Summary
- AFI named their top 10 western films, excluding acclaimed spaghetti westerns, in a 2008 special telecast on CBS.
-
Commercial blockbusters like
Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
made a huge splash at the box office. -
Classic films like
Stagecoach
and
High Noon
continue to be celebrated for their impact on cinema and filmmakers today.
Founded in 1968 via President Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidential mandate, the American Film Institute (AFI) is an organization meant to preserve and honor the heritage of films in the United States. On June 17, 2008, via a special telecast on CBS, the AFI named the 10 greatest films in various genres. These included Animation, Legal Drama, Epic, Fantasy, Gangster, Mystery, Rom-Com, Science Fiction, Sports and Western.
The lists were compiled after the AFI sent a ballot with 500 movies (50 in each genre) to a special 1,500-member jury comprising film experts (screenwriters, directors, actors, cinematographers, editors), historians, and critics. Only films made in America and stretching over 60 minutes in length were considered. Critically acclaimed spaghetti westerns like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and Once Upon a Time in the West were, therefore, excluded. Still, the list has several classics guaranteed to wow both casuals and genre fans.
10 Cat Ballou (1965)
An eye for an eye was the norm in the Old West, so the screenwriters of Cat Ballou crafted lines like “He has to pay!” and “Such bastards!” Based on Roy Chanslor’s 1956 novel The Ballad of Cat Ballou, the film follows the former schoolteacher, Catherine “Cat” Ballou (Jane Fonda) as she tries to take down a company that murdered her father in a scheme to take over his vast ranch. In her quest for justice, Cat is aided by the washed-up bounty hunter Kid Shelleen (Lee Marvin), and the bandit Clay Boone (Michael Callan).
Funnier than the Source Material
Cat Ballou can be tucked in somewhere among movies better than the source material as it received several Oscar nominations (including Best Film Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay), yet the book only had praise and sales as proof of its awesomeness. Part of what makes it superior is the humor. As big as Cat’s predicament is, everything she says or does is funny. The performances are quite exemplary too, and audiences will be particularly pleased by Lee Marvin’s work. The actor plays two different roles in the Western, and for his brilliant work, he won Best Actor at the Academy Awards.
Overall, the film has little to no flaws. Before being included in the list of the greatest westerns of all time, it had been included in other AFI lists of the 100 best movies, 100 best laughs, 100 best Heroes and Villains, and 100 best songs. Bryan Cranston also singled out the movie as one of his greatest influences in an episode of NPR’s Fresh Air. Buy or Rent Cat Ballou on Apple TV.
9 Stagecoach (1939)
John Ford’s Stagecoach opens in the tiny town of Tonto, Arizona Territory, where a group of passengers is bound for Lordsburg, New Mexico, on the local stagecoach. There’s Dallas (Claire Trevor), a sex worker who has been chased out of town; Doc Boone (Thomas Mitchell), a local drunk; Mrs. Lucy Mallory (Louise Platt), the wife of a calvary officer; Samuel Peacock (Donald Meek), a whiskey dealer; Henry Gatewood, (Berton Churchill), a banker who has embezzled a cool $50,000; and Hatfield (John Carradine), a gambler. During the trip, the passengers are subjected to a brutal attack by the Apaches.
A Trendsetting Piece of Cinema
Stagecoach pioneered what has come to be known as the “Ark Movie.” In such kinds of films, characters from different backgrounds are thrown into a single location and forced to fight for survival. Because the template has been copied numerous times over the years, modern-day viewers might initially struggle to spot the awesomeness. That’s until John Wayne shows up later on as the rabble-rousing bandit known as the Ringo Kid. The character injects much-needed chaos and tautness into the movie, resulting in a film that gets better by the minute.
Today, the movie continues to be celebrated by both cinephiles and filmmakers. Orson Welles once claimed to have watched it 40 times while preparing to make Citizen Kane. The National Film Registry also selected it for preservation, hence cementing its legacy even further. Its only flaw is the discriminatory manner in which it depicts Native Americans, something many critics have pointed out over the years. Stream Stagecoach on Max.
