Greatest Western movie of all time? (1 Viewer)

dennis63

dennis63

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I'm a fan of classic movies, and while the Western is no longer a popular movie genre, there are some great classic movies in this category.

I recently read a modern review of one of my favorites, and this led me to wonder, "What is the greatest Western movie of all time?"

What would your answer be to this question? Here are two of my favorites:



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  • Clint Eastwood as "The Man with No Name," wearing the most awesome poncho in movie history
  • Eli Wallach as Tuco, one of the best characters ever on film
  • The iconic "Mexican Standoff" scene in the cemetery
  • The music. This film's score is a classic in itself, and uses music like no film had before, and you might say, since. The music is really the "uncredited fourth character" in this movie.


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John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Jimmy Stewart and Ron Howard, all amazing in this film about an aging gunfighter dying of cancer in the last days of the Old West.
One reviewer called it "the most perfectly made film ever" for the structure and timing of the story.
Made in 1976, it has the look of an earlier film
The acting quality is amazing. You get a lot from a glance, and from what is not said, in this film. (A big change from today's movies.)

I know there are others -- some that I may not have seen.

What are your favorites?
 
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Westerns I didn't appreciate until later in life. My dad loved them but I just didn't get it at all until sometime in college. Really unfortunate that the genre seems to have mostly fallen by the wayside in recent years. While I wouldn't rank them among the best below, some recent westerns that would be worth checking out if you haven't are The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford and Bone Tomahawk. Both very good films. But as for my absolute favorites:

My favorites from the classic era: The Searchers, Red River, High Noon, and The Magnificent Seven.

My favorites from the modern era: Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, The Outlaw Josey Whales, McCabe And Mrs. Miller, The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, The Wild Bunch, and Once Upon A Time In The West.

My contemporary favorites: Unforgiven, The Proposition, and Django Unchained.

Overall top three (not in order): The Searchers, The Wild Bunch, and High Noon.
 
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Trihonda said:
Seven Samaurai.

/thread. :)
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The Seven Samurai almost rates its own category. I never viewed it as a "Western," buthe m

pltrgyst said:
Hombre. Blazing Saddles. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Cochise.

And because of where we are, Maverick.
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Blazing Saddles!

Great story about the making of this film. Mel Brooks spotted John Wayne in the Paramount commissary and asked him to do a cameo in Blazing Saddles. Brooks described the movie in detail, and The Duke replied, "Well, I can't be in a movie like that, but I sure as hell will go and see it."
 
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No great western is complete without "The Duke" who appeared in over 250 movies in his career. That being said it is a close race between "Rio Bravo" and "The Searchers".
 
Hard to choose a favorite but I really like High Planes Drifter. Aslo love McLintock, True Grit (the remake), Tombstone, and Unforgiven.
 
David O said:
No great western is complete without "The Duke" who appeared in over 250 movies in his career. That being said it is a close race between "Rio Bravo" and "The Searchers".
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I used to watch The Duke movie marathons on TNT (I think) with my dad years ago and loved it. They were great movies.
 
dennis63 said:
The Seven Samurai almost rates its own category. I never viewed it as a "Western," but it really is. (I just watched it on TCM a couple of weekends ago.)
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Akira Kurosawa was ground breaking in his cinematography. Seven Samurai was remade several times, the most famous of which is the Magnificen Seven. Several of his other films were also copied, the most famous (and least known) copy is a small science fiction story... Star Wars (maybe you've heard of it?).

You might find it interesting how many westerns were copies of Kurosawa films...

Any Star Wars fans should try watching the movie Hidden Fortress, then watching SW ep 4. The parallels and even the cinematography are stunningly similar... You know the scene, where the bumbling tall lanky character and short stubby character are lost in the desert, arguing which direction to go. The short character squaks that they need to go fullfill their mission, and the tall lanky character argues they need to head in the opposite direction and avoid conflict. They continue to argue as they head in seperate directions.. Then the screen wipes to a new scene.... Clue, I'm not referring to a scene from Star Wars...

Or maybe, the plot where an evil warlord captures a princess and takes her to a secret fortress (no, not the Death Star), and the reluctant scoundrel (in a black vest with white undershirt, black pants... not Han), is cojolled into effecting her rescue and returning her to the rebellion... Lol.

A more classical western movie by Kurosawa was "Yojimbo" which was remade into a "A Fist Full of Dollars". Kurosawa's lead, Toshiro Mifune, is by far one of the best actors in this genre. His screen presence was palpable...

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Not sure if you could classify it is a true western, or a "movie" for that matter as it was a mini-series, but Lonesome Dove has always been a favorite of mine, I think Robert Duvall gives one of the best performances of his career, and Augustus McCray is one of my favorite characters ever
 
+1 to Blazing Saddles, though I wouldn't list it as a Western, per se. BTW, I had it on at the firehouse last week, and one of the younger guys kept laughing an uncomfortable laugh. It turned out he never even heard of Blazing Saddles, much less ever seen it. Youth today must suck.

Classic Western though, goes to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. It set the bar for the whole genre.

As far as anything with John Wayne though - I can't stand it. Wayne had the acting abilities of a cord of wood, and a voice that could bore me to sleep and tears - at the same time. His Academy award was little more than a nod to all westerns going on in the late 60-early 70s, and his contribution to the genre.
 
Poker Zombie said:
+1 to Blazing Saddles, though I wouldn't list it as a Western, per se. BTW, I had it on at the firehouse last week, and one of the younger guys kept laughing an uncomfortable laugh. It turned out he never even heard of Blazing Saddles, much less ever seen it. Youth today must suck.

