|
Saddle Up! Westerns are the major defining genre of the American film industry, a nostalgic eulogy to the early days of the expansive, untamed American frontier (the borderline between civilization and the wilderness). They are one of the oldest, most enduring and flexible genres and one of the most characteristically American genres in their mythic origins. Westerns tell stories set primarily in the later half of the 19th century in the American Old West, often centering on the life of a nomadic cowboy or gunfighter armed with a revolver and a rifle who rides a horse. Westerns often stress the harshness of the wilderness and frequently set the action in an arid, desolate landscape of deserts and mountains. Often, the vast landscape plays an important role, presenting a "...mythic vision of the plains and deserts of the American West". The ambiance is usually punctuated with a Western music score, including American and Mexican folk music such as country, Native American music, New Mexico music, and rancheras. Early Westerns were mostly filmed in the studio, just like other early Hollywood films, but when location shooting became more common from the 1930s, producers of Westerns used desolate corners of Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, or Wyoming. These settings gave filmmakers the ability to depict vast plains, looming mountains and epic canyons. Productions were also filmed on location at movie ranches. Often, the vast landscape becomes more than a vivid backdrop; it becomes a character in the film. After the early 1950s, various wide screen formats such as Cinemascope (1953) and VistaVision used the expanded width of the screen to display spectacular Western landscapes. John Ford's use of Monument Valley as an expressive landscape in his films from Stagecoach (1939) to Cheyenne Autumn (1965) "present us with a mythic vision of the plains and deserts of the American West, embodied most memorably in Monument Valley, with its buttes and mesas that tower above the men on horseback, whether they be settlers, soldiers, or Native Americans". Their most prolific era was in the 1930s to the 1960s and found a growing popularity throughout the 1950s and their peak popularity in the 1960s.
|
#
¿
Nov 19, 2018 16:11
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 14, 2024 04:48 |
|
|
Effort Post coming soon, with write-ups including but not limited to: Eras and Sub-Genres of Westerns  Classical Westerns (1903-1950)*Silent Era (1903 -1920): Edwin S. Porter’s innovative 1903 short, The Great Train Robbery, marked the real birth of the genre. Notable films: The Covered Wagon (1923), The Iron Horse (1924), and Tumbleweeds (1925). B-Movie Era (1930 - 1945): Inexpensive, formulaic B Westerns were churned out each year by the hundreds by lesser studios (Columbia, Universal, and Republic) — mostly for kiddie audiences at matinees. Some were multiple-chapter serials with cliff-hanger plots or series. They featured another round of clean-cut heroes: Hoot Gibson, Harry Carey, Ken Maynard, Tim McCoy, Buck Jones (the Red Rider), Bob Steele (the Two-fisted Hero of the West), William Boyd (Hopalong Cassidy), the Three Mesquiteers, and the Lone Ranger. “Horse operas” had crooning added; they were popularized by Gene Autry (the Singing Cowboy) and Roy Rogers (the King of the Cowboys), with his wife, Dale Evans. The frontier heroes usually represented the ideal masculine role model, never smoking, lying, drinking, swearing, having sex, or gambling. John Wayne was the only truly iconic figure to emerge from the simplistic plots. Notable Films: In Old Santa Fe (1934), The Desert Trail (1935), Tumbling Tumbleweeds (1935), Hit the Saddle (1937), Adventures of Red Ryder (1940), Border Patrol (1943), and King of the Cowboys (1943) Golden Era (1935-1960): B Westerns began to disappear from theaters and appear on television, the genre’s development became more "respectable" withwide-screen epics, especially with influence from Fred Zinnemann, George Stevens, John Ford and Howard Hawks. During the era, films began infusing the genre with sex, violence and darker themes. Notable Films: Stagecoach (1939),My Darling Clementine (1946); Ford’s Cavalry trilogy [Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), Rio Grande (1950)] Outlaw (1943), Duel in the Sun (1946), High Noon (1952), Shane (1953), Vera Cruz (1954)The Big Country (1958), The Plainsman (1936), Dodge City (1939), Jesse James (1939), Union Pacific (1939), Red River (1948) and Rio Bravo (1959). Noir Westerns (1940-1960): During the postwar period of the forties and fifties, Westerns took on brooding, dark, and intense themes. Hollywood infused them with cynicism, character complexities, flawed outlaw heroes, and dark pessimism, including revenge, paranoia, and obsession Notable Films: The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), Pursued (1947), Blood on the Moon (1948), The Gunfighter (1950), Bend of the River (1952), The Naked Spur (1953), Johnny Guitar (1954), The Far Country (1954), The Searchers (1956), Forty Guns (1957),Terror in a Texas Town (1958), Ride Lonesome (1959), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962).  Acid Western (1960-1979)Charro Westerns (1930-1960's) Spaghetti Westerns (1960-1970's) Notable Directors John Ford post by Basebf555 Notable Stars The Essentials *years are approximate Old Western Thread (requires Archives) Franchescanado fucked around with this message at 17:24 on Nov 20, 2018 |
