SEVENSES: Westerns
SEVENSES
Westerns
Welcome to the first edition of Sevenses, a new type of post. The idea started as a list of seven items that ranked supreme in a category, but then I realized that concept is too similar to tier lists so this is an opportunity to write an opinion piece without that level of contention. So, what is Sevenses? It is taking a similar group of films such as genre or those who have featured the same main character many times (like Batman, a probable future edition) and choosing standouts. High quality, according to my opinion, is a given. But some entries might have a unique trait to make them distinct or the best of a subgenre, and there may be others not included that are actually better films overall. In other words, it may not be a list ranked 1 through 7, but all would grade high enough if doing so. (Instead, I use release order.) Last thing, a rule of sorts, I must own the film in a home media format to be considered. I will likely include an abridged version of this introduction in future "Sevenses" posts, but more or less will launch right into opening lines regarding the topic, as follows.
Westerns. It is one of the oldest film genres as their typical time period is conservatively stated as not many years removed from the onset of the commercial film industry. Many would say the "Old West" was still alive and well at the turn of the twentieth century when the first Western films (shorts) were being produced. For most of us, the name conjures up images of cowboys, Native Americans (Indians, antiquatedly), horses, six-shooters, standoffs in dusty streets, wide open deserts, and posses against the backdrop of the American West. Often, they tell of a struggle of good versus evil. Most of these elements are present in what you will find below, but I admit some liberty was taken with one or two. Before we "ride into town," I would like to point out a some notable films not considered due to the fact that I have not yet seen or it has been quite some time, let alone own them, though I would like to watch/rewatch at some point: The Magnificent Seven (both 1960 and 2016), The Searchers, Rio Bravo, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (and probably other films starring John Wayne), High Noon, How the West Was Won, Once Upon a Time in the West, and Young Guns (I and II).
As the popularity of the Western film genre began to wane, Sergio Leone made the three films known collectively as the Dollars Trilogy or Man with No Name Trilogy. While not a trilogy intended to tell stories cohesive with each other, they are instead loosely connected by Clint Eastwood's character in each, whose mannerisms and dress are similar, whose real name is not revealed and is in fact called by a different one in each. I know it is pretty well received by many, but I often call The Good, the Bad and the Ugly "quite possibly, the best Western ever made." It checks off many attributes of what makes a good one, and also just what makes a good film, including, but not limited to: three intriguing main characters with their own motives, an adventure-level race for buried treasure, a psychological aspect, an epic-length runtime that equates to an even-paced "slow burn," a great score that includes one of the most iconic themes of all time, and one of the most notable uses of the Mexican standoff as its climax. It executes it all straightforwardly without losing depth. It sets itself apart both as a Spaghetti Western and one that begins with the "stranger in these parts" premise. A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More are two other films considered and meet both criteria. Two films, also starring Eastwood and that use the unnamed stranger archetype, were considered, as well: High Plains Drifter and Pale Rider.
Beginning with 1988's Young Guns, and continuing into 1990 with its sequel, the Academy Awards' Best Picture, Dances with Wolves, and arguably Back to the Future Part III, the Western genre had a revival, one that has not ever really ceased. Bearing a metaphysical reflection on his own career as a Western star and filmmaker, Eastwood plays a repentant former gunslinger and murderer who was "tamed" by his now-deceased wife in Unforgiven. He is trying, and failing, to make a simple farm life to provide for his two children. Motivated by the means to do what is best for the children, he is drawn back into his old life and ways for a bounty. The term revisionist has been applied to many of Mr. Eastwood's Westerns, but this one really drives the point home. The "good" guy might be the best of the lot, but that does not equate to being morally aligned. Much like Blondie, the good of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, he is less the paladin and truly just the last one standing. Other films starring Clint Eastwood in which he plays a named character with a known background that were considered include Hang 'Em High, Two Mules for Sister Sara, and Joe Kidd. If for no other reason, its place here as a Revisionist Western is for its introspective statement regarding the pattern of character that makes up so much of Eastwood's career, and why it was deserving of its own accolades including the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars.
I initially eliminated all three films of Robert Rodriguez's Mexico Trilogy (it is also referred to as the Desperado Trilogy, but I prefer either El Mariachi Trilogy or simply El Trilogy), intending to take a more purist approach including time period. But I took a second look after realizing how similar a small town in Old Mexico is to this typical setting. El Mariachi has marks common to Westerns such as its unnamed protagonist is a stranger, his identity is mistaken and the corrupt lawlessness of the town. So, while contemporary with modern guns and automobiles, its feel is very much the same as every other film listed here. It is more amazing to know its production budget was around $7,000, and though this budget greatly increased in post, it remained low comparatively. Other Contemporary Westerns considered were the other two films that make up the El Trilogy, the requel and second part, Desperado, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Pure Country. Another attribute unique to this film is it fully in Spanish.