Classic Western though, goes to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. It set the bar for the whole genre.

As far as anything with John Wayne though - I can't stand it. Wayne had the acting abilities of a cord of wood, and a voice that could bore me to sleep and tears - at the same time. His Academy award was little more than a nod to all westerns going on in the late 60-early 70s, and his contribution to the genre.
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I have to disagree with you about John Wayne. I am not a huge Western or John Wayne Fanatic but you have to give him credit.
To his credit
1- Academy Award
3 - Golden Globes
2 - Golden Apples
2- Golden Boots
6 - Laurel Awards
1 Online Film and Television Association Award
4 - Peoples's Choice
Star on the Walk of Fame
1- Photoplay Award
4 - Bronze Wrangler Awards (Western Heritage)

I will agree that Blazing Saddles is a great and funny movie but there are countless actual Western Films that would rank higher than it would.
 
David O said:
I have to disagree with you about John Wayne. I am not a huge Western or John Wayne Fanatic but you have to give him credit.
To his credit
1- Academy Award
3 - Golden Globes
2 - Golden Apples
2- Golden Boots
6 - Laurel Awards
1 Online Film and Television Association Award
4 - Peoples's Choice
Star on the Walk of Fame
1- Photoplay Award
4 - Bronze Wrangler Awards (Western Heritage)

I will agree that Blazing Saddles is a great and funny movie but there are countless actual Western Films that would rank higher than it would.
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I give him credit - he supported the Hollywood western. Before him, westerns were all made by Italians using unknown American actors, including the great "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" (Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo). John Wayne may have wooed American audiences, but so did Budweiser beer (which I'm sure Wayne consumed en masse).

I know my perception is unpopular, largely because I'm calling out an American institution. Most of us learned John Wayne is great, long before we could appreciate what solid acting was. Few people were going to go against Wayne (when he won his Oscar, nearly every movie in every major category was a Western). But the truth is, his acting range matches Kevin Costner, who is also a terrible actor and winner of 2 academy awards.
 
For a Few Dollars More is dope. In fact, I'm gonna put it on right now! :D

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Poker Zombie said:
I give him credit - he supported the Hollywood western. Before him, westerns were all made by Italians using unknown American actors, including the great "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" (Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo). John Wayne may have wooed American audiences, but so did Budweiser beer (which I'm sure Wayne consumed en masse).

I know my perception is unpopular, largely because I'm calling out an American institution. Most of us learned John Wayne is great, long before we could appreciate what solid acting was. Few people were going to go against Wayne (when he won his Oscar, nearly every movie in every major category was a Western). But the truth is, his acting range matches Kevin Costner, who is also a terrible actor and winner of 2 academy awards.
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I agree. I think JW is way overrated. Now saying that. If a movie of his is on. I can't help but watch it. My late grandfather was a huge John Wayne fan. His movie room (all VHS tapes :) ) were all JW westerns. He had JW paintings, nicknacks, and even a three foot tall statue of him. My grandfather was one of the best men I had known. Every time as long as I can remember, whenever we were at his place we would watch at least part of a JW movie.

Fuck cancer, specifically bone cancer. It never destroyed his sense of humor. Gamps always had a Pollack joke for you :)

sorry for the mini rant/tj. Thread brought back some cool memories.

B
 
detroitdad said:
I agree. I think JW is way overrated. Now saying that. If a movie of his is on. I can't help but watch it. My late grandfather was a huge John Wayne fan. His movie room (all VHS tapes :) ) were all JW westerns. He had JW paintings, nicknacks, and even a three foot tall statue of him. My grandfather was one of the best men I had known. Every time as long as I can remember, whenever we were at his place we would watch at least part of a JW movie.

Fuck cancer, specifically bone cancer. It never destroyed his sense of humor. Gamps always had a Pollack joke for you :)

sorry for the mini rant/tj. Thread brought back some cool memories.

B
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I think he may be overrated by today's standards but we have to remember that his hey day was in the 1950's through the 1970's. To compare him to today's actors is like comparing apples and oranges IMO
 
While I like Blazing Saddles calling it a western is like calling Space Balls a SciFi

Can't pick a Favorite. Huge John Wayne and Clint Eastwood fan

A few that come to mind:
True Grit
Rio Bravo
Rooster Cogburn
Mclintock
The Shootist (Playing a dying character when he knew he was actually dying himself takes this one to another level IMO)

Hang em High
High Plains Drifter
Pale Rider
MWNN Trilogy
Two Mules for Sister Sara
Unforgiven

Silverado
Tombstone
Open Range

Top Favorites if I had to choose in no order
True Grit
Unforgiven
Silverado
Tombstone
 
I'm afraid I have to disagree with the critics on John Wayne's acting ability. He was a good actor who was typecast, and chose to embrace it.

His own favorite film was The Quiet Man, which is a great movie on its own. And I think his Rooster Cogburn character in True Grit is Oscar-worthy.

I'm sure the man may have been different -- and probably much more complex -- than the "John Wayne" we all thought we knew.
 
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There was a Kevin Costner / Robert Duval western a few years ago that was really really good. Can't remember the name and too lazy to Google.

Three Amigos is horribly good and Blazing Saddles is the bombz. "I said the sheriff is a ..."

Unlazy now:
 
The Outlaw Josey Wales. Minus a good chunk of the Sandra Locke parts... That and Silverado. The only two western movies I own.
 
We watched a Western/Horror flick yesterday. Bone Tomahawk. Starred Kurt Russel, Patrick Wilson, and some smoking hot chick from Banshee.

Western with Cannibals. I don't recommend it. There are a few gut wrenching scenes in the 3rd act with the Cannibals.
 

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