Yesterday I saw Quentin Tarantino’s newest movie Django Unchained, which I would easily say is one of the best films I’ve seen all year. This provides the inspiration of today’s question: what’s your favorite western?
Sergio Leon’s The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly remains my favorite
To be quite honest, I’ve actually never been a too big fan of the genre. True, I haven’t seen some of the big classics such as The Searchers, but I don’t think some of them like Shane are all that great. That being said, I love Sergio Leone’s work and have always said The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly to be my favorite (my runner-up would be Once Upon A Time In The West).
But what’s your choice?
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“ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST” Is By Far My Favorite Western Of All Time. Others Running It Close Would Be “THE SHOOTIST”, “THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES” and “THE WILD BUNCH” 😀 Fo SHO!!!
By: youjivinmeturkey on January 20, 2013
at 8:48 am
Once Upon A Time In The West is great. I love Sergio Leone’s work.
By: ckckred on January 20, 2013
at 11:11 am
Well, I Love Charles Bronson In Anything, But What Sold Me On This One Was Leone’s Direction, The Haunting Score, AND Henry Fonda As A Psycho Baddie! The Flick Is Absolutely Priceless.
By: youjivinmeturkey on January 20, 2013
at 1:26 pm
I love High Plains Drifter, Eastwood goes into a small town and paints it red. So badass!
Once upon a time in the west ain’t too shabby either.
By: filmhipster on January 20, 2013
at 9:48 am
I haven’t seen that one, but any western with Clint Eastwood in it must be great. Thanks for commenting.
By: ckckred on January 20, 2013
at 11:11 am
Once Upon A Time In The West would be my pick 🙂
By: Tyson Carter on January 20, 2013
at 9:54 am
Fantastic film. It would be my second choice. Thanks for commenting.
By: ckckred on January 20, 2013
at 11:12 am
Outlaw Josie Wales for me.
By: PaulDBrazill on January 20, 2013
at 10:10 am
I haven’t seen that one but I’ll be sure to check it out. Thanks for commenting.
By: ckckred on January 20, 2013
at 11:15 am
I love The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly and I really like Once Upon a Time in the West. Another one that I really love is Kurosawa’s Yojimbo, which inspired Leone’s own Fistful of Dollars.
By: Garrett on January 20, 2013
at 10:23 am
Both films are great. Glad Yojimbo got a shout out as well, it’s a fantastic film.
By: ckckred on January 20, 2013
at 11:12 am
“Once Upon a Time in the West” is the perfect western. From the phenomenal opening to the classic Leone showdown, it all works!
By: keith7198 on January 20, 2013
at 10:33 am
I love that showdown. It really is the perfect western. Thanks for commenting.
By: ckckred on January 20, 2013
at 11:13 am
Good question! I think it’s between Once Upon a Time in the West and Unforgiven for me.
By: Eric on January 20, 2013
at 10:50 am
I don’t know why, but I’ve never actually seen Unforgiven. I will try to change that.
Once Upon A Time in the West is a great film. I’m planning to revisit soon after seeing Django. Thanks for commenting.
By: ckckred on January 20, 2013
at 11:14 am
Damn you Eric! LOL Thought I was going to be the first one to say “Unforgiven” for a minute there. Oh well.
“Unforgiven”. Great movie AND a genre commentary. Dont find those often! 😉
By: Fogs' Movie Reviews on January 20, 2013
at 11:07 am
I can’t believe I haven’t seen Unforgiven. I’ll try to see that one soon. Thanks for commenting.
By: ckckred on January 20, 2013
at 11:14 am
Yeah, ‘Unforgiven’ for me too. But, when I starve for a western to watch I am just re-watching ‘Back to the Future III’, lol.
By: dbmoviesblog on January 20, 2013
at 12:48 pm
I really need to see Unforgiven. I don’t know why I haven’t. I’ll try to watch it soon. Thanks for commenting.
By: ckckred on January 20, 2013
at 6:17 pm
I’ll give an answer probably none else will give: John Ford’s “Stagecoach” starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne. It’s not It’s not THE best, but it’s definitely among the best Westerns ever made.
By: Mark Hobin on January 20, 2013
at 1:39 pm
That’s a great one, definitely one of my favorites.
By: ckckred on January 20, 2013
at 6:17 pm
Same here The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly 😀
By: Tim The Film Guy on January 20, 2013
at 2:49 pm
Glad you agree!
By: ckckred on January 20, 2013
at 6:18 pm
My favorite Western has to be “True Grit” (the original, not the newer one). I remember it like it was yesterday. I think I had to be 5th grade and I had this really cool drama teacher during Summer School. I don’t know why he showed that movie to us. I guess it was his favorite too.
By: jenkakio on January 20, 2013
at 2:59 pm
I liked the original version, though I do prefer the remake. Thanks for commenting.
By: ckckred on January 20, 2013
at 6:18 pm
Nothing really touches The Searchers in terms of representing the genre. It is also the best, and definitely in my top 10.
Most Westerns are too pedantic, including Shane and High Noon – but The Searchers is something else!
By: Thomas Priday on January 20, 2013
at 3:36 pm
The Searchers is one I have to see. I recently got a copy of that and hope to see it soon. Thanks for commenting.
