TheWesterngenre has long given audiences some of the greatest stories ever told,from John Ford’sThe Searchersto Clint Eastwood’sUnforgiven. Focusing on the lives and trials of gunslingers, lawmen, and weary travelers in the Wild West, these films have delved into deep topics, from forgiveness to redemption. Along the way, these films have contributed a number of cinema’s most devastating moments.
Considering the depth and symbolism of Western films, few genres have captured the raw emotion of the human experience as the works andcharacters of film-makers like Sergio Leoneand the Coen Brothers. The genre is at its best when it can play on the feelings of its audience. When remembering how difficult, violent and dangerous the Old West was, it’s no surprise that the best films in the genre can cause even the most stoic viewers to shed a tear.
Young Guns
Cast
A band of young gunslingers, led by the rebellious Billy the Kid, seeks retribution for the killing of their guardian. As they navigate the dangers of the Old West, their acts of vengeance draw the ire of both the law and their enemies.
When the first movie released,Young Gunstook the 1980s' ‘brat pack’ generation of young actors to the Wild West. Uniting Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips and more, the movie explored the tale of Billy the Kid, the Regulators and the Lincoln County War. In the sequel, the survivors of the group reunite, this time fleeing for their lives, culminating in a showdown that results in the death of Chavez y Chavez.
Heading out to die in solitude, the gunslinger finds some semblance of peace from his life of violence.
As one of the few moments serious enough to cause Billy to become introspective,the death of Chavez marks the final nail in the coffin for the Regulators.Heading out to die in solitude, the gunslinger finds some semblance of peace from his life of violence. However, like so many deaths in the duology, his passing should never have happened, and it leaves an already lonely Billy forced to contend with the consequences of his actions.
Once Upon a Time in the West
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.
InOnce Upon A Time In the West, Sergio Leone gave the genre one of its most epic revenge sagas, revolving around the team-up of a widow, a bandit, and vengeful drifter against a murderous outlaw. With the construction of a small town as its backdrop, Charles Bronson’s Harmonica gets his revenge. However, unlike what the audience might expect, neither man swoops the widowed Jill McBain off her feet.
10 Western Movies That Are Considered Masterpieces
While there have been countless movies about bandits, cowboys, and outlaws, only a select few have earned the honor of being considered a masterpiece.
Leone’s epic Western makes the audience root for Jill McBain to find love in one of the heroes,only to watch as she’s abandoned by them at the end.In the span of just a few minutes, the widow is left behind, Cheyenne dies and Harmonica rides away, a holdover of the Old West in a new era that has no use for him. The scene is bittersweet, showing that Jill has a place in the new town, even if her farewell to the heroes is a moment of heartbreak – all to the tender music of Ennio Morricone.
Shane
Shane is a classic Western directed by George Stevens. Released in 1953, the film stars Alan Ladd as a mysterious drifter who becomes embroiled in a conflict between homesteaders and a ruthless cattle baron. Jean Arthur and Van Heflin co-star as a frontier couple who find themselves drawn into the escalating tensions. Shane examines themes of heroism and sacrifice set against the backdrop of the American frontier.
Few films have defined the Western mythos as well asShane, which documents a retired gunfighter getting back in the saddle to save a family of homesteaders from harm. After fending off a gang of hired guns, the hero is wounded in a shootout and shares a tender moment with the young Joey. After delivering an iconic monologue, he rides off into the horizon, all while the boy pleads for him to come back, to no avail.
The ending ofShaneis fully open to interpretation, and how a viewer perceives it will color their response to the final shot. While some see it as the triumphant hero riding off for the next chapter in his life, others strongly contend that the hero was mortally wounded – and he only left to spare Joey the pain of watching him die.The scene itself signals the end of the Old West, with the Starretts symbolizing the future – which has no place for the gunfighters of old.
Tombstone
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.
