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While the earliest mean solar day ofWesterncinema saw innumerable disposable film set in the Wild West , several genuine masterpiece have been bring out throughout the eld . From trailblazing film maker like John Ford to modern auteur like the Coen Brothers , the westerly genre has endured better than almost any other . As a room for the United States to explore its history and mythology , Westerns wiretap into the American psyche and reveal the dark complexities of the country ’s once lawless history .
Some of thegreatest directors of all timeproducedWestern classics that have built up reputations as true cinematic masterpiece . These unbelievable motion picture include high - octane action , satirical funniness , and profoundly thoughtful stories of revenge and requital . Featuring majorWestern picture show starslike Clint Eastwood , Lee Van Cleef , and , of line , John Wayne , these westerly chef-d’oeuvre represent some of the verybest plastic film ever made .
10Blazing Saddles (1974)
Directed by Mel Brooks
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Cast
Written and directed by Mel Brooks , Blazing Saddles stars Cleavon Little as Bart , a black sheriff charge in a small frontier town by Hedley Lamarr , a railroad man who believe Bart ’s appointee will destabilize the town enough to get everyone out and allow him to build a new railroad crinkle through it . Instead , with the help of gunslinger Jim the Waco Kid , Bart work out to thwart Lamarr ’s strategy . Gene Wilder and Harvey Korman star alongside Little .
The satirical WesternBlazing Saddleswas a masterclass in comedy from music director Mel Brooks that pointed its tart , humorous aim at stories of brigand , cowboy , and outlaws . As a critical review of American racial attitude and the whitewashing of history within Hollywood Westerns , Blazing Saddleswas not only extraordinarily funny but also highly politically charged and socially relevant . The casting of Cleavon Little as Bart , a Black railroad line prole who eventually becomes sheriff , highlighted just how infrequently African American actors were see in classic Western film .
Blazing Saddleswas a truly innovative release at the time as it burlesque and make up court to Hollywood and spaghetti Westerns . With quite a little of knowing , tongue - in - cheek humor , and metacommentary , Blazing Saddleswas about far more than slapstick comedy and was truly a masterpiece of its times . While it ’s often heard thatBlazing Saddlescouldn’t be made today due to its racial humor , the the true was that this film was so subtly clever and had such razor - sharp wit that it was actually far forward of its clip and unmistakably modern in its underlying themes .
9The Wild Bunch (1969)
Directed by Sam Peckinpah
The Wild Bunch is a Western drama motion picture by manager Sam Peckinpah , released in 1969 . A group of aging outlaws decides to take on one last heist before retiring from their lives of criminal offence . However , Pike Bishop , the forefront of the gang , discovers that they ’ve been betrayed by a former partner , forcing them into a concluding standoff .
Director Sam Peckinpah was an essential filmmaker of the New Hollywood era , the period in American film history from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s when directors reigned supreme and gained previously unimaginable creative freedom . This full stop allowed Peckinpah to create truly influential films likeThe Wild Bunch , whose groundbreaking function of boring - motion imagination influenced modern natural action filmmaking . The Wild Bunchwas pivotal in bring western sandwich into the modern earned run average , as its slow and nail-biting sequence give newfangled meaning to the wild overabundance of the Wild West .
The legacy ofThe Wild Bunchhas only develop in the yr since its press release as it gain smirch on eternal best motion picture of all time list , admit fromThe New York Times , Entertainment Weekly , and theBFI ’s Sight & Soundpoll . differentiate the tale of an aging outlaw pack trying to adapt to a quickly modernizing world on the Mexican - US margin , the trailblazing nature ofThe Wild Bunchwas reflected in the plot . While aremake ofThe Wild Bunch , written and directed by Mel Gibson , has been announced , it may be wiser to leave this chef-d’oeuvre well enough alone .
8The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
Directed by John Ford
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a 1962 Western film organise by John Ford . asterisk James Stewart as an lofty senator and John Wayne as a rugged rancher , the story explores themes of Department of Justice and fable as they face the crook Liberty Valance , played by Lee Marvin . The film prove the conflicts between police , order , and personal morality in the American West .
