A great, and often overlooked, example being The Villain, starring Kirk Douglas and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Personally, I’ve thought Unforgiven has been overrated since I saw it on the big screen. There may have been some drama in my life at the time that affected my perception. I think I may have seen it twice more over the years, but with distractions each time. But I’m giving it another chance. I’ve just ordered the 2-disc DVD from an Amazon seller.
Well if you like Clint Eastwood and want to see something different from him watch Paint Your Wagon. It’s Clint and Lee Marvin in a western what more could you ask for.
I love Paint Your Wagon. Lots of good stuff in it. I like it when Lee Marvin cops the chickens.
And I like the line, ‘What’s a “Mormons”?’
One of the most frequently recommended movies whenever a thread like this pops up is Silverado. I just rewatched this movie last week.
I recommend that if you’re relatively new to Westerns, you should watch this one first and get it out of the way; you might enjoy it more. It’s basically an unbroken catalogue of established Western cliches; an unwavering tribute to the Westerns Kasdan grew up on. There’s almost no single scene that doesn’t have its source in an older film. Not that there’s anything *wrong *with that; Kasdan obviously finds the genre worth celebrating. But it was my personal experience that the movie suffered from the fact that the first time I’d seen it, I’d seen very few classic Westerns. But between then and when I watched it last week, I’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of them. It didn’t work as well for me the second time.
The Unforgiven with Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn! I don’t think it’s the same one the few other posters have mentioned.
It’s in color. There are two earlier versions in B&W, but neither includes John Wayne. There’s also a recentish Anime version.
For light fare, Cat Ballou is good. Jane Fonda’s pa is killed by a greedy railroad baron and she gos from good girl to bad girl in seeking revenge; Lee Marvin won an Oscar as the drunken gunfighter Eli “Kid” Shelleen*, though he said his horse earned it for him- and he was right. It’s comedy-drama but more light than deep, and features the last screen performance of Nat King Cole. Available on instant view from Netflix; this opening on YouTubewill tell you if you like it.
*No spoilers for those who haven’t seen it, please.
Just saw this one for the first time a few months ago, and I was amazed at how contemporary it felt. Not dated at all. I highly recommend it.
That film supposedly inspired Firefly.
I believe it was Wayne’s first serious role in a Western. I agree, it’s a great film.
Oh, the western mentioned in a discontinued show called The Middleman was pretty good. Ride Lonesome was the name of the western.
Also, Orson Welles watched it over and over to prepare for making Citizen Kane.
It’s coming out in a Criterion restoration, DVD and bluray, on May 25. And it was definitely a starmaking role for Wayne; he never once, in his long career, ever played a role that wasn’t the lead after he made that entrancein Stagecoach, with Ford’s camera zooming in on him. John Ford never zoomed; he was clearly trying to make a big deal out of Wayne.
And if you take into account the influence that Citizen Kane had on film for years–especially Film Noir–I think it’s pretty clear that some of Noir’s strongest roots are, oddly enough, in a Western.
We shall whoosh no one before their time.
Surely you jest, Sir. There are no grapefruit in Stagecoach, no pans from floor to ceiling of opera houses.
Or The First Traveling Saleslady, if you can find it.
I love westerns, and Once Upon a Time in the West is my very favorite. Just watched it again last Saturday evening. I think it was the 20th time I watched it. 
Everything about the film is awesome.
For a few Dollars More. While Eastwood did a great job (as usual), the real star was Lee Van Cleef. He’s unforgettable in the movie.
Just finished watching it, thought it was just as good as TGTB&TU, and much better than Fistful. Lee Van Cleef was pure badassery in it.
One thing I do wonder about is what’s the most realistic Western? Things like the quick-fire draw seem to be pretty much Hollywood exaggerations.
Been a long time since I’ve seen it, but I recall Unforgiven seeming somewhat realistic.
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