In 1993,Tombstoneredefined the Western genre for a new generation, blending a buddy team-up action story with an epic tale of revenge. At its heart, the film focuses on the friendship between Wyatt Earp and legendary sharpshooter Doc Holliday as they take on the ruthless Cowboy gang. However, with Doc struggling with tuberculosis from the start, the audience and characters alike understand his days are numbered.
ThroughoutTombstone, Doc Holliday makes his desire to die on his feet clear, placing himself in harm’s way and even taunting Johnny Ringo for his failure to kill him. The hero looked for a worthy challenger from start to finish, only to perish in a hospital bed at the hands of a bug. Thanks to the acting ofKurt Russell and Val Kilmer,the moment truly feels like one friend watching another die, and marks the end of an era for both Earp and the West.
The Great Silence
The Great Silence is a 1968 Western directed by Sergio Corbucci. Set in snow-covered Utah during the Great Blizzard of 1899, the film stars Jean-Louis Trintignant as a mute gunslinger who protects a group of persecuted outlaws from ruthless bounty hunters, led by Klaus Kinski’s character. Noted for its bleak tone and theme of social justice, the movie is recognized as a critical entry in the Spaghetti Western genre.
As one of the darkest Westerns ever made,The Great Silencedocuments the quest for vengeance of a silent gunslinger, who comes to the aid of a widow, Pauline, and her child. At first glance, viewers could be mistaken for expecting a triumphant finale in the vein of Django or a Clint Eastwood movie. Instead, they’re horrified by the film’s conclusion as they’re forced to watch the murder of its two protagonists.
The movie’s ending is a strong condemnation of gun violence, and it conveys that message incredibly effectively.
The Great Silencepushes its audience to root for swift revenge against its villain, making his victory over Silence all the more brutal. The movie’s ending is a strong condemnation of gun violence, and it conveys that message incredibly effectively.There’s no moment of glory or revenge, instead just the ignominious murder of the film’s protagonists, making for one of the genre’s most bleak and tragic conclusions.
Three Godfathers
Three Godfathers follows three bank robbers who, after a heist in New Jerusalem, flee into the Arizona desert. Encountering a dying woman and her baby, they are urged to take care of the child, compelling them to face the challenges of returning to the town where they are outlaws.
The 1936 version ofThree Godfathersfollows a trio of outlaws as they’re forced to care for an orphaned baby in the desert. With the heat bearing down on them and the authorities waiting back in town, they’re forced to choose between the child’s life and their own freedom. The hero of the story is Bob Sangster, initially the group’s most selfish member. After losing his friends, the cynical outlaw gives his life for the child’s by knowingly drinking from a poisoned well, allowing him the strength to make it back.
8 Western Movies To Start With If You’ve Never Seen A Western Before
The Western genre can sometimes be daunting for audiences to get into, but some films make for a brilliant entry point to understand its appeal.
In a moment that perfectly symbolizes the film’s Biblical roots, he stumbles back to the town of New Jerusalem, staggers into a church service and hands the baby over. The scene doesn’t get the respect it deserves, and it gives the genre one of its greatest character arcs. For a man initially driven by greed and self-interest, to see value in another life speaks to the idea thateven the coldest cynic isn’t beyond redemption.
Dances With Wolves
Dances With Wolves, directed by Kevin Costner, follows Civil War soldier John Dunbar, who is sent to a remote post on the Western frontier. There, he forms an unexpected bond with a Sioux tribe, challenging his own beliefs and understanding of culture and identity.
Since its release, the story ofKevin Costner’sDances with Wolveshas proven one of the most copied in cinema, influencing everything fromThe Last SamuraitoAvatar. After befriending a wolf, a US Army lieutenant, John Dunbar, builds a relationship with a local Sioux tribe. After enjoying the solitude of his post and becoming one with the tribe, his world is shattered by the arrival of soldiers who, in a moment of senseless cruelty, shoot the wolf in front of Dunbar.