Stagecoach
- Release Date
- March 3, 1939
- Director
- John Ford
- Cast
- John Wayne , Andy Devine , Thomas Mitchell , John Carradine
8 McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
In McCabe & Mrs. Miller, the charismatic, yet dimwitted gambler John McCabe (Warren Beatty) arrives in a town named Presybterian Church, named as such because the church is the only notable building, as he’s searching for greener pastures. As sinful as he is, he decides to set up a brothel and gambling den.
Some of the locals are tempted to label him as Satan, but they refrain from doing so because of the rumors surrounding McCabe’s past — he may actually be a renowned gunslinger who can shoot a fly off your skin. But upon realizing that McCabe has zero business acumen, the sex worker Constance Miller (Julie Christie) offers to help him run the establishment. Unfortunately, their perfect entrepreneurial run comes under threat when evil execs from the Harrison Shaughnessy Mining Company show up.
The Perfect Anti-Western
McCabe & Mrs. Miller’s condemnation of corporate greed and unregulated industrialization made it a favorite for many contemporary viewers. Besides that, Robert Altman’s filmmaking techniques, such as the use of overlapping dialogue, and the incorporation of accidental satire, make the Western ideal for any aspiring director.
However, the film mostly stands out because of its anti-Western structure. For example, the final showdown unfolds in the snow, in the hours following dawn, instead of high noon as is normally the case. And as the battle unfolds, the locals don’t hide inside buildings and watch fearfully through windows. They go about their business, oblivious to what is happening. It’s also worth mentioning that Julie Christie received a Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards for her performance. Buy or Rent McCabe & Mrs. Miller on Prime Video.
10 Must-Watch Westerns That Were Made Outside Hollywood
Seen enough Hollywood Western movies? Here are some great foreign gems that capture the genre’s magic.
7 Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid (1969)
Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid sees the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang leader Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) finding success through his criminal activities, but he soon grows tired of having to deal with enthusiastic law enforcement officers who won’t let him enjoy his loot in peace. He thus convinces his lieutenant, The Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) to move to Bolivia, describing the country as “a robber’s paradise.” There, he figures he’ll be able to rob more places and canoodle with sex workers because the authorities will turn a blind eye. As expected, he gets a reality check.
A Perfect Sidekick and Cinema’s Best Freeze Frame
The chemistry between Newman and Redford elevates the film to “cinema gold” status. The latter deserves to be lauded even more for perfectly portraying one of the greatest Western movie sidekicks. For the most part, The Sundance Kid exhibits the kind of level-headedness and great judgment that his boss lacks. He opposes their immigration to Bolivia, to no success, and is shown to be perfect with weapons, unlike Cassidy, who is revealed to have never shot anyone.
Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid’s ending is also often cited as the perfect example of what a great freeze-frame ought to look like. In it. Butch and his sidekick learn that Bolivia’s lawmen aren’t as incompetent as they assumed. They step out of hiding and start shooting, but what happens after that is a mystery, since the camera simply freezes. On top of featuring an iconic ending, the film would rake in more than $100 million in the United States on a modest budget of $6 million, eventually becoming the highest-grossing film of 1969. Stream Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid on The Roku Channel.
6 The Wild Bunch (1969)
The “one final job” plan never goes well, but outlaws never learn. In The Wild Bunch, the aging robber Pike Bishop (William Holden) convinces himself that he will retire after one last gig. According to him, the game has changed too much for his liking, so he intends to leave it to the newbies. Unknown to him, the latest gig was a setup by an old partner. Soon, Bishop and his gang are forced to take refuge in Mexico as his friend-turned-enemy hunts him down.