|
#
¿
Nov 19, 2018 16:12
|
|
|
I watched Peckinpah's Ride The High Country (1962) last night. I wasn't expecting the concentration to turn towards domestic drama and the central plot to center around marital abuse. There are hints of some of the horrific areas Peckinpah would later explore (directly and more disturbing) in Straw Dogs, and I fear for any female character in his films. Still, it was a really good movie. Steve Judd, the lawman who wishes people could be easily defined by good and evil, made weary by reality's disappointing blurred morality, is such an awesome character.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 19, 2018 16:59
|
|
|
Anonymous Robot posted:The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a weird picture. I’ve never seen Ladykillers, so it’s peculiar to see a Coen Bros joint that isn’t polished to a shine, but it’s clear that it’s a project they really wanted to make and just couldn’t quite nail. I’m a mark for both westerns and anthology films, though, so I’m dead center in the target demographic. Overall, it doesn’t feel cohesive, which is a bit of a weird criticism to levy at an anthology film, but the tonal and stylistic differences are dramatic and don’t work together to evoke an overarching mood or statement as a whole work. I made a joke to my friend about how the anthology was sequenced to follow the Coen's career, and I was surprised that it wasn't far off the mark. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is highly energetic and comedic despite it's dark premise, similar to Raising Arizona and Fargo. Near Algodones is a detached story with heavy poetic irony, similar to Miller's Crossing Meal Ticket is even more detached and abstract, like Barton Fink (though not as obtuse) All Gold Canyon is a little O Brother and a little Burn After Reading The Gal Who Got Rattled resembles the No Country For Old Men and True Grit, while also dealing with romance, which I guess you could say also slightly resembles Intolerable Cruelty, but the latter is a shallow comparison. The Mortal Remains mostly resembles Inside Llwelyn Davis and A Serious Man, where metaphor and reality bleed together in a somber tone, and leave more work to the viewer It's not a hard-hitting perfect breakdown, but it's a fun thing to think about and, with how it's structured, seems slightly intentional.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 19, 2018 18:30
|
|
|
If anyone would like to do a write-up on any of the subgenres or directors, feel free to do so, and I'll just link to the posts in the 2nd OP
|
|
#
¿
Nov 19, 2018 18:31
|
|
|
Fart City posted:I was at the gym the other night and The Lone Ranger was on, and I hadn’t seen it since it’s theatrical run, so I decided to dig into it a bit. Man is that a frustrating movie. From a production design and cinematography standpoint, it’s probably easily one of the best looking films in the entire genre. And the train chase at the end is a legitimately rousing sequence. But like, every single thread in the middle of it is just frayed and tangled. It’s too long, too bloated, narratively ugly, and way too unfocused. Gore Verbinski needs better writers to match his talent behind the lens, full stop. Yeah, as much as I like Armie Hammer, I'm not going to watch a movie with Johnny Depp playing a Native American pastiche. Not gonna happen.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 19, 2018 18:50
|
|
|
Alfred P. Pseudonym posted:The real Gore Verbinski western to watch is Rango. Which is probably the last thing Depp did that I sincerely enjoy.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 19, 2018 19:15
|
|
|
X-Ray Pecs posted:Rango is such an odd beast, because it’s a western but meta because it’s about how we use stories in our lives but it’s also Chinatown but it’s also for kids. The Hunter S. Thompsons / Raoul Duke cameo is such a bizarre choice. I have 9 days left of FilmStruck, and I'd like to watch more of their Westerns before it's gone. I'm probably going to watch The Lusty Men (1952, with Robert Mitchum) since it's apparently hard to find? Here's a list of Westerns they have available that I haven't seen yet. Are any of these something to watch immediately, that may be obscure or hard to find, or just really really good? 3 Godfathers ('49) 4 For Texas Annie Oakley Honky Tonk Major Dundee McCabe & Mrs. Miller Patt Garrett & Billy The Kid Stagecoach Stars In My Crown The Ballad of Cable Hogue The Burning Hills The Cowboy and the Lady The Deadly Companions The New Land The Outrage The Sea of Grass The Wild Bunch Westward the Women Westworld ('73) Wichita I know McCabe & Mrs. Miller and The Wild Bunch are the two big must-watch movies, but they're readily available elsewhere.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 20, 2018 16:05
|
|
|
If anyone else would like to do cool write-ups about directors, films, actors, etc., I’ll throw them in the infodump post
|
|
#
¿
Nov 20, 2018 17:35
|
|
|
Wheat Loaf posted:Who would have been good instead of Sharon Stone? Jennifer Jason Leigh? (I haven't seen The Quick & The Dead. It's my last Raimi, I think, besides that Oz movie.)