According to a Wyatt Earp biography I read (I have tried to figure out which one it is, but my search was unfruitful), Tombstone is a mostly accurate account of Earp's life, though condensed with some chronology inconsistencies as all biopics and historical movies are. The biography used available resources, such as newspaper accounts and available legal records of the time to compare. The film, of course, is merely a snapshot of his time in Tombstone and his so-called Vendetta Ride that followed. It also takes some Hollywood liberties such as the red sashes the Cowboys wear and intersperses some unconfirmed elements such as the manner of death of Johnny Ringo and the taking of an infamous photo of Josephine before she "married" Wyatt, which is more than likely inauthentic. It features an ensemble cast, with standout performances from many including but not limited to Russell, Kilmer, Elliott, Bill Paxton, Dana Delaney, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn and Stephen Lang. It is an enjoyable movie start to finish and has a little bit of everything for everyone: action, drama, comic relief, romance, epic scenery and iconic imagery. Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, a mostly fictional account of the same events, 8 Seconds, based on the life of the late Lane Frost and also a Contemporary Western, and Wyatt Earp were all considered as Westerns directly based on a real-life figure.
On its surface, The Quick and the Dead might appear as a pale attempt to recapture a different era of Western filmmaking, or to mix and match from the those released in the 1950s and Spaghetti Westerns of the 1960s, with a modern twist in either case. Admittedly, regarding its basic story, the latter is a fair assessment. But there are three major things that set it apart: first, a female lead whose actions are natural, uncommon in the genre even at the time, a great ensemble cast including early rolls for Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio, and a quirk I cannot quite identify but part of which is the stylization of the gunfights. Other films considered that do not quite fit in elsewhere (and why) are Blazing Saddles (black comedy and satire), Back to the Future Part III (comedy sci-fi with time travel), Far and Away (focusing on western expansion as opposed to traditional themes), and Wild Wild West (steampunk adaptation of the television series).
None of the other films on this list were adapted from a novel, though a couple of other runners-up have a different source medium. Once I fancied myself an amateur critic, I figured out there are two ways to assess a movie from a book, formulated as a result of contrasting opinions on Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. The first is the most obvious and the most common used as the model for critiquing, direct or based on. Simplified, that is how well it follows not only the plot of the book but specifics, as well. The second is somewhat more nuanced, properly called adapted from. Also, simplified, it should also follow the overall plot, but only needs capture the feel and free to do so in recognizing that film and page manifest distinctly from each other. (This assessment of book to film will likely be the topic of a future post.) That said, the 2010 film version of Charles Portis' 1968 novel, True Grit (which I just happen to be reading for the second time as of this writing), indeed qualifies as based on as stated in the credits. Briefly, it stays true to the book throughout including each of the principal characters, nailed by their respective actors. As it should be, Steinfeld as Mattie Ross steals the show, and this is worth the price of admission alone. I did also consider the 1969 version starring John Wayne (his only Oscar) and The Outlaw Josey Wales as books to film, though I have not read the source of the latter.
The number of animated Westerns is so few, I did not force choosing one as a subgenre. However, Rango is just what one would hope for, though granted it contains a few contemporary elements. It is my opinion that a large number of animated movies attempt to disguise the fact that they are rehashing the same tried and true storylines. But with a genre with as many entries as Westerns, there is no attempt to deceive here and instead, it embraces it fully. Even with several tropes and nods, this adoption is most apparent when the Spirit of the West turns out to be an elderly Man with No Name (modeled after Clint Eastwood and excellently voiced by Timothy Olyphant) and dispenses his wisdom to the title character, "No man can walk out of his own story." In probably the most difficult choice, An American Tail: Fievel Goes West was also considered, shamefully retconned as a dream in the far inferior DTV sequel, The Treasure of Manhattan Island.
I prefer to think of this list like a living document, though I doubt I will ever feel strongly enough to revise the post. The point, however, is it might change based upon certain factors, namely as new films are made, movies new to me, and even feelings at any given time. To that end, I am purposefully avoiding naming the ones that were harder than others to not give a slot but just know there are some. With that, signing off in 10, 9, 8, 7...
Next up...a new series of underappreciated films, starting with Terminator: Salvation!
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