By: ckckred on January 20, 2013
at 6:19 pm
I’ll avoid the usual Leone fare because it would be too obvious (well, who in their right mind wouldn’t love those?) so I’ll have to say Four Of The Apocalypse, the original Django and Keoma.
But I have tons of others that I enjoy. Repeatedly.
By: cinenemablog on January 20, 2013
at 3:54 pm
Sergio Leone rules.
I haven’t seen the others you mentioned but I’ll be sure to check them out. Thanks for commenting.
By: ckckred on January 20, 2013
at 6:19 pm
Once Upon a Time in the West would be my pick. It’s hard picking it over The Good, the Bad and the Ugly though!
Good question 🙂
By: Mr Rumsey on January 20, 2013
at 5:54 pm
Yeah, it’s always hard for me to pick my favorite between the two as well. Both are fantastic films. Thanks for commenting.
By: ckckred on January 20, 2013
at 6:20 pm
My western viewing is patchy, but I have to go with Stagecoach. Just so iconic. I also really like One Eyed Jacks, starring and directed by Marlon Brando, which I really love too. And I like Shane, but I can see why that film would annoy you.
By: Beer Movie on January 21, 2013
at 4:05 am
Stagecoach is great. I don’t think I’ve seen One Eyed Jacks, so I’ll try to get a copy. I don’t think I’ve seen Shane for a long time but I don’t remember it very well. I’ll try to watch it again. Thanks for commenting.
By: ckckred on January 21, 2013
at 8:44 am
I’ve not seen a huge amount of westerns but my favourite is probably one I’ve only seen recently, which is Unforgiven. Thought that was excellent.
By: Terry Malloy's Pigeon Coop on January 21, 2013
at 9:01 am
I can’t believe I haven’t seen Unforgiven yet. I will have to change that. Thanks for commenting.
By: ckckred on January 21, 2013
at 9:56 am
My favorite would have to be Unforgiven. In fact I just saw it the other day. Please please see it.
http://wp.me/1Urcx
By: The Cinemaniac on January 21, 2013
at 9:46 pm
I can’t believe I haven’t. I’ll put it on my Netflix que. Thanks for commenting.
By: ckckred on January 22, 2013
at 6:56 am
All time favorite is “Once Upon A Time In The West” followed by the “Wild Bunch”.
I wrote a post on this a while back. Here it is: http://victorsmoviereviews.com/2011/07/28/5-best-cowboy-movies-westerns/
By: VictorsMovieReviews on January 21, 2013
at 11:41 am
Both are great films. I’ll be sure to check your post.
By: ckckred on January 21, 2013
at 11:47 am
Very hard choice, but I have to go with The Unforgiven. You have to see The Unforgiven and The Outlaw Josie Wales lol! Adding The Good, the Bad and the Ugly…these are my three favorites. (I need to see Once Upon A Time in The West again; I don’t remember it.)
For some reason, I have a huge itch to buy The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford. I realize some folks think it is a hugely boring movie, but I find it overwhelmingly engrossing. I’ve only seen it twice and need to fix that lol.
I’ve looked at some lists of the 100 greatest westerns that include Blazing Saddles and No Country For Old Men. Both are outstanding movies, but I don’t think westerns in the traditional sense (makes me wonder where to draw the line).
I probably shouldn’t say this, but since a lot of his movies are ranked so high, I never cared much for John Wayne (I loved Eastwood westerns as a kid). Thinking of your previous over and under-rated actors posting, one of the criticisms handed to some over-rated actors is that they just play themselves. Seems to me John Wayne is the epitome of this, but I’m willing to be corrected.
By: JS Scott on January 21, 2013
at 5:14 pm
I wouldn’t really call NCFOM a western but if I did, it might be my number one choice. I have to watch some more westerns.
Yeah, I do think John Wayne is overrated. He always does play the same character in every movie. I though Jeff Bridges was better as Rooster in the remake of True Grit. Thanks for commenting.
By: ckckred on January 21, 2013
at 6:28 pm
I am going with The Wild Bunch and I bet you can’t imagine why 😉
Also put me in the camp that thinks NCFOM is a western
By: sanclementejedi on January 22, 2013
at 11:30 am
Wild Bunch is great. I wouldn’t really consider NCFOM a western but if I did it would probably be my favorite. Thanks for commenting.
By: ckckred on January 22, 2013
at 6:18 pm
I really like Winchester ’73 quite a bit and it always remains in my mind when someone asks a question like this.
By: The Focused Filmographer on January 23, 2013
at 12:05 am
I haven’t seen that one. I’ll try to watch it soon. Thanks for commenting.
By: ckckred on January 23, 2013
at 6:45 am
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly definitely but a close second is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Minus the bicycle scene…
By: Brian on January 23, 2013
at 8:31 am
I love Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as well. That’d be in my top 5.
By: ckckred on January 23, 2013
at 1:00 pm
Hi there! I recorded a metal version for the main theme from The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. Why don’t you check it out? Here it is: http://onecutemanband.wordpress.com/2013/02/24/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-theme-goes-metal/
Cheers!
By: One Cute Man Band on February 24, 2013
at 6:33 pm