The killing of Two Socks is one of the most helpless moments in the Western genre…
The killing of Two Socks is one of the most helpless moments in the Western genre, with the captured Dunbar forced to watch as his friend, scared by the gunfire, tries to run only to be killed. From the yelp of the animal when it’s finally shot to the hero’s own captivity, this heartbreaking moment is a reminder of the film’s themes of the destructive nature of Western expansion. Befriending the wolf symbolized Dunbar embracing nature,only for his death to rip that world away from him.
Forsaken
Forsaken is a 2015 Western drama featuring Kiefer Sutherland as John Henry, who returns to his hometown to mend his relationship with his estranged father, played by Donald Sutherland. He faces a moral dilemma when a local gang threatens the community, challenging his decision to live a life of peace.
Forsakenplays on the real-life father-son bond of its stars, Kiefer and Donald Sutherland, who bring their relationship to the Old West. Following the return of a gunslinger after a decade’s absence, it focuses on the pair trying to make amends. Torn between his father’s pacifist religious beliefs and his code of honor compelling him to take on a gang, the younger John Henry spends most of the film practicing non-violence – even when it hurts him.
5 Iconic Western Movies Hollywood Can’t Stop Copying
The Wild West was once dominant in Hollywood, and some of its best films keep inspiring modern hits, from Logan to Ice Age.
In the film’s best scene, John Henry breaks down in front of his father in church, confessing to his sins, including the accidental killing of a child. Fighting back tears, Samuel forgives him, solidifying the healing of their relationship. The scene is all the more tragicconsidering the film’s progression towards the son inevitably turning to violenceto save the town and, in turn, his dad. Here, the backdrop fades away and nothing but the pain and love between a father and son remains – and it’s heartbreaking.
True Grit
An adaptation of Charles Portis' 1968 novel of the same name, True Grit tells the story of 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), who enlists the help of morally-questionable lawman Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) in order to avenge the death of her father by apprehending the criminal Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). They are joined by a cocksure Texas Ranger named Labeouf (Matt Damon), who insists upon collecting the bounty on Chaney’s head. The three travel across the Arkansas plains in pursuit of Chaney, risking life and limb against outlaws and wild animals in pursuit of justice.
Telling the story of a young girl, Mattie Ross, hiring a pair of lawmen to avenge her father, True Grit brilliantly combines Western adventure with revenge. When they finally track down and kill the man responsible, Mattie is bitten by a venomous snake, forcing the aged marshal, Rooster Cogburn, to ride her to a doctor. Using the girl’s horse, Little Blackie, they ride through the night, eventually exhausting the small but trusty animal. In a moment of mercy, the seasoned hero shoots the dying nag, and carries Mattie in his arms the rest of the way.
The death of Little Blackie is a reminder of Mattie’s innocencein contrast to Rooster’s more realistic and pragmatic personality. It’s all the more tragic when the audience looks back to earlier in the film, and remembers how much the Marshal cares for horses. The scene brilliantly emphasizes the film’s eponymous theme, showing the harsh realities of life out West, the resilience of Cogburn and the cost of revenge.
3:10 to Yuma
A struggling rancher volunteers to escort a notorious outlaw to the train that will take him to prison. As the journey unfolds, both men engage in a psychological battle of wills, testing their morals and resolve while facing relentless danger from the outlaw’s gang and the harsh frontier.
Based on Elmore Leonard’s story of the same name,3:10 To Yumafollows a farmer, Dan Evans, as he joins a posse to take dangerous outlaw Ben Wade to a train bound for prison. The central theme of the movie revolves around the hero’s integrity and courage, which slowly earns him the respect of the almost nihilistic criminal. When the duo,along with Evans' son, finally reach the train, the hero is gunned down by one of the villain’s henchmen.
3:10 To Yuma’sending is one of the biggest gut-punches of the Western genre, in no small part due to Evans' son watching him die. Having come to respect and like Evans, a repentant Wade loads himself aboard the train, accepting his fate. Nobody wins here, and the finale only underscores the senseless nature of violence in the West. After building up one of theWesterngenre’s best, most sympathetic heroes, everything comes tumbling down in a single shot.
