Whether it’s the golden era of spaghetti westerns or the more blood soaked appeal of the Tarantino films, there’s no denying that Hollywood loves the appeal of the old west. From books, to video games, and even casino slots, the world loves a good western. We take a look at some of the greatest films in history!
Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid
Without a doubt, one of the most popular westerns in cinematic history, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was released in 1969. Directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman the film is loosely based on a true story. It tells the story of the outlaws Robert LeRoy Parker, known as Butch Cassidy and his partner Harry Longabaugh, the Sundance Kid, who are on the run after a string of train robberies. The pair, along with Longabaugh ‘s lover Etta Place flee to Bolivia in search of a more successful criminal career, where they meet their end.
The Magnificent Seven
This 1960 film starred Charles Bronson, Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen, and is an old west style remake of the classic Japanese film Seven Samurai. It follows the story of a group of seven gunfighters hired to protect a small village in Mexico from a group of marauding bandits and their leader. The film was so loved it received a 2016 remake starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke that went on to earn $160 million at the box office.
High Noon
High Noon is a 1952 film produced by Stanley Kramer, and starring Grace Kelly and Gary Cooper. The film tells the story of a town marshal onm the brink of retirement who is forced to face a gang of killers by himself. The film proved to be so popular and successful, that in 1989,it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Once Upon A Time In The West
The 1968 film Once Upon a Time in the West is the story of a young woman, Mrs. McBain played by Claudia Cardinale, who moves from New Orleans to frontier Utah, on the very edge of the American West to find her new husband and family slaughtered. It was written and directed by Sergio Leone and also stars Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson.
Unforgiven
This 1992 revenge story stars Clint Eastwood in one of his last western films alongside Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman. After prostitute Delilah Fitzgerald is disfigured by a couple of cowboys, the rest of the prostitutes, led by Strawberry Alice offer a $1,000 reward to whoever can kill the cowboys. It made an incredible $159.2 million at the box office and was added to the United States National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2004 for being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
The Good the Bad and the Ugly
The third and final instalment in the Dollars Trilogy after A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More. The Good The Bad and The Ugly was a financial success, grossing over $25 million at the box office. Although critical acclaim at the time of release was mixed, the film is now seen as a highly influential example of the Western film genre and one of the greatest films of all time. Directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood in possibly one of his most famous roles, it follows three gunslingers competing to find a buried Confederate gold amid the violent chaos of the American Civil War.
Django Unchained
Quentin Tarantino’s highest box office grossing film at an incredible $425 million, Django Unchained is a highly stylized tribute to classic spaghetti westerns. It stars Jamie Foxx as the titular character, a newly freed slave who travels with Dr. King Schultz (Christopher Waltz) to meet Calvin J. Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), the owner of Django’s wife, Broomhilda “Hildi” von Shaft.
The Hateful Eight
The second Tarantino western, The Hateful Eight was announced in November 2013 after originally being conceived as a novel and the sequel to Tarantinos previous film Django Unchained. The film features a group of characters in a murder mystery trapped in a bar during a blizzard. After somebody poisons the coffee, the surviving members fight to work out who did it. The film made $155 million at the box office and stars Samuel L Jackson, Kurt Russell and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The film featured a controversial scene where Kurt Russel’s character destroyed an acoustic guitar, unbeknownst to the actor, the guitar was not a prop but an antique 1870s Martin guitar loaned by the Martin Guitar Museum. According to sound producer Mark Ulano, the guitar was supposed to have been switched with a copy to be destroyed, but this was not communicated to Russell.
