# What's your favorite Western Film? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 9, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680 "2016-04-09T19:00:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/41 "2016-04-10T05:03:26Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The three must sees at a Western film festival are > Red River > She Wore a Yellow Ribbon > The Man from Laramie > > I agree Shane is excellent. But hasn’t everybody seen it multiple times? I’d try to introduce people to some classic westerns they haven’t seen. I have never seen **Shane** ; the Saturday afternoon Creature Feature wouldn’t televise it. What’s a cow-poke to do? ---
**Author:** ![EBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@EBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EBird)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/42 "2016-04-10T05:18:05Z")
Ride the High Country ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/43 "2016-04-10T05:24:46Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Beat me to it. And David Carradine, of all people, _steals_ the movie from the rest of a most impressive ensemble cast. > > “I would throw that shotgun down.” \ Testify! D. Carradine, to me, was much better than people gave him credit for. “–Pinkerton man.” ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/44 "2016-04-10T05:29:16Z")
Another vote for\*\* Big Country.\*\* Excellent cast, terrific cinematography and very good music. It contains one of the best fist fights I have ever seen. Two characters (Gregory Peck and Chuck Connors, if I recall correctly) have a duel-like fight in the middle of an empty prairie for no good reason except that they detest each other. The camera draws back as these two lone figures whack away at each other in an empty expanse of nothing, and there is no music, just the sound of fists. Eventually they decide they are about even and help each other stagger back to the ranch house. Other favorites are: \*\*The Magnificent Seven McCabe and Mrs Miller Silverado **And, of course,** Blazing Saddles \*\* ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/45 "2016-04-10T05:42:52Z")
One fairly recent one that I think deserves a look is _Appaloosa_, based on a Robert B. Parker novel. Starring Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, and Jeremy Irons, it’s got all the good western stuff plus shootouts that don’t have quick draws, wounds that aren’t healed overnight, and morally ambiguous characters all around. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/46 "2016-04-10T10:09:20Z")
Would _The Proposition_ count, or does being set in Australia disqualify it? ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/47 "2016-04-10T11:04:19Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I’ll go for a different Elmore Leonard story that became a movie, [Hombre](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061770/combined). Per Daffy Duck, that word is pronounced “hom-bur”. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/48 "2016-04-10T11:50:55Z")
I haven’t seen it in a long time but I recall really liking Open Range, with Kevin Costner. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/49 "2016-04-10T12:34:48Z")
Mine would be _Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid_. Madame P’s is _The War Wagon_. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/50 "2016-04-10T12:53:08Z")
The Outlaw Josey Wales. Why? Hard to say, but it’s some combination of Eastwood’s performance, the great dialogue and the bleak, arid atmosphere. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/51 "2016-04-10T13:02:58Z")
> [@UncaStuart](#): > > One fairly recent one that I think deserves a look is _Appaloosa_, based on a Robert B. Parker novel. Starring Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, and Jeremy Irons, it’s got all the good western stuff plus shootouts that don’t have quick draws, wounds that aren’t healed overnight, and morally ambiguous characters all around. Excellent choice. This movie hasn’t been noticed by many people. I really liked the way it eschewed the typical western memes. The cowboys in this movie didn’t watch other westerns to find out how to act, talk, dress, and shoot. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/52 "2016-04-10T13:41:03Z")
Forgot to mention that Unforgiven is my all time favorite. Here’s the IMDb for [Open Range.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0316356/?ref_=nv_sr_1) I see the full movie is on YT. I may rewatch it later. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/53 "2016-04-10T13:45:31Z")
> [@UncaStuart](#): > > One fairly recent one that I think deserves a look is _Appaloosa_, based on a Robert B. Parker novel. Starring Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, and Jeremy Irons, it’s got all the good western stuff plus shootouts that don’t have quick draws, wounds that aren’t healed overnight, and morally ambiguous characters all around. I didn’t care much for _Appaloosa_ except for the one gunfight. [spoiler]The two lawmen-for-hire have caught up with their prey but he unexpectedly has three buddies with him. Some invective is hurled back and forth, the fight begins, and five seconds later the three buddies are down and dead, the two lawmen are down but not dead, and the prey (wounded) is galloping off on a fast horse. **Hitch** : _That_ was quick **Cole** : Yeah. Everybody could shoot.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/54 "2016-04-10T13:47:29Z")
A third vote for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid. Great movie, and the music is lot’s of fun. Another vote for Hombre. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/55 "2016-04-10T14:30:40Z")
I thought\* Open Range\* was good, not quite great. But I thought the final shootout was terrific. I have no idea what a real Old West gunfight was like, but the one in that movie seemed pretty realistic to me. It starts with one guy shooting another point-blank in the forehead and includes the amateur gun fighters missing each other at close range, which I imagine probably happens a lot when untrained people try to shoot. Along similar lines, I thought _The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford_ was pretty good, with good performances by Casey Affleck and Sam Rockwell (as usual). But the opening train robbery scene was awesome. I don’t know anything about cinematography, but the dark forest illuminated by lanterns and the train headlight must have been a bitch to shoot. And I remember the cramped train and casual violence of the gang being really scary. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/56 "2016-04-10T14:41:56Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Along similar lines, I thought _The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford_ was pretty good, with good performances by Casey Affleck and Sam Rockwell (as usual). But the opening train robbery scene was awesome. I don’t know anything about cinematography, but the dark forest illuminated by lanterns and the train headlight must have been a bitch to shoot. And I remember the cramped train and casual violence of the gang being really scary. I’m glad someone brought up this film. I was fascinated by it, not particularly for the western aspect, many other films (most already listed here) cover those grounds really well. The good guys versus bad guys, the locations, the characters, etc… No, what I particularly love about this film is the presentation of contemporary lives in the late 1800’s. A look that you don’t often get in movies. The whole last half of the movie that depicts Ford riding on his “celebrity” as the man who killed Jesse James, re-presenting the scene on stage going from town to town really interested me. Sort of a foreshadowing of modern times where reality stars consider themselves special. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/57 "2016-04-10T17:30:36Z")
Top five: _For a Few Dollars More Silverado Hannie Caulder Support Your Local Sheriff The Long Riders_ ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/58 "2016-04-10T18:18:27Z")
You should finish with _Serenity_. It’s a Western set in space. ---
**Author:** ![Paegan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@Paegan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paegan)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/59 "2016-04-10T18:59:10Z")
My personal favorite is The Outlaw Josie Wales. Matter of fact, its about the only Clint Eastwood movie I like. I also have to nominate The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance with John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, and Lee Marvin. The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean is also a quirky western starring Paul Newman. ---
**Author:** ![DtypeJag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@DtypeJag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DtypeJag)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680/60 "2016-04-10T19:22:33Z")
Has everyone forgotten The Gunfighter w/Gregory Peck? High Noon - Made during the Red Scare and the McCarthy hearings - Cooper has never been better. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-western-film/751680.md?page=4)