After a career that truly revolutionized the westerly musical genre , director John Ford submit a look back at the stylus that made him famous withThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valance . sport two Hollywood icons , James Stewart and John Wayne , this unequaled black - and - livid Western explore theme around mythmaking and how the fable of the Wild West come to be . As a statement on the glory of violent bandits , The human beings Who Shot Liberty Valancehinted at a more self - aware style of filmmaking that became prominent as the 1960s come on .
As a tarradiddle about how legends are made in the first place , The Man Who Shot Liberty Valanceleaned into Western tropes and banality to spotlight the mode lodge can often choose to turn the truth in help of a good story . With a complex presentment of heroes and baddie , Ford negociate to blend a deeply engaging narrative with his powerful economic consumption of mise - en - scène and highlight picturesque filming . The theme of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance can be most accurately summed up in its famous inverted comma : “ This is the West , sir . When the legend becomes fact , publish the fable . ”
7Tombstone (1993)
Directed by George P. Cosmatos
gravestone chronicles legendary marshall Wyatt Earp and his brothers as they seek fortune in a prosperous minelaying town . Forced to face a crew threatening the community , Earp joins forces with the infamous Doc Holliday , highlighting a tense battle between lawmen and outlaws in the American West .
The friendly relationship between the Western criminal Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday and the subsequent gunfight at the O.K. Corral has been the subject of uncounted motion picture , yet none were as knock-down as the Western masterpieceTombstone . asterisk Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer as the two Wild West figures , Tombstonewas one of the most fashionable and perfectly vomit up Westerns out there . As a craze classic that ’s only become more esteemed in the years since its discharge , Tombstonedepicted the kip down lawman Wyatt Earp ’s programme for a peaceful life story interrupted by the very men he used to put away .
Tombstonewas a innovative Western that state a solid story of bandits and outlaws . However , itTombstonewas the incredible ensemble cast , spearheaded by a never - better Val Kilmer as Holliday , that unfeignedly made it stand the test of sentence . While Kilmer did take in widespread congratulations , he was regrettably snubbed for an Academy Award nominating speech , one of the biggest travesties in westerly movie awards history .
Custom image by Yeider Chacon.
6No Country For Old Men (2007)
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
The pairing of the dark witticism and intense beloved for Americana of the Coen brothers with the harsh exploration of the American frontier witness in the work of Cormac McCarthy was a cerebrovascular accident of ace . These man came together perfectly inNo Country for Old Men , one of the few Western movie Best Picture winners that utilized its neo - Western style to distinguish a bleak story about the violent underbody of the United States . With Javier Bardem as the cunning hit man Anton Chigurh , the wayNo Country for Old Menexplored themes of fate and demise made it endure out as a truthful neo - Western chef-d’oeuvre .
With themes around the moral decline of modern life sentence in the West , No Country for Old Menwas a westerly crime thriller of serious astuteness and intrigue . Through Bardem ’s unmatched portrayal of a sinister sociopath , No Country for Old Menexplored the two infringe sides of the American nous , as picture through Anton ’s fatal coin tosses . Like the good horse opera , No Country for Old Menreflected the economic value and practices of modern America , although viewers may not like what they regain as the issue are relentlessly depressed .
5Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)
Directed by Sergio Leone
Once Upon a clock time in the West is a critically acclaimed Italian Western released in 1968 . direct by Sergio Leone , the film stars Henry Fonda as Frank and Charles Bronson as Harmonica , two Isle of Man who influence together to protect widow Jill McBain ( Claudia Cardinale ) from an assassin . Sergio Donati and Leone wrote the screenplay for the film based on a story by Dario Argento .
After already get the unequivocal spaghetti Western series with hisDollars Trilogy , conductor Sergio Leone opted to return to the genre that made him famous for an epic fib that dissemble as a true magnum opus . Once Upon a sentence in the Westgave Leone a far bigger budget than he used to , and he spent it well to differentiate a idealistic story about a mouth organ - encounter stranger joining forces with a notorious desperate criminal to protect a beautiful woman from a deadly assassin . This definitive tale of bravery and Justice Department saw Henry Fonda cast off against case as the scoundrel .
