A great Western is built on timeless themes - good versus evil, the struggle for freedom and the journey of a hero discovering their true destiny. The best of them transport audiences to untamed frontiers, where law and chaos collide and where courage is often the only thing standing between survival and defeat.
At its core, the greatest of these tales follows a dreamer pulled into a larger conflict, mentored by a weary guide. Along the way, they meet a roguish outsider with a knack for trouble, a fierce leader who inspires rebellion and a relentless enemy with overwhelming power. The hero’s journey takes them through lawless settlements filled with scoundrels, perilous chases through hostile terrain, and an unforgettable final duel where skill and bravery determine the outcome. And the final shootout sees the white-hatted protagonists trounce their black-hatted foes, against all odds.
It is a story of honour, revenge and redemption, unfolding across vast landscapes where danger lurks at every turn. It embodies the very essence of a classic Western. But its setting isn’t the deserts of America's furthest and final frontier.
The greatest Western of all time wasn’t Shane, The Magnificent Seven or High Noon - it was Star Wars.
I’ve just watched American Primeval on Netflix and I’d be interested what you think of it. I thought it was great!
Yeah, I quite liked it. Was a bit different and covered a part of American history I wasn't that familiar with - ie what the the nut nut Mormons were up to at the time.
However, given the lack of medical advances at the time, it was amazing how many horrific wounds people seemed to easily survive and recover from!
Maybe not for this thread, but its been a long running joke in our family for about 40 years.
My Uncle phoned my Dad back in the late 80s to make him make me and my brother watch Shane, the greatest Western ever made in his opinion.
We was bored in, maybe 5 mins. It was dire. Dad wouldn't let us move off the sofa until it was done. It was so good, the old man fell asleep with about 20 mins to go.
So whenever my Uncle has phoned in the last 40 years, we always ask whether Shane is on this week!
So many great Westerns. For the me the quintessential Western is The Big Country. Has everything you want from the genre and epic in scale.
Might be sacrilegious to say it on a thread like this but....I can't stand John Wayne. Awful, one dimensional actor with a very punchable face.
Totally agree - not a Western - but his performance in ‘The Green Berets’ is shockingly bad
That is awful from the clips I've seen, same as The Conqueror, where he plays Genghis Khan, I mean he may as well be in a cowboy hat.
He plays the same person in every film. Although in Liberty Valance and The Searchers he actually acts well in. People say in every film John Wayne plays John Wayne, but in the Searchers he plays Ethan Edwards.
Maybe not for this thread, but its been a long running joke in our family for about 40 years.
My Uncle phoned my Dad back in the late 80s to make him make me and my brother watch Shane, the greatest Western ever made in his opinion.
We was bored in, maybe 5 mins. It was dire. Dad wouldn't let us move off the sofa until it was done. It was so good, the old man fell asleep with about 20 mins to go.
So whenever my Uncle has phoned in the last 40 years, we always ask whether Shane is on this week!
Anyway, as you were...
I love The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, but I always have a little snooze in the middle of it. I don't think it's the film itself which, although slow by modern standards, is absolutely gripping. I think I watched it once when I was so tired and couldn't stop myself. The family all took the Mickey, questioning how how I could sleep through it after going on about how good it was - somehow that's become like a little pyschological trigger - oh yes this is the film I have a nice kip to.
Wasn't he a Roman centurion in the 'Greatest Stoty Ever Told'?
His line was 'he was truly the son of God' or something like that.
Yes he was. Not sure if it's true but the story goes that the first take had Wayne saying his line 'Truly this man was the son of God'. The director, George Stevens said to him that this is the most momentous moment in the history of mankind and you need to say it with more gravitas, and with a sense of awe. To which Wayne responded with the second take:
So many great Westerns. For the me the quintessential Western is The Big Country. Has everything you want from the genre and epic in scale.
Might be sacrilegious to say it on a thread like this but....I can't stand John Wayne. Awful, one dimensional actor with a very punchable face.
Totally agree - not a Western - but his performance in ‘The Green Berets’ is shockingly bad
That is awful from the clips I've seen, same as The Conqueror, where he plays Genghis Khan, I mean he may as well be in a cowboy hat.
He plays the same person in every film. Although in Liberty Valance and The Searchers he actually acts well in. People say in every film John Wayne plays John Wayne, but in the Searchers he plays Ethan Edwards.
John ford got the best out of him.
Talking of actors who were criticised for their wooden performance was Clint Eastwood. He even was dismissed as an actor in his early years due to him delivering his lines through gritted teeth. Something he is famous for now.
Re watched this afternoon, one of my favourite films. Bad Day at Black Rock. A neo western that doesn't get much of a mention in lists, yet has a really big cast.
Comments
I thought it was great!
The greatest Western of all time wasn’t Shane, The Magnificent Seven or High Noon - it was Star Wars.
The Wild Bunch
Outlaw Josie Wells
Magnificent Seven
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
However, given the lack of medical advances at the time, it was amazing how many horrific wounds people seemed to easily survive and recover from!
My Uncle phoned my Dad back in the late 80s to make him make me and my brother watch Shane, the greatest Western ever made in his opinion.
We was bored in, maybe 5 mins. It was dire. Dad wouldn't let us move off the sofa until it was done. It was so good, the old man fell asleep with about 20 mins to go.
So whenever my Uncle has phoned in the last 40 years, we always ask whether Shane is on this week!
Anyway, as you were...
He plays the same person in every film. Although in Liberty Valance and The Searchers he actually acts well in. People say in every film John Wayne plays John Wayne, but in the Searchers he plays Ethan Edwards.
His line was 'he was truly the son of God' or something like that.
Unforgiven
Return Of The Jedi
The Outlaw Josey Wales
Pale Rider
Talking of actors who were criticised for their wooden performance was Clint Eastwood. He even was dismissed as an actor in his early years due to him delivering his lines through gritted teeth. Something he is famous for now.