|
|
#
¿
Nov 20, 2018 22:33
|
|
|
The Lusty Men is great. Mitchum and Susan Hayward elevates the rodeo drama into a compelling tale of passion corrupted by thrills and greed.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 22, 2018 15:33
|
|
|
Bumping this thread to link to the Movie of the Month thread for One-Eyed Jacks
|
|
#
¿
Sep 18, 2019 22:46
|
|
|
X-Ray Pecs posted:I’ve decided I want to get more into Westerns this year, so I recently watched Johnny Guitar and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Both were great movies, and I like how the myth of the American West allows filmmakers to craft these over-the-top, melodramatic stories about love, crime, and death without feeling hokey or cheesy. I also appreciate the character acting on display, like a younger Ernest Borgnine in Johnny Guitar, or a menacing Lee Van Cleef or an older scene-chewing Edmond O’Brien in Liberty Valance. Check out Sam Peckinpah's Ride the High Country, with Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea. I need to watch more of Peckinpah's westerns. I haven't seen Johnny Guitar, so I'll check that one out.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 6, 2020 16:10
|
|
|
Kull the Conqueror posted:Ulmer's The Naked Dawn, You mean Edgar G. Ulmer, director of the noir classic Detour? Sold. Thanks for the link!
|
|
#
¿
Feb 6, 2020 16:21
|
|
|
Ride the High Country rules because it's premise:quote:An ex-lawman is hired to transport gold from a mining community through dangerous territory. But what he doesn’t realize is that his partner and old friend is plotting to double-cross him. is established and fulfilled within the first 15 minutes or so. The rest of the film is two old friends who have turned into enemies, from time and distance and grudges, reconciling their differences, while faced with a final mission that seems insurmountable. It rules. Saw it on the Criterion Channel when it launched.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 6, 2020 16:29
|
|
|
big boi posted:Is Treasure of the Sierra Madre considered a Western? Because that movie is awesome and features a weird but great Bogart performance. I always describe it as a Western. I just make sure the emphasize that it's specifically about digging for gold and greed and backstabbing, and that there isn't any actual cowboy action in it.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 7, 2020 13:49
|
|
|
Criterion Channel added a new curated collection called Western Noir this month.quote:A new breed of westerns emerged after World War II, stained by film noir’s anxious, disenchanted mood and enriched by its psychological and moral complexity. Romantic myths of the frontier gave way to tougher tales of ruthless outlaws, corrupt cattle barons, gold-crazed prospectors, mercenary gunfighters, and lonely, damaged men obsessively pursuing vengeance for past wrongs. Essential noir actors found a home on the range: Robert Mitchum brings his cool, world-weary pessimism to BLOOD ON THE MOON and MAN WITH THE GUN, while Robert Ryan’s tortured tension anchors the gripping DAY OF THE OUTLAW. Women, long marginalized in westerns, wielded newfound power, but not without getting their hands dirty; the femmes fatales of western noir include Barbara Stanwyck (THE VIOLENT MEN), Ida Lupino (LUST FOR GOLD), and Marlene Dietrich (RANCHO NOTORIOUS). From brooding black-and-white dramas like STATION WEST and I SHOT JESSE JAMES to the harrowing, elegiac masterpieces of Anthony Mann, the West’s wide-open spaces prove as haunted and dangerous as any dark city. 
|
|
#
¿
Jul 7, 2020 13:51
|
|
|
X-Ray Pecs posted:I'm pretty sure Kanopy's version also has the original ending. I had no clue there were any other endings. Do you not have an easy way to use the app? If so, you can easily get your money's worth out of using Criterion Channel for a month. I think they still offer a two week free trial.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 7, 2020 13:57
|
|
|
I finally got around to watching one of the Western Noir films on Criterion Channel, which leaves at the end of the month. The Naked Spur, starring James Stewart and Janet Leigh, directed by Anthony Mann, loving slaps. Basically Treasure of the Sierra Madre, but with bounty hunters having their paranoia stoked by their captive, who hopes to break their trust enough to escape. Filmed in Technicolor in the Colorado Rocky Mountains in the 1950's, the locations are gorgeous. The world is beautiful. The cast rules. I love the blending of anti-heroics among the characters. Even the most likeable characters are flawed, either through selfishness or a broken past. Robert Ryan is an excellent villain. Definitely check it out before it leaves the service. edit: It's not on blu ray, and the rental on Amazon is SD, so CC may be the best way to actually watch it for a while! Franchescanado fucked around with this message at 15:57 on Sep 24, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Sep 24, 2020 15:53
|
|
|
McCabe and Mrs. Miller not only lives up to the hype, I now understand Altman in a way I didn’t before, and it’s now probably my favorite Western.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 6, 2020 20:09
|
|
|
Quigley Down Under is a weird movie, but I've always remembered it being fun, especially the final confrontation and how it plays with audience expectation. "I never said I didn't know how to use it."