Once Upon a Time in the Westreceived mixed review upon release but has since been praise as an underappreciated masterpiece that has make headway cult status . Having influenced unnumberable film maker such as Quentin Tarantino , Martin Scorsese , and George Lucas , this epic tale even pay tribute to filmmakers of the past as it contained references to works by everyone from John Ford to Howard Hawks . While its nearly three - minute uncut runtime may be daunting , it ’s worth it to witness a true westerly masterpiece .
Written and directed by Mel Brooks, Blazing Saddles stars Cleavon Little as Bart, a black sheriff appointed in a small frontier town by Hedley Lamarr, a railroad man who believes Bart’s appointment will destabilize the town enough to drive everyone out and allow him to build a new railroad line through it. Instead, with the help of gunslinger Jim the Waco Kid, Bart works to thwart Lamarr’s schemes. Gene Wilder and Harvey Korman star alongside Little.
4High Noon (1952)
Directed by Fred Zinnemann
High Noon is a classic western directed by Fred Zinnemann and stars Gary Cooper as Marshal Will Kane , who must face up a crew of outlaws alone after town forsake him . The film is famous for its tangible - time story as Kane prepare for a affaire d’honneur with the crook set to arrive by noon . Grace Kelly co - stars as Kane ’s pacifist bride , summate emotional depth to the story .
Clocking in at just 85 proceedings long , High Noonproved Westerns did n’t need a bloated runtime to be consider a true chef-d’oeuvre . As one of the near westerly movies ever made , High Noon’spolitical themes made it extremely controversial upon release , as many viewed it as a subtly disguise exploration of McCarthyism and blacklisting in Hollywood , as Marshall Will Kane ( Gary Cooper ) had to make the knotty conclusion about whether to split or stay and face a crowd of killer find out to take him down .
While Western legendJohn Wayne magnificently hatedHigh Noon , it was also a fast favorite of several U.S. President of the United States ( viaThe Independent ) , as its themes of standing firm in the face of imminent danger represent bravery in the true sense of the word . take position in real - time , High Noonhas endured through these decades due to the timeless relevancy of its subject matter around tariff and honor . As a more realistic look at the lawful perils of life in the Wild West , High Noonrepresented a move toward a more naturalistic type of Western movie hero .
3The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966)
In the United States , a mysterious gunfighter tries to work together with a bandit and a bountifulness hunter to find a hidden treasure . The men are force to forge a difficult bond as each knows only part of the location . The magnanimous problem is that none of them has any purpose of sharing the wealth once they ’ve found it .
The king of spaghetti westerly filmmakers was undisputedly Sergio Leone , whose unmatchedDollars Trilogygot between each installment . WhileA Fistful of Dollarsintroduced the world to Clint Eastwood ’s iconic portrayal of The Man with No Name for the very first time andFor a Few DollarsMore expanded upon its expressive style and aesthetic , the last movie in the trilogy brought everything that was enceinte about this genre together into one glorious film . From its epic soundtrack by Ennio Morricone to its famous Mexican draw climax , The Good , the Bad and the Uglywas a true westerly masterpiece .
Not only did Eastwood give one of the define performance of his calling , but he was also joined by the Western legend Lee Van Cleef as the unpitying mercenary Angel Eyes . Packed with violence and a knowing , tongue - in - cheek sense of humor , Leone saved the best for last in what just might be the most iconic Western moving-picture show ever made . As a outstanding entry point for watcher unfamiliar with the writing style , The Good , the Bad and the Uglywas an approachable and intensely entertaining patch of filmmaking .
The Wild Bunch is a Western drama film by director Sam Peckinpah, released in 1969. A group of aging outlaws decides to take on one last heist before retiring from their lives of crime. However, Pike Bishop, the head of the gang, discovers that they’ve been betrayed by a former partner, forcing them into a final standoff.
2Unforgiven (1992)
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Unforgiven follows retired gunslinger Will Munny as he is drawn back into his former life for a final mission , seeking justice with his old partner and a immature outlaw called The Schofield Kid .
Unforgivenwas truly the best ofall Clint Eastwood ’s Oscar - nominated moviesand represented his greatest chef-d’oeuvre in the westerly genre . As a Best Picture victor that powerfully subverted the revenge trope the genre was know for , Eastwood play William Munny , an aged gunslinger forced out of retirement for one last caper . With a performance that hinted at the actor ’s unmatched legacy in the Western musical style , Eastwood brought a life of Wild West film experience to his characterization of Munny .
