Don't forget to check out Kyle's blog for his list, too!
1. Maverick
I've previously written about Maverick in Part 6 of My Favorite Films. It was a childhood favorite of mine and continues to entertain me to this day.
2. High Noon
I've previously written a full length review of High Noon.
3. Stagecoach
Check out my full length review of Stagecoach.
4. The Hateful Eight
Yet another film where I've already written a full length review.
5. Django Unchained
Quentin Tarantino is one of My Favorite Directors and is responsible for two films on this list. His first foray into the western genre was Django Unchained, the story of a slave-turned bounty hounter and his mission to rescue his wife from a sadistic landowner. Jamie Foxx is very good as Django, but his costars are definitely the highlight of the film, for me. Christoph Walz won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his turn as Dr. King Schultz, a verbose, intelligent bounty hunter who takes Django under his wing. Schultz is one of those perfect Tarantino characters - fast talking, charismatic, and overwhelmingly appealing, even as he's (deservedly) killing people - and Walz seems born to play him. Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson play the main villains - the landowner, Candy, and his chief house slave, Stephen - and both actors are truly sublime. DiCaprio gets to chew some scenery (especially in the dinner scene when Candy brandishes a skull and hammer) and Jackson plays almost two seperate roles, depending on who Stephen is talking to at the moment. As with nearly all of Tarantino's films, Django Unchained features excellent writing, a great soundtrack, and lots of over the top violence. If the film didn't feature a horrible performance from Tarantino and was maybe ten or fifteen minutes shorter, it would probably challenge Maverick as my favorite western.
6. The Revenant
The Revenant is the newest entry on my list, narrowly edging out The Hateful Eight, and I just saw it for the first time a couple of weeks ago. The majesty of the visuals and the intensity of the performances are still fresh in my mind. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu obviously has an eye for visuals, you just have to watch Birdman (a film I really like) or 21 Grams (which I very much disliked, at least at the time), but he truly outdid himself with The Revenant. In a couple weeks, I'll be publishing my Top 10 list of Most Beautiful Films and this one will definitely rank near the top. It's possibly the most beautiful film I've ever had the pleasure of seeing in the cinema and was an experience I won't soon forget. Leonardo DiCaprio (two spots in a row!) is marvelous as Hugh Glass, a frontiersman left for dead after a bear attack, and rightfully deserved all the awards he won earlier this year. The level of intensity and emotion he was able to convey, often without words, was astounding. Tom Hardy, who I generally like despite most of his filmography, is nearly as impressive as the callous and racist fur trapper who leaves Glass behind. Adding to the brilliant visuals and great performances is a fantastic and moving score. I will have to see how The Revenant holds up at home with multiple viewings, but it has the possibility of joining my Top 100 list of favorite films.
7. Unforgiven
Clint Eastwood built his career on playing quiet, introspective types in westerns, but his greatest achievement in the genre came quite late in his career. Unforgiven is a powerful film and excels in many areas - from the direction (Eastwood's best), cinematography, editing, and performances (for the most part) - plus it has one of the best lines I've ever heard: Eastwood's William Munny to Gene Hackman's Little Bill, "That's right. I've killed women and children. I've killed just about everything that walks or crawled at one time or another. And I'm here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you did to Ned." It's just such a magnificent little speech and Eastwood delivers it perfectly. Both Eastwood and Hackman shine, but Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris, and Saul Rubinek are excellent, too. The only weak spot in the cast is Jaimz Woolvett, who just can't keep up with his much more seasoned co-stars. What really holds Unforgiven back for me, though, is the ending. After more than two hours of general greatness, the film ends with a title card explaining what happened after the story concluded. This has always felt tacked on, clumsy, and completely unnecessary to me. It's a shame to end such an otherwise spectacular film in such a poor manner.
8. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
John Wayne and James Stewart being directed by John Ford. What more could you want in a western? This was one of the first films I watched on my recent quest and was thoroughly entertained - a perfect way to start a new endeavor. Of the dozen or so Wayne films I've seen, I think he gives his best performance here, as Tom Doniphon. Tom's a rough and rugged man (no surprise there) but he's also charming, funny, and a bit reserved. Wayne plays the role very well. Stewart is excellent (also no surprise) as Ransom Stoddard, a role he seems born to play. The rest of the main cast - Vera Miles, Andy Devine (nearly as charming here as he was in Stagecoach), John Carradine, Edmond O'Brien, and Lee Marvin (a tremendous villain) - are all up to the task of supporting these two giants of cinema. Like all the Ford films I've seen, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is wonderfully made and features some beautiful cinematography. I really enjoyed the bookends nature of the story, as well, with the bulk of the film being a story told by Ransom later in life. I'll close with a little bit of trivia: this is the film where John Wayne repeated calls a character "Pilgrim" in that famous drawl of his. The affectation would be present in most Wayne impersonations from here on out.
9. Open Range
Open Range isn't at the same level as my previous choices, but there are so many fantastic elements, performances, and moments that I didn't hesitate to include it in this list. Kevin Costner put a lot of work into the film - starring, directing, and producing - and gives one of his best performances as Charley, as ex-gunfighter turned rancher who is drawn back into a violent lifestyle. Robert Duvall is nearly perfect as his employer and friend, Boss Spearman. Duvall is one of cinema's greatest actors and shows that his talents haven't eroded with age, but that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who has seen his work in the last 10 or 15 years. Besides Costner and Duvall, the cast is chock full of really great performances from Michael Gambon, Diego Luna, Kim Coates, and Michael Jeter (one of my favorite character actors, in his last on screen role). Annette Bening is the lone weak spot in the cast, but even then she's not bad or anything. I just found her character (and subplot with Costner) to be less interesting and an unneeded distraction from the rest of the film. Open Range features my favorite shootout from any western, a 15 minute or so battle with about a dozen combatants and done in a mostly realistic fashion. Open Range is a bit of a throwback to the westerns of the 1940's and 50's - a simple story, effectively and emotionally told, with lots of little and quiet moments and beautiful scenery.
10. Tombstone
Tombstone is the first western that I can vividly recall seeing in the movie theater and for a long time I considered it one of my favorite films, of any genre. As I grew up, I became a little more discerning and now see it for what it really is: a very uneven film with lots of fantastic aspects and quite a few failings. Thankfully, the positives outweigh the negatives. The very best part of the film, no doubt about it, is the magnificent performance from Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday. Kilmer is absolutely perfect in the role, playing up Holliday's penchant for booze, gambling, and women, but also mixing in a lot of heart and compassion. The rest of the expansive cast is a mixed bag, ranging from great (Sam Elliot, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn) to okay (Kurt Russell, Stephen Lang, Billy Bob Thornton, Michael Rooker, Charlton Heston) to pretty bad (Dana Delany, Jason Priestley, Bill Paxton, Billy Zane). The direction and writing aren't anything special, but the soundtrack and cinematography are both wonderful. Tombstone also contains some of the best action scenes of any western I've seen, even if they're not all entirely realistic. The shootout at the OK Corral is probably the best of the bunch, but there are several other thrilling and memorable scenes. Tombstone will probably always hold a special place in my memory, regardless of how many westerns I see.
Honorable Mention: Deadwood
It's not a fair fight to compare a series that lasted 36 hours to a two or three hour long film, but I couldn't write about westerns without mentioning what I consider to be the greatest western story ever told, HBO's Deadwood. A perfectly blended mix of drama, action, suspense, and comedy, Deadwood featured amazing characters, some of the finest television acting I've seen (especially from Ian McShane, Brad Dourif, and William Sanderson), and the elaborate and extravagantly foul dialogue for which it become widely known. McShane's character, saloon owner Al Swearengen, is probably my favorite TV character of all-time and is always the first thing to come to mind when I think of Deadwood. Another fantastic aspect of the show are the intricate storylines that weave from episode to episode and season to season. Deadwood is a show that encourages and rewards multiple viewings. If you like westerns and don't mind a few curse words every minute, I strongly recommend giving Deadwood a shot - I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Well, there's my list. I know I'm missing some classics. A lot of those I simply I haven't seen yet, but some - most notably The Searchers - I've seen and didn't care for. I'd love any suggestions since I do plan on watching a bunch more westerns from here on out.
Next Friday's list: Part 10 (the final installment!) of My Favorite Films.
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