|
Spatulater bro! posted:This thread has inspired me to do two things: Finally watch Mario Bava's Roy Colt & Winchester Jack, which I've owned on DVD for like a decade but haven't seen yet, and: rewatch The Searchers, which I was sour on the first time and now I can't even remember why. I don't know what it was in your case, but a lot of people bounce off The Searchers on their first viewing. I think it mainly comes down to two reasons: 1. It's frequently listed as the greatest Western of all time, a reputation no film could survive. Not too dissimilar from young film buffs eagerly checking out Citizen Kane and being disappointed because it doesn't provide them with a religious epiphany. 2. Because it is so highly regarded, a lot of people use it as their first foray into the world of the classic studio Western. But a large part of what makes The Searchers great is the way it recontextualises many conventions of the genre. It's Ford self-critically commenting on the films that he made himself or influenced, discussing issues that previously were ignored or simplified. Without an understanding of what the classic Western was like, part of that nuance gets lost. Which is why I'd strongly caution against anyone starting their journey into the Hollywood Western with the film. My Darling Clementine or Stagecoach are much better entry points.
|
#
¿
Nov 20, 2018 19:56
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 14, 2024 12:06 |
|
|
Basebf555 posted:I agree with all of your points but for me The Searchers was my first Ford film, and even though I didn't "get it" in full context until a few years and a few viewings later, the grandeur and scope of the whole thing won me over instantly. So I think if there's one thing about it that makes it a good entry point, it's that Vistavision format where the vivid colors of Monument Valley just fill the screen and if you have a decent home set-up it really is an eye opener on blu ray in a way that the earlier stuff filmed in the Academy ratio aren't. Yeah, there's no denying that it's a stunning film. And I don't mean to imply that you need to have written a dissertation on Westerns to appreciate The Searchers. Ford was above all a gifted storyteller, and that shines through even if you're not familiar with the texts he's referencing. It's just that if you want to understand why critics place it on a pedestal above anything else, it helps to understand what it's drawing from. Wheat Loaf posted:Who would have been good instead of Sharon Stone? 
|
|
#
¿
Nov 20, 2018 22:51
|
|
|
got any sevens posted:poo poo, I just watched jarmusch's Dead Man and it was great. More of a spirit journey than a western, it was a real treat. If you're into spiritual journeys disguised as westerns, check out El Topo next.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 22, 2018 12:45
|
|
|
Since we're on the subject of Peckinpah, I strongly recommend checking out The Ballad of Cable Hogue, which does a great jobing showing his range as a director. It consciously evades the bleak, hyper-violent style he was known for by that point while still dealing with the themes that occupied him throughout his entire career.
Samuel Clemens fucked around with this message at 01:03 on Jun 22, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Jun 22, 2021 00:43
|
|