Which Is The Greatest Western?

[Grub str. hack]

I wanted so much to like the Jesse James film, and whilst the performances and camera work were solid throughout I found it really hard to get into.
The story seemed disjointed, and I couldn't always tell why certain charaters wanted to kill each other. Maybe its a cultural thing. The yanks do seem to have a very flipant attitude towards taking life, much more so than us brits...
Discuss?

 

[Jon-of-arc]

I like young guns. Or young guns 2!

 

[fubert]

Three Amigos !

*gets coat*

 

[Grub str. hack]

Young guns Is definately good.

 

[blueplume]

I like too much the good, the bad and the ugly
also enjoy the classical Rio Bravo

 

[QueenOfGoths]

I wanted so much to like the Jesse James film, and whilst the performances and camera work were solid throughout I found it really hard to get into.
The story seemed disjointed, and I couldn't always tell why certain charaters wanted to kill each other. Maybe its a cultural thing. The yanks do seem to have a very flipant attitude towards taking life, much more so than us brits...
Discuss?

I know very little about that period of American history - and most of what I do know has been drawn from westerns - but do you think that they were trying to portray the violence as it was?

 

[Grub str. hack]

In the case of that film. Yeah I do. Theres other films like Badlands set at different times that deal with the fact that yanks seem to think it quite normal to kill people. It's not just a weatern thing. I find it sort of facinating and uguly that yanks seem to think killing other people is a farily normal thing...
Discuss?

 

[EddyBlack]

I wanted so much to like the Jesse James film, and whilst the performances and camera work were solid throughout I found it really hard to get into.
The story seemed disjointed, and I couldn't always tell why certain charaters wanted to kill each other. Maybe its a cultural thing. The yanks do seem to have a very flipant attitude towards taking life, much more so than us brits...
Discuss?

Many of the characters where American civil war veterans, they where violent times. The story itself, of Jesse James and those who worked togeather to have him assasinated, the suspicion this causes within the gang, and the focus on James and his assassin are very good. I know what you mean about trying to follow who was scheming against who in the gang, but this is just a background to the biography of Jesse James and his death.

 

[Grub str. hack]

Ok I take your point mate I should probably watch it again.

 

[EddyBlack]

Ok I take your point mate I should probably watch it again.

I think I need to myself, following it all was a bit confusing at times. As you say though the performances and camera work are well done, that snow covered Missouri scenery is very beautiful and atmospheric.

 

[asbestos]

El Topo

 

[asbestos]

I think I need to myself, following it all was a bit confusing at times. As you say though the performances and camera work are well done, that snow covered Missouri scenery is very beautiful and atmospheric.

Great film, well worth a few viewings.

 

[chico enrico]

So, being a major fan of Sergio Leone films, I've seen much of his Western output and I think it's fair to say that his greatest Western comes down to an, admittedly very close call, between these two:

1. Once Upon A Time In The West.

2. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly.

I've chosen these two because, on an all round basis, I reckon they're his two best Westerns and, I'd argue, possibly the two best Westerns ever made.

I had a look on Youtube and, while I could put the endings of both on this thread, that would be spoiling it for anyone who hasn't actually seen these cinematic masterpieces and, if you haven't seen them both, then you really should.

Urbanites, over to you...

yes, both amazing films but, whilst perhaps not strictly a western , probably my all time favourite film is Roger Corman's "the Intruder" (AKA "i hate your guts") another great weestern is 'today it's me - tomorrow you' which is particularly bizarre as it's all set in a forest during winter rather than a sunny desert.

loads of other great ones, will have a think. the western is a much undervalued genre, oeple often not aknowledging the psychological dimensions of many.