|
|
#
¿
Feb 1, 2021 22:32
|
|
|
Criterion Channel curated a new collection: Black Westernsquote:As the civil rights movement gained momentum in the 1960s, leading filmmakers and stars sought to reshape the myths of the Hollywood western. Sidney Poitier, Gordon Parks, and even John Ford were among the directors who drew on the historical experiences of African Americans to tell unexplored stories. In the decades that followed, Black actors from Woody Strode and Poitier (who broke with his urbane image in his thrilling directorial debut BUCK AND THE PREACHER) to Vonetta McGee and Ving Rhames would repeatedly play key roles as cattle rustlers, cavalrymen, outlaws, and bounty hunters in bold revisions of the genre. Featuring works by Mario van Peebles, John Singleton, and Gordon Parks Jr., this selection curated by guest programmer Mia Mask shows how the western aged and changed. It incorporated Blaxploitation (THOMASINE AND BUSHROD), documentary (BLACK RODEO), historical drama (ROSEWOOD), and the coming-of-age film (THE LEARNING TREE) as new generations of artists sought to broaden our understanding of the old frontier. Films included: Sergeant Rutledge (1960) - John Ford Duel at Diablo (1966) - Ralph Nelson The Learning Tree (1969) - Gordon Parks Skin Game (1971) - Paul Bogart, Gordon Douglas Black Rodeo (1972) - Jeff Kanew Buck and the Preacher (1972) - Sidney Poitier The Legend of Black Charley (1972) - Martin Goldman Thomasine and Bushrod (1974) - Gordon Parks Jr. Posse (1993) - Mario Van Peebles Rosewood (1997) - John Singleton Buffalo Soldiers (1997) - Charles Haid Here's a teaser for it
|
|
#
¿
Mar 2, 2021 23:17
|
|
|
FreudianSlippers posted:Not surprised they went with the alternate title for this one. ...Oh wow...
|
|
#
¿
Mar 8, 2021 17:49
|
|
|
DeimosRising posted:the coda is set in the west (Missouri is technically west of the Mississippi but no one would call it the West) Tarantino calls Django Unchained a "Southern", and while that's accurate, I can't help but roll my eyes at it.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 25, 2021 16:18
|
|
|
I watched Tombstone for the first time over the weekend. I know I'm late to it, but I did love it. Amazing ensemble cast, probably the best from the 90's, and amazing performances from everyone with tons of great sub-plots. It felt like Cosmatos trying to channel Altman, especially McCabe and Mrs. Miller. I also watched all the behind-the-scenes features on the blu-ray, which was really informative on how much research all the actors put into their roles, and the production design.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 12, 2021 15:35
|
|
|
Basebf555 posted:The story surrounding the making of Tombstone seems to indicate that Cosmatos was almost like a set/production designer and Kurt Russell actually directed the movie. Like, Cosmatos was super interested in the period detail and the sets and costumes and all that stuff and Russell was the one who got the script into a condition where it could actually be shot and then kept everything on schedule during the actual shoot etc., i.e. all the stuff the director usually does. I've heard this rumor, but I don't really believe it. Watching the behind the scenes stuff, everyone gives credit to Cosmatos except for Kurt Russell, who, if you ask him, wrote, acted, produced, and "helped the director" a lot. Like it is for-sure Russell's vanity project, but all of the footage has Costmatos working with the actors, working with the cinematographer, working with the cameras, and he mentions enough insights to his process that he definitely had charge. I just think he collaborated enough with Russell and could handle his ego. I'm sure if the film had flopped it would all be Cosmatos's fault and Russell only showed up. But since it was a hit, Russell's ego wants all the credit. Ironically, it was Sylvester Stallone that suggested Russell get Costmatos to direct, and Stallone was notorious for the same thing in the 70's and 80's, with wanting producer credit and writing credit and bragged about directing when all he did was show up to act. Everyone interviewed gives credit to someone else for their work, especially Elliot, who doesn't say a single thing about himself. Except for Russell, who talks about himself or the real Earp family, and Kilmer, who does most of his interview in-character. I wish the blu-ray had a commentary, cuz I'd love to hear more about the production dynamic, but I don't think Cosmatos recorded one before his passing. Edit: I'm wrong! He did record a director's commentary, but it's only on one release, and not the one I own. Surprised this hasn't had a 4k UHD release yet. edit 2: One good point I've heard that denies Russell directing: if he was such a good director and made his vanity project so successful, why didn't he direct anything ever again? Franchescanado fucked around with this message at 15:57 on Apr 12, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Apr 12, 2021 15:52
