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The 25 greatest westerns of all time
- Thread starter jw5
- Start date
The Searchers (1956)
You just ain't makin' a Western list without The Searchers, son. The most beloved of all Westerns, this 1956 classic sees John Ford and John Wayne teaming up for a timeless journey through vast, uncharted territory. It opened the door to a new frontier: one without heroes, morals, or romance. The genre would never be the same.
The Wild Bunch (1969)
As we said, the genre went through some changes after The Searchers. There were more bad guys than ever, more bodies than your local morgue, and enough blood to fill a swimming pool. With 13 outlaws on hand, Sam Peckinpah took that change to new heights.
McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)
There are a handful of Robert Altman movies that get votes as his best, and McCabe & Mrs. Miller is one of them. Part of what makes it unique is that it's a cowboy movie in which the main character isn't a cowboy. Instead, he's a normal man roped into the world of outlaws and shootouts due to his profession. Warren Beatty is just some guy who wants to run a brothel. What's so bad about that?
Stagecoach (1939)
If nothing else, Stagecoach deserves recognition for being the first true-Western. However, it's also a truly great film. John Wayne plays a cowboy who rides a stagecoach across Indian territory. Is it action-packed? Of course, it is! Those Indians aren't going to shoot themselves! But it's also a great character study, with enough nuance to keep the racism at arm's length.
Red River (1948)
Some call Red River the best Ford movie he never made. While it certainly owes a debt to the work of Ford, the film stands on its own merits. John Wayne and Thomas Dunson are both excellent in the lead roles, but it's Howard Hawks who winds up stealing the show.
Seven Samurai (1954)
What is a Japanese samurai movie doing on our list? Well, Kurosawa's Seven Samurai is as much a western as any--featuring a village under attack, bandits, scouts, men for hire, and plenty of standoffs. The film also inspired The Magnificent Seven and what many consider to be the first space Western, Star Wars.
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Tommy Lee Jones does his best old-guy-at-the-Y impression: he moves like he's on his last legs, but keeps running up and down the court anyway. His opponent is Javier Bardem, who can shoot like nobody else out there. The final showdown is one for the ages...between 70-80.
Django (1966)
Django is one of those Spaghetti Westerns with an awesome soundtrack. Some of it doesn't hold up. Maybe we don't need Django acting like a frat boy. The action aspects, though, still crackle, and the theme song will be stuck in your head for days on end.
Rio Bravo (1959)
After the success of Red River, Hawks decided to make another Western. This time, Wayne plays a sheriff, not a cattle rancher. Exactly how much of this is supposed to be played for laughs is a bit murky, though, because the film starts to build to a big showdown. Before that, it's just a really fun hangout with some great characters.
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
Clint Eastwood has made a few man-on-the-run Westerns. Cry Macho was a bit of a slog, but Outlaw Josey Wales has a lot going for it. For starters, Eastwood is in the starring role, and it doesn't glorify violence like his early stuff and has real things to say about society. It might even be his best film, I reckon.
The Passenger (1975)
Every Antonioni movie is a Western--they all center around lonely wanderers, barren landscapes, and people living off the grid. Heck, this one literally takes place in a desert. Jack Nicholson would rather relax in Africa than return to America, which might as well be a mirage in the distance. He assumes a dead man's identity and becomes A Man With No Name. Don't go in expecting shootouts, though. The Passenger is closer to Wim Wenders than Sergio Leone.Similar threads
