The Top Western films that aren’t The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Can't sit through three hours of Spaghetti Western? Try these on for size instead...
The Top Western films that aren’t The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
When we think of Westerns we think of Clint Eastwood. This association, as you will see later, is one I cannot easily escape from either. The final instalment in Sergio Leone’s ‘Dollars’ trilogy, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is considered Eastwood’s quintessential performance. The very definition of iconic, this film essentially defines an entire genre. However, at almost 3 hours long it’s hardly a welcoming introduction for new fans. Perhaps the following will prove an easier ride:
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
A re-working of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven tells the classic tale of a gang of heroes coming together to protect a poor village from a gang of thugs. Here, however, the hordes of bandits are met by gunslingers rather than Rōnin. Characters are key in this film and the flawlessly cast set of heroes does not disappoint, with Steve McQueen, Yul Brynner, and Charles Bronson all giving stand out performances.
Serenity (2005)
How boring would the Western genre be if it was refined to grizzled middle-aged men in 1800s America? The idea of a ‘space western’ is admittedly strange but makes perfect sense in light of this film. Serenity picks up where the infamously-cancelled television show Firefly left off. Malcolm Reynolds and his renegade crew return for one last adventure as they evade the might of a military regime and men gone mad at the edge of space.
Unforgiven (1992)
Told you I couldn’t ignore Eastwood. Here, the golden boy of Westerns presents a gritty and realistic take on an established formula; unlike many similar films, Unforgiven gives us equal measures of character development and thrills. Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman join Eastwood himself on this tale of revenge, as antihero William Munney takes on one last job. The ending scene – which I still remember my dad excitedly recounting to me before my first viewing – features some of the most quotable lines and blood-pumping action ever put to film.
