Movie The best western movies

Dan Moody

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Any list that doesn't include...
  • Shane
  • Stagecoach
  • Rio Bravo
  • Red River
  • High Noon
  • The Ox-Bow Incident
  • Cimarron
  • The Searchers
  • Winchester 73
is not a true list of great westerns.
There are many others, but these are the benchmarks.
 

STFU Donnie

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GBU and the Proposition.

I would like to see a western with kung fu instead of guns. Would be awesome.

A few years late with the reply, but have you seen Red Sun, with Charles Bronson and Toshiro Mifune? It's samurai based, rather than kung fu but is very entertaining, if not quite at the level of a John Ford film.
 

STFU Donnie

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Anyone wanting to expand their experience of westerns simply has to see these John Ford classics:

Stagecoach
The Searchers
My Darling Clementine
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Fort Apache
Three Godfathers
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance


An interesting note about Ford, who is most intimately associated with the western genre. He won four Oscars for directing - easily the all time record - but not one of them was for a western! For those interested, the four winners were:

The Informer
The Grapes of Wrath
How Green Was My Valley?
The Quiet Man


I've never seen The Informer, but the other three are classics!

What a CV the man had!
 

RobbyRoy

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I'm also not a huge fan of Ford's westerns. Don't think I've disliked any, but few would make my all time list. Which I'll go and work on...
 

Dan Moody

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Anyone wanting to expand their experience of westerns simply has to see these John Ford classics:

Stagecoach
The Searchers
My Darling Clementine
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Fort Apache
Three Godfathers
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance


An interesting note about Ford, who is most intimately associated with the western genre. He won four Oscars for directing - easily the all time record - but not one of them was for a western! For those interested, the four winners were:

The Informer
The Grapes of Wrath
How Green Was My Valley?
The Quiet Man


I've never seen The Informer, but the other three are classics!

What a CV the man had!

The Informer is sensational. In fact, I'm going to make time to watch it again this week.
 
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Published this Best Westerns list last year:

My Genre scope note:
Film stories predominantly set in non-fully developed territory occurring pre-1920s, and must feature gunslingers or gunfights characteristic of the west.

Still many classics to catch up with yet, with Stagecoach my most glaring unseen western. Special mention to TV's Deadwood.

1. Once Upon a Time in the West (Leone, 1968)
2. Duck, You Sucker (Leone, 1971)
3. The Proposition (Hillcoat, 2005)
4. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (Altman, 1971)
5. Johnny Guitar (N. Ray, 1954)
6. The Big Country (Wyler, 1958)
7. The Good, the Bad & the Ugly (Leone, 1966)
8. High Noon (Zinnemann, 1952)
9. Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (GRH, 1969)
10. For a Few Dollars More (Leone, 1965)

11. Dances with Wolves (Costner, 1990)
12. A Fistful of Dollars (Leone, 1964)
13. Shane (Stevens, 1953)
14. Unforgiven (Eastwood, 1992)
15. Red River (Hawks, 1948)
16. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Dominik, 2007)
17. 3:10 to Yuma (Daves, 1957)
18. Yellow Sky (Wellman, 1948)
19. Meek's Cutoff (Reichardt, 2010)
20. Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (Peckinpah, 1973)

21. The Outlaw Josey Wales (Eastwood, 1976)
22. Open Range (Costner, 2003)
23. Dead Man (Jarmusch, 1995)
24. El Dorado (Hawks, 1967)
25. One-Eyed Jacks (Brando, 1961)

You forgot Rio Bravo, and Botch Casually and the Somedunce Kid.
 
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You forgot Rio Bravo, and Botch Casually and the Somedunce Kid.
I didn't forget either of them (I did a fair bit of research when I originally put together that list). I just can't find room for Rio Bravo (prefer other Hawks like Red River & El Dorado, as well as some other non-westerns, especially Only Angels Have Wings). If you look again at your quoted post, you'll find Butch Cassidy (my spelling anyway) already listed at #9.
 
Much prefer Leone over Ford. As I would Eastwood over Wayne.

Beside the three mentioned previously (TGTB&TU, OUATITW & El Topo) the other Westerns that I like include:

Fist Full Of Dollars
For A Few Dollars More
Hang 'Em High
High Plains Drifter
The Hills Run Red
Cat Ballou
A Man Called Sledge
High Noon
Pale Rider
The Professionals
Outlaw Josey Wales
Navajo Joe
Texas Across The River
Two Mules For Sister Sara
Giarrettiera Colt
Fistful Of Lead
Find A Place To Die
Death Rides A Horse
I Am Sartana, Trade Your Guns For a Coffin
If You Meet Sartana, Pray For Your Death
Django
Grand Duel

Most are Spaghetti Westerns but there a couple of Hollywood Westerns. Generally I found them a little tame and a little moralistic.
 