The elbow room thatUnforgivendeconstructed notions of the Old West was truly admirable , and it ’s no surprisal that Eastwood decide this would be his last traditional westerly flick . As the summation of his total career in Westerns , Unforgivenwas a picture show masterpiece made even good by the cellular inclusion of Gene Hackman in his Oscar - pull ahead performance as Sheriff " short " Bill Daggett . In tribute to his past , Eastwood even dedicatedUnforgivento his Western filmmaking wise man , Sergio Leone and Don Siegel .
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a 1962 Western film directed by John Ford. Starring James Stewart as an idealistic senator and John Wayne as a rugged rancher, the story explores themes of justice and legend as they confront the outlaw Liberty Valance, played by Lee Marvin. The film examines the conflicts between law, order, and personal morality in the American West.
1The Searchers (1956)
The Searchers is a 1956 Western drama star John Wayne . Wayne stars as Ethan Edwards , who goes explore for his missing niece after his brother ’s family is killed by the Comanche folk . Helmed by director John Ford , The Searchers is now considered one of the greatest American Westerns ever made .
As John Ford ’s magnum opus and undisputed westerly masterpiece , The Searcherswas one of the most iconic and influential movies ever made . Featuring John Wayne as Ethan Edwards traverse an intensely picturesque Wild West landscape as he spent years wait for his abduct niece , this revenge tarradiddle stood as a defining motion picture in American cinema . Through the use of VistaVision and Technicolor , The Searcherswas a visually stunning example of what nifty Westerns can accomplish as it told its hefty narrative while highlighting the artistic merits of movies themselves .
AlthoughThe Searcherscan be criticized for its coarse portrayal of Native Americans , it also bespeak westerly movies moving toward a more complex depiction of indigenous the great unwashed . As a self - aware feel behind the motivations of brave Western hero , The Searchersdid not shy away from the crimson spare and dark realities of the American frontier . As a flavor into the psychological aspect of theWesterngenre , The Searcherspointed toward a new kind of filmmaking .
Source : The Independent
Tombstone chronicles legendary marshal Wyatt Earp and his brothers as they seek fortune in a prosperous mining town. Forced to confront a gang threatening the community, Earp joins forces with the infamous Doc Holliday, highlighting a tense battle between lawmen and outlaws in the American West.
No Country for Old Men is a western crime-thriller based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy and directed by the Cohen Brothers. Following three protagonists, the film centers around a large $2,000,000+ cache of dirty money lost near the Rio Grande. With a veteran who finds it, a hitman who will stop at nothing to get it, and a sheriff trying to investigate the crimes connected to it, all roads lead to death and mayhem as they find themselves in each other’s crosshairs.
Once Upon a Time in the West is a critically acclaimed Italian Western released in 1968. Directed by Sergio Leone, the film stars Henry Fonda as Frank and Charles Bronson as Harmonica, two men who work together to protect widow Jill McBain (Claudia Cardinale) from an assassin. Sergio Donati and Leone wrote the screenplay for the film based on a story by Dario Argento.
High Noon is a classic western directed by Fred Zinnemann and stars Gary Cooper as Marshal Will Kane, who must face a gang of outlaws alone after townsfolk abandon him. The film is notable for its real-time narrative as Kane prepares for a duel with the outlaws set to arrive by noon. Grace Kelly co-stars as Kane’s pacifist bride, adding emotional depth to the story.
In the United States, a mysterious gunfighter tries to work together with a bandit and a bounty hunter to find a hidden treasure. The men are forced to forge a difficult alliance as each knows only part of the location. The big problem is that none of them has any intention of sharing the wealth once they’ve found it.
Unforgiven follows retired gunslinger Will Munny as he is drawn back into his former life for a final mission, seeking justice with his old partner and a young outlaw called The Schofield Kid.
The Searchers is a 1956 Western drama starring John Wayne. Wayne stars as Ethan Edwards, who goes searching for his missing niece after his brother’s family is killed by the Comanche tribe. Helmed by director John Ford, The Searchers is now considered one of the greatest American Westerns ever made.
