Best WESTERN?????

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speaking of scenery i was thinking of a 1972 called "bad company" about some guys trying to avoid the civil war draft by going out west.cinematography was by gordon willis who also filmed the godfather movies.one scene i remember is when they are starving and try stealing some chickens and a pie cooling off in a window at a farm.jeff bridges in one of his earliest films.

 

Actually, the scenery is one of the reasons I dig this genre hehe. I really love how they filmed the landscapes and settings in Blueberry (Renegade) :biggrin:

 

If you like western scenery, check out almost any John Ford western, it’s almost like the scenery is more important than the story line.

 

...now that you mention it and thinking back on a general memory of scenes from his films that is true.the vast landscape of the west was there long before us and will be long after we're gone.but still ford's films made me interested in the storylines also.it must have been quite a job filming on location in those days.however there have been some films and right now i'm thinking of michael cimino's "heaven's gate".many critics were not too kind to it.i think it wasn't too bad.better than "the deer hunter".the critics and audiences seemed to love it but i came out of the theatre what the crap was so good about it.well anyway.one propblem i guess i had with both films is they put actors in front of scenery put them in period clothing but to me it didn't work as well as it did for ford....while i'm here a few other films....james garner,walter brennan,jack elam,bruce dern ,joan hacket in "support your local sheriff"........yul brenner as a robot gunfighter gone haywired in "westworld".andy griffith in a film about making westerns in the 1930's called "hearts of the west"

 

In no particular order, my favourite westerns are

- Open Range

- Pale Rider

- 3:10 To Yuma

- The Shootist

- Shane

- The Misfits

- The Oxbow Incident

- Dances With Wolves

- Unforgiven

- Quigley Down Under

- Silverado

- High Noon

- The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

- Bad Day At Black Rock

- Rio Bravo

- Red River

- The Searchers

- The Magnificent Seven

- My Darling Clementine

I love Westerns, and there's nothing better than a Western making social commentary or a film maker using it to draw a comparison to contemporary stories.

 

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I love westerns, too. My faves are:

1. High Noon -- love the theme song ... do not forsake me, oh my darlin' ... goosebumps!
2. Rio Bravo -- not really that great a movie, but I just love Ricky Nelson. John Wayne was in this, too.
3. Little Big Man -- Dustin Hoffman was both hilarious and heart-breaking.
4. any of the John Ford westerns filmed in Monument Valley or Kanab, Utah.
5. any of the old Gene Autry or Roy Rogers "singing cowboy" movies.

I have slept in John Wayne's bed in the only motel in Monument Valley (not while he was in it ... lol). He was there for "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon".

 

a few more for good measure."the wild bunch". a well acted,directed,filmed movie with an all star cast...."ned kelly" an australian western with mick jagger in the title role.music by waylon jennings..........."the alamo"with john wayne as davy crockett.i think he directed the film also......"49/17" a silent film about a 49er who returns to california to find his daughter many years later.

 

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly hands down - closeups of Eli Wallach reveal what a great actor he was. I've probably seen it 100 hundred times!

 

best western ever... is a tie for number one.
sergio leone's "once upon a time in the west." best mainstream western ever made todate. way, way, way, better then his first three westerns. (a fist full of dollars. the good, the bad and, the ugly. and, for a few dollars more.)

alejandro jodorowsky's "El Topo."
best cult western ever made todate.

 

The good, the bad & the ugly beats Once upon a time in the west in my opinion.

 

WOW, nice to see Westerns gettin' some props.:cheers2:


IMO, the best Western ever made was The 7 Samurai.

114 replies and no one mentioned:
Marlon Brando in "One Eyed Jacks". not the greatest, and a bit uneven, but worth watching.

 

I'm sure someone mentioned it, but El Topo, not that I'd consider this "acid western" as a recommendation for people who aren't ready for a complete mind fuck.

The Seven Samurai is a great choice, too. It's nice to see somebody embrace the similarities between Japanese samurai flicks and Westerns. Good on ya, sir.

 

.......any of the gene autry or roy rogers "singing cowboy" movies......for sure the music and lyrics had a certain beauty to them.the sons of the pioneers were fun to listen to also....also i agree with the congrats to the words about "seven samurai".i recently rewatched it.it is a great film and one i'm sure inspired many film makers............i have seen many westerns but there are many i have not.these lists are appreciated.i have a good many films to look forward to yet.oh how about "butch cassidy and the sundance kid"?...."greed"a silent film based on the frank norris story "mcteague"

 

My favorite is "High Noon," with Gary Cooper. I like the way the sheriff actually showed fear. I sort of enjoyed the Clint Eastwood movies, but they are unrealistic. No one could outdraw several men at the same time the way he does. It is difficult for me to care very much about someone who can't possibly lose. Also, it is agreeable to think that any problem can be solved with several shots from a revolver, but life is not that way.

 

The classic spaghetti westerns with Eastwood always had some scenes were he was severely beaten? I agree they're not ment to be realistic but it's a nice contrast with the real western heroes like John Wayne. I also like that even the 'hero' in those Eastwood starring movies had some doubtful motives

 

i believe there is room for all kinds of westerns.i like the realism of some films.other films lend themselves to a more idealized vision of the west where a gunfighter is able to do seemingly impossible actions............cooper's character did have fears but he proceeded to do his duty anyway.this may be why "high noon" is so popular yet today..........in "the good the bad and the ugly".the characters don't always live up to their names.the differance between good and bad becomes blurred.

 

It's interesting that (supposedly) the single most requested film to be shown in the White House is "High Noon".

 

I dont know if this has been mentioned, but it defiantely should be on the list:

"Jeremiah Johnson"

friggin awesome movie