|
|
|
Basebf555 posted:One of my unpopular movie opinions is that I've never been a huge fan of Peckinpah, but I realize I probably shouldn't consider that a fully educated opinion because I still need to see Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. I've yet to really click with a Peckinpah film and I've watched The Wild Bunch like three times to try to get into it but each time there's a huge lull in the middle(the two main shootouts are of course, awesome) where I can't stay with it. Try Ride the High Country if you haven't seen that one yet. Really fun movie, and doesn't have what I normally consider Peckinpah's tics as a director. The summary on Letterboxd is laughable, cuz that's maybe the first 10 minutes of the movie.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 21, 2021 22:41
|
|
|
X-Ray Pecs posted:Isn’t there an issue where Netflix forces their productions to use a specific digital camera, which is why a lot of Netflix stuff looks like rear end? Yes. Here is the approved list of cameras
|
|
#
¿
Nov 13, 2021 16:41
|
|
|
TychoCelchuuu posted:Are you suggesting that a list of 44 approved cameras, many of which have been used to film gorgeous movies, shows that Netlix movies look like poo poo because they force their productions to use one specific digital camera? No. The person asked if Netflix limits it's productions to select digital cameras, and they do. Personally, I wish that productions were allowed to use celluloid if the directors wanted it, because I like how it looks, and I've read a lot of filmmakers I like hesitate to work with Netflix for that reason, but it's not a deal-breaker for me. Although Netflix originals are basically the last thing I think to watch.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 15, 2021 13:52
|
|
|
The Naked Spur is loving awesome. I went in expecting a fun western adventure with Jimmy Stewart doing his loveably goofy thing, and got a really dark movie instead. Really tense and paranoid.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 10, 2022 14:55
|
|
|
FreudianSlippers posted:Then I watched Peckinpah's Ride the High Country (1962) . Which wasn't t hat much of a "snow western" seeing as there is only some vague hints of snow on the ground in a handful of scenes. A very good film despite the lack of snow (compared to Silence where every scene set outdoors has people wading through entire drifts of snow.). Not quite as gritty or bloody as Peckinpah's later westerns but it still has some edge to it. I think what stood out most for me is the perfomances. All the actors give it their all and the chemistry between them is great. You really believe that Gil (Randolph Scott) and Judd (Joel McCrea) have been friends for decades. Makes me want to dig up some of their older westerns. Ride the High Country rules, and you succinctly covered why. The chemistry is awesome. I also agree it's not snowy enough for the collection, but I'm glad they got it back on the service. It's a little harder to find, or at least it was last time it left CC.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 17, 2023 15:08
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 14, 2024 04:48 |
|
|
I watched The Wild North on CC last night. Great snowy setting. I think the most surprising element, for a 1950's MGM Western, is how muddy the morals are for the two main characters. Westerns often have the simplistic Good Guy vs Bad Guy dichotomy. TWN instead establishes the "villain" of the film as the main character, and makes him incredibly likeable, despite some arrogance behind his reputation. Meanwhile the "hero" is introduced as being so by-the-book and uncaring about anything except the crime as it appears on paper (like a Canadian Mountie RoboCop). When the "hero" captures the "villain", our attention and sympathies pretty much stay with the villain. The film just lets the two wrestle with their shared contempt and admiration, and lets them shift their actions in the moment, rather than on some rigid moral code the audience should pick up on. Humans are creatures of opportunity, and a lot of storytelling seems to forget that in favor of simplicity. I love a good "I'm an survival expert, and lemme tell you, the weather is about to gently caress us up" story, and the on-location filming in the mountains and snow lets the stakes feel more realized. Not the best western I've seen on CC, but a solidly good one, especially if you like your characters a little more conflicted about doing what's good or bad. One thing I like about CC's descriptions of the movies: they do accurately describe the film, but they also only describe/spoile the first 20 minutes or so. I've noticed this with Westerns especially. 
Franchescanado fucked around with this message at 14:09 on Jan 18, 2023 |
|
#
¿
Jan 18, 2023 14:06
|
|