in a small town torn apart by two warring families. Eastwood's character decides to get rich by playing the two sides against each other, but his personal code of honor also drives him to help an innocent family caught in the crossfire. Quentin Tarantino considers this the greatest movie ever made, and it has heavily influenced his own films.
For A Few Dollars More (1965): The second film in Sergio Leone's The Man With No Name trilogy (although the final one chronologically). This movie focuses on "Manco" (Clint Eastwood's character) and Colonel Mortimer (played by Lee Van Cleef) as two bounty hunters who are searching for El Indio, one of the most wanted fugitives in the western territories. Although Eastwood's character is the one whom the trilogy would later be named after, Cleef's performance is what really makes this movie great.
High Noon (1952): Will Kane (Gary Cooper) is the marshall of a small frontier town. On the day of his wedding and last day before retiring from law enforcement, he learns that a man he sent to prison several years ago is returning with friends to take revenge. Kane triest to enlist help from the townspeople, but when faced with danger they show their true colors. This movie is a true classic of the genre, and has been screened at the White House more than any other movie ever made.
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968): Although not quite as famous as The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, this movie is considered by many to be Sergio Leone's greatest film. Starring Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda, this movie tells the story of two men protecting a beautiful widow from a murderous assassin.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962): Another John Ford western. This film focuses on two characters. One is an attorney (played by James Stewart) who believes in law and order and refuses to carry a gun. His friend (played by John Wayne) is a gunman who believes there is no law and carrying a gun is a necessity for living on the frontier. When the bandit named Liberty Valance came to town, the attorney learns that Valance isn't willing to listen to reason and some differences can only be settled through violence. This film is remembered for the great performances by John Wayne and James Stewart as well as the surprise ending.
Big Jake (1971): One of John Wayne's later films, this one has always been a favorite of mine. In this one, Wayne goes after a gang of outlaws who kidnapped his young grandson. Surprisingly violent for a John Wayne film, this movie also take place later than most traditional westerns (early 1900s instead of mid-to-late 1800s).
High Plains Drifter (1973): Both directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, this brutal and violent western tells the tale of a mysterious gunslinger who rides into a town plagued by outlaws, and leaves a trail of bodies in his tracks.
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976): Another film directed by Clint Eastwood, although not nearly as violent as High Plains Drifter. Set at the end of the American Civil War, Eastwood's character is a farmer-turned-gunman who seeks revenge on the Union Soldiers who murdered his family. Accoring to Eastwood, this is his favorite of the films he's made.
Unforgiven (1992): Yet another Eastwood-directed film. In this one, Eastwood plays a retired assassin named William Munny who, despite giving up his murdering ways years ago, accepts a job to kill a man who cut up a prostitute. Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, and Morgan Freeman all shine in this universally-acclaimed movie.