Brutal and Revolutionary
At the time of its release, The Wild Bunch wowed audiences and film experts alike, thanks to its multi-angle cinematography, slow-motion scenes, and quick-cut image editing. All these were seen as revolutionary at the time. This Western is stylishly violent too, accurately reflecting the period (the early 1900s) in which the film was set, as there was plenty of intergang warfare at the time.
Apart from being named one of the greatest Westerns of all time, The Wild Bunch also appears in several other AFI lists. These include “AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies,” ”AFI’s 100 Years…100 Thrills,” ”AFI’s 100 Years…100 Heroes & Villains,” “AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes,” and “AFI’s 100 Years of Film Scores.” Additionally, in 2006, the movie’s script was listed among the 101 best screenplays of all time by the Writers Guild of America. Buy or Rent The Wild Bunch on Apple TV.
How a Classic Western Inspired Guy Ritchie’s Snatch
Snatch’s most iconic scene drew surprising inspiration from this classic ’60s Western.
5 Red River (1948)
Red River is a fictional account of the first-ever cattle drive from Texas to Kansas along the post-Civil War route known as the Chisholm Trail. The film’s central character is the strong-willed rancher Thomas Dunson (John Wayne). To get better prices for his cattle, Dunson and his subordinates march the animals to Missouri. However, the journey is far from smooth. Along the way, Dunson and the young men find themselves clashing over their ideologies.
In-form John Wayne
Give me 10 years, and I’ll have enough beef to feed the whole country. Good beef for hungry people. Beef to make ’em strong, make ’em grow.
Such is the kind of dialogue that is splashed all across Red River. It certainly isn’t a film for vegans, but it sure offers great lessons on how and how not to conduct business. Besides that, John Wayne gives what is arguably one of his greatest performances. “I didn’t know the big son of a b**** could act!” said John Ford after watching Wayne him. According to Turner Classic Movies, the legendary director was genuinely surprised by Wayne’s effort, despite having known the actor for a while. That’s not to suggest that Montgomery Clift, Walter Brennan, or Joanne Dru don’t put on a clinic here as well, however. Stream Red River on The Roku Channel.
Red River
- Release Date
- September 7, 1948
- Director
- Howard Hawks , Arthur Rosson
- Cast
- John Wayne , Montgomery Clift , Joanne Dru , Walter Brennan , Coleen Gray
4 Unforgiven (1992)
Unforgiven opens with a barbarous moment, with an escort’s client slashing her with a knife. Angry, her fellow escorts immediately put up a $1000 bounty on the man. Various bounty hunters appear interested in the offer, but there is a big problem. Sheriff Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman) hates this bounty hunting business as he believes it makes official law enforcement officers appear incompetent. He, therefore, starts persecuting every gunslinger who shows interest in the gig. This includes William Munny (Clint Eastwood), a repentant outlaw who comes out of retirement for one last job.
Perfectly Cast
A great movie needs a perfect hero, sidekick, and villain. Thankfully, Unforgiven has this, not only because the characters are brilliantly written, but because they are played by amazing actors. Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Gene Hackman, all prove why they are regarded highly in the industry.
Still, the awesomeness isn’t limited to the characters played by the three stars. Every other character is good enough to make audiences care about them. English Bob (Richard Harris), in particular, stands out so much, parallels can be drawn between him and one of the protagonists of the critical and commercial hit Red Dead Redemption 2. It remains one of a handful of Westerns to ever win Best Picture at the Academy Awards, joining 1931’s Cimarron and 1990’s Dances with Wolves. Buy or Rent Unforgiven on Prime Video.
3 Shane (1953)
Shane opens with the charming gunslinger Shane (Alan Ladd) riding into a tiny Wyoming town, hoping to get a job that doesn’t involve shooting people. He is hired as a farmhand by the rancher Joe Starrett’s (Van Heflin) farm, but as clichés would have it, he falls for the man’s wife. Shane also forms a friendly relationship with the man’s son. Still, there are bigger problems. Greedy cattle baron Rufus Ryker (Emile Meyer) is feuding with the locals, and Shane eventually finds himself at the center of the chaos.
