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Originally Posted by Thrift Store Scott
I must confess straight away that I'm not a fan of Westerns as a genre. I find most of the stories to be oversimplified and sensationalized like the "penny dreadful" pulp novels that originally inspired them, but in fairness there has been a trend away from this style of Western in recent years.
If I watch a Western, I want to see The West...the American West. Not Southern Italy, not Spain, and most definitely not Montreal. For me watching a Western is all about the visuals, and the story is incidental. John Ford Westerns are awesome in this respect. I have no idea if Stanley Kubrick ever filmed a Western, but if not, he should have; His signature long shots incorporating lots of space and sparse background elements would show the American West to great effect.
In fact, the overall tightness of the shots was one of my biggest problems with "Brokeback Mountain". I was sitting dead-center in the theatre when I watched it, yet I often felt I was a little too close to the screen. It was almost as if that movie had been filmed for a television-sized screen, and was released theatrically as an afterthought. And yet it was nominated for an Academy Award for cinematography!  The benefit to this is that "Brokeback Mountain" should look great in DVD format when viewed at home.
But I digress. I've seen a fair number of Westerns, but I can't remember the names of most of them. John Wayne Westerns tend to be rather silly, but they often feature stunning visuals, so I've seen more of them than any others...usually with sound turned down. Ooh...pretty pictures! 
Edit- I must admit I'm interested to see what OAV's response to this post will be. I figure he'll either rip me a new one, or agree with me...or maybe both. Either way, I suspect it'll be a post worth reading! |
Heh, I respect your opinion too much to rip you a new one Scott! I mean, I can see where you're coming from. The vast majority of Westerns probably
are best described as being "oversimplified and sensationalized like the "penny dreadful" pulp novels that originally inspired them..." However, some really do go beyond that and stand out as great films I think. I personally don't watch any film for visuals or scenery alone, and I truly hope that you've seen at least a few Westerns that grabbed your attention in other ways. I'll recommend some, if that's ok...
UNFORGIVEN - I mention this one first simply because it knows the unflattering Western reputation you speak of and intentionally sets out to challenge that. There is actually a character in this film, W.W. Beauchamp, who writes those little Western dime novels. He is caught up in the romantic view of the West where the heroes are larger than life, and good and bad exist with no gray area in between. He soon discovers that while that stuff may sell well, it's not the truth.
This movie is about the
real West. It's dirty, "good" men are corrupt, "bad" men can try to change, etc. When Beauchamp actually gets to hold a gun in his hand, and is told, "Now all you gotta do is pull the trigger mister," he discovers that pointing a gun at someone and pulling that trigger is a very hard thing to do. And it certainly doesn't feel heroic or romantic.
It's quite humorous at times too, especially for such a dark film. One of Beauchamp's dime novels, based on a man known as English Bob, is called "The Duke of Death". Gene Hackman's character, Little Bill Daggett, reads sequences in the novel that are almost completely fabricated. He can't help but laugh, and refer to English Bob as "The Duck of Death", completely demystifying him. When he gives the true account of the very same incidents (as he turns out to be a witness), it's one of the funniest sequences in the film. And I love how it begins -
Little Bill Daggett: First off, Corky Corcoran never carried two guns. Though he should have.
W.W. Beauchamp: But... no, no, he was called "Two-Gun Corcoran."
Little Bill Daggett: Well, a lot of people did call him "Two-Gun" but it wasn't on account of him sporting two pistols. It was because he had a dick that was so big it was longer than the barrel of that Walker Colt he carried.
THE WILD BUNCH - In my view, this is the best Western ever made, and Sam Peckinpah's best film. Terrific in every aspect. Characters, story, acting, cinematography, music, direction, and action sequences are all just...top notch.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST - You may not like Westerns that are shot in Europe (some of it was shot in the U.S.), but I had to recommend this anyway. I think it's quite good.
STAGECOACH - You already mentioned that you like John Ford's Westerns for the scenery, so you may have seen this. It's one of his best. Now, the story isn't absolutely amazing by any means (a stagecoach with many passengers must travel through hostile territory), but the characters are the strength of the picture. There are things that don't make sense, like why the hell don't the Indians shoot the horses with their arrows to stop the coach instead of firing at the coach itself... Still, this is a wonderful Western.
HIGH NOON - This one was quite controversial when released because the hero showed fear and doubt when faced with the odds against him. Great stuff, with a story told almost in real time.
RED RIVER - Wonderful movie, arguably Howard Hawks best film. Tough call.
LONESOME DOVE - One of the most depressing movies ever made in my opinion. I was miserable for days afterward. Robert Duvall is just brilliant. This is his best performance I think.
THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE - You've probably seen it as it's another Ford. Still, I had to try.
There are many others, but that's a start. Heh.