RobbyRoy

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Real rough rankings here, besides #1:

1. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
2. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
3. Hud (1963) (if it counts)
4. High Noon (1952)
5. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
6. Unforgiven (1992)
7. Giant (1956) (if it counts)
8. Shane (1953)
9. Tombstone (1994)
10. The Proposition (2005)
11. The Searchers (1956)
12. The Big Country (1958)
13. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
14. McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)
15. How the West Was Won (1962)
16. Dances With Wolves (1990)
17. Slow West (2015)
18. 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
19. Hombre (1967)
20. Open Range (2003)

Relied entirely on a very poor memory so likely some huge oversights I'll have to come back and fix. These don't include any of the Dollars trilogy or The Wild Bunch.
 
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Everyone else in this thread should definitely check out Johnny Guitar. Surprised no one else has mentioned it in nearly 3 pages. One of the best films of the 1950s, and many posters here are sure to love it.
 
Published this Best Westerns list last year:

My Genre scope note:
Film stories predominantly set in non-fully developed territory occurring pre-1920s, and must feature gunslingers or gunfights characteristic of the west.

Still many classics to catch up with yet, with Stagecoach my most glaring unseen western. Special mention to TV's Deadwood.

1. Once Upon a Time in the West (Leone, 1968)
2. Duck, You Sucker (Leone, 1971)
3. The Proposition (Hillcoat, 2005)
4. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (Altman, 1971
)
5. Johnny Guitar (N. Ray, 1954)
6. The Big Country (Wyler, 1958)
7. The Good, the Bad & the Ugly (Leone, 1966)
8. High Noon (Zinnemann, 1952)
9. Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (GRH, 1969)
10. For a Few Dollars More (Leone, 1965)

11. Dances with Wolves (Costner, 1990)
12. A Fistful of Dollars (Leone, 1964)
13. Shane (Stevens, 1953)
14. Unforgiven (Eastwood, 1992)
15. Red River (Hawks, 1948)
16. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Dominik, 2007)
17. 3:10 to Yuma (Daves, 1957)
18. Yellow Sky (Wellman, 1948)
19. Meek's Cutoff (Reichardt, 2010)
20. Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (Peckinpah, 1973)

21. The Outlaw Josey Wales (Eastwood, 1976)
22. Open Range (Costner, 2003)
23. Dead Man (Jarmusch, 1995)
24. El Dorado (Hawks, 1967)
25. One-Eyed Jacks (Brando, 1961)

Great list. Highlighted ones my favourites.

Coen Brothers’ True Grit another one.
 

STFU Donnie

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I didn't forget either of them (I did a fair bit of research when I originally put together that list). I just can't find room for Rio Bravo (prefer other Hawks like Red River & El Dorado, as well as some other non-westerns, especially Only Angels Have Wings). If you look again at your quoted post, you'll find Butch Cassidy (my spelling anyway) already listed at #9.

Interesting. El Dorado is almost a scene for scene remake of Rio Bravo. I much prefer the original; it proves Dean Martin was a fine actor.

From your other list, The Big Country was on TV a couple of months ago. A fantastic film. The fight between Gregory Peck and Charlton Heston was brilliant. "Now tell me, what have we proved." And Burl Ives was a fantastic actor.
 
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Interesting. El Dorado is almost a scene for scene remake of Rio Bravo. I much prefer the original; it proves Dean Martin was a fine actor.

From your other list, The Big Country was on TV a couple of months ago. A fantastic film. The fight between Gregory Peck and Charlton Heston was brilliant. "Now tell me, what have we proved." And Burl Ives was a fantastic actor.
Yeah I get that, it is very much a retread. Rio Bravo is a good film, would still be in my top 30. Dean Martin did have a couple fine performances. He did Some Came Running the year beforehand. Maybe expectations with those two played a part (haven't seen those ones twice yet). El Dorado is just one of those westerns which ticks all the boxes with me and has that Hawks touch I like.

I love William Wyler in general, and you are right The Big Country had some epic scenes and great performances. Every time I revisit it I worry it might fade a bit, but it never does.
 
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I didn't forget either of them (I did a fair bit of research when I originally put together that list). I just can't find room for Rio Bravo (prefer other Hawks like Red River & El Dorado, as well as some other non-westerns, especially Only Angels Have Wings). If you look again at your quoted post, you'll find Butch Cassidy (my spelling anyway) already listed at #9.

Yes I was being a smarty , but I love My Rifle My Pony and Me, by Deano, and Ricky even old Walter did some singing,it had a feel about it, that western.
But of course, you forget half of them there were so many goodies! Botch Casually comes from an old MAD Magazine. Some what like Don Vino Minestrone.
in MAD's the Odd Father. With Sinny Micrin and Freako Minestrone. Sorry couldn't help it.
 

RobbyRoy

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Everyone else in this thread should definitely check out Johnny Guitar. Surprised no one else has mentioned it in nearly 3 pages. One of the best films of the 1950s, and many posters here are sure to love it.
I've seen it; liked it a lot, didn't love. Probably worth another go soon.
 
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I've seen it; liked it a lot, didn't love. Probably worth another go soon.

Seriously embarrassed folks , Johnny Guitar I have never seen it and do not know anything about it, though it was like "Gidget goes Hawaiian " something in that vein, but a western?

Interested in what it actually is?
 
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Shane is the one for me.

Not many westerns create an emotional connection or feeling for characters as other genres can.

Shane was different like that.

Outlaw Josey Wales is easily my favourite Eastwood western
 
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