Boy’s Eye View
The perspective from which a story is told matters a lot. In Shane, the events are captured from the eyes of a boy named Joey. He sees Shane as a hero, yet the character has numerous blemishes that disqualify him from such a label. Still, this style enables audiences to enjoy the film in ways they would normally wouldn’t. For example, a salon brawl, seen from Joey’s eyes, is extremely breathtaking. The film’s anti-violence tone also ought to be lauded, as the the few instances of violence appear disturbing rather than cool.
Most importantly, the classic Western is beautiful to look at. It deservedly won an Oscar for Best Cinematography and received praise from numerous critics regarding this particular aspect. It continues to be an AFI favorite too, and over the years, it has appeared in the organization’s best lists of movie quotes, heroes, villains, and inspirational works. Stream Shane on Hoopla.
2 High Noon (1952)
Weddings ought to be full of bliss, but in High Noon, Marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper), faces the biggest challenge of his life right after tying the knot. The lawman learns that an outlaw he once locked up is being released, and he will arrive in the town by noon via train. There is enough time for him to flee with his bride, but he chooses to stay behind and fight. Unfortunately for him, finding a willing sidekick proves to be quite a challenge.
Real-time Predicaments
Years before real-time movies became common, director Fred ZInneman explored the concept with High Noon, and the results were outstanding. There is a sense of never-ending imperativeness and desperation, all because noon is approaching and Kane doesn’t have a proper plan for how to deal with the arriving baddie. Even his plan forsakes him at some point, raising the stakes further. And because it’s modeled as a revisionist Western, the film towers above many of its kind. Here, the people fail the hero, instead of supporting him as had been the norm. Consequently, he has to face danger on his own.
The film’s cultural impact cannot be understated either. Over the years, a few remakes and unofficial remakes have been made. Additionally, the Western has been referenced several times in other works, notably in The Sopranos, where Tony frequently describes Gary Cooper as the perfect example of the “strong, silent type.” All of these positive qualities would eventually net High Noon several Academy Award wins, including Best Actor for Gary Cooper, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score for Dimitri Tiomkin. Stream High Noon on Paramount+.
High Noon
- Release Date
- June 9, 1952
- Director
- Fred Zinnemann
- Cast
- Gary Cooper , Thomas Mitchell , Lloyd Bridges , Katy Jurado , Grace Kelly , Otto Kruger
10 Recent Western Movies That Probably Flew Under Your Radar
With small budgets and niche audiences, many Westerns go unnoticed by the public. Here are 10 recent Western films that you probably haven’t seen.
1 The Searchers (1956)
An attack by Comanche warriors in the early stages of The Searchers forces Civil War veteran Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) to act. As soon as he learns where his niece is being held captive, he grabs a gun and a horse. However, this doesn’t end up being one of his usual rescue-and-return missions. The girl refuses to be rescued, having been fully incorporated into the Comanche lifestyle for years, and is now in a happy polygamous marriage with the chief.
Martin Scorsese’s Favorite Western
The Searchers is Martin Scorsese’s favorite western. This is hardly surprising, considering that it contains a morally conflicted protagonist like Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver. At some point, Ethan even considers killing the little girl after becoming overwhelmed and emotionally distraught upon locating her. The cinematography is stunning too, especially the shots of plains and blue skies. According to MTV, director David Lean watched the movie several times while making Lawrence of Arabia to learn how to shoot landscapes.
Recommendations aside, no other Western from the era explores the themes of race relations and miscegenation better than the John Ford film. It has thus aged extremely well and is even more relevant in the current age, where the topic of global intermingling remains a hot one. Stream The Searchers on Max.
The Searchers
- Release Date
- May 26, 1956
- Director
- John Ford
- Cast
- John Wayne , Vera Miles , Jeffrey Hunter , Ward Bond