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 The western genre has been pretty great recently 
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Post The western genre has been pretty great recently
Seriously, for quite a long time, probably ever since Unforgiven/Tombstone until around 2003 the western genre was seen as dead by most people. Then, with Open Range that was liked by audiences and critics alike, it has made a small return, but that was followed by a long stretch without any noteworthy entries in the genre.

But 2007 gave us a double whammy of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and 3:10 to Yuma which hae both been very good on their own terms with Yuma being an extremely entertaining flick with two great leads and Jesse James being probably the best shot movie of 2007. Even the much smaller und unnoticed western flick of 2007 - Seraphim Falls - was pretty good itself. Not as good as the films mentioned above, but still decent enough with a great turn by Pierce Brosnan (better than he's ever been before!).

EDIT: Not to forget 2006's The Proposition by Nick Cave which, like Jesse James, is also a very atypical representative of the genre, but also a very well-made one. It's very gritty, yet surrealistic. Very brutal, yet poetic.

This makes me hoping for more western flicks in the future and as Yuma's and Open Range's box-office results have shown, there's at least certain demand for well-made western films out there.

What do you think of this recent return of the genre? Did you like the films? Do you think some specific director should try himself on a western genre in future?

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Last edited by Dr. Lecter on Fri May 09, 2008 8:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.



Fri May 09, 2008 7:28 pm
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Post Re: The western genre has been pretty great recently
Does Jesse James really count though? It plays with and reverses Western stereotypes, it might even be the anti-Western, but I dunno if I'd put it with the rest.

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Fri May 09, 2008 7:56 pm
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Post Re: The western genre has been pretty great recently
While it certainly is a very untypical western, it is, in fact, still a western. Even an anti-western is a western per sé.

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Fri May 09, 2008 8:15 pm
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Post Re: The western genre has been pretty great recently
I'd agree with the point but also say 3:10 to Yuma wasn't very good.

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Fri May 09, 2008 8:23 pm
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Post Re: The western genre has been pretty great recently
Yuma and Jesse James were both great films in the classic Western mould, with the former embodying the shoot-em-up style, and the latter embodying the quiet, contemplative style.

However, I'd argue that the two best films of 07 - TWBB and NCFOM - both had distinct elements of the Western in them, and helped the genre just as much as the other two films. They both took place in the southwest U.S., dealt with heavy themes and dark characters, and had a fair amount of action and violence. They may not be 'traditional' Westerns, but the influence was there.

I'm gonna be taking a class on the Western next year, which I'm very much looking forward to. I haven't seen much (if any) from before this recent hot period.

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Fri May 09, 2008 8:35 pm
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Post Re: The western genre has been pretty great recently
3:10 to Yuma and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford were very different films, but both very good.

Considering I was a "western virgin" until the past year, I'm really digging the genre's revival.

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Fri May 09, 2008 8:38 pm
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Post Re: The western genre has been pretty great recently
Also, 2006's The Proposition was a particularly incredible take on the genre from Australia, and features one of my very favorite performances from this decade (Ray Winstone's).


Fri May 09, 2008 8:39 pm
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Post Re: The western genre has been pretty great recently
trixster wrote:
Yuma and Jesse James were both great films in the classic Western mould, with the former embodying the shoot-em-up style, and the latter embodying the quiet, contemplative style.

However, I'd argue that the two best films of 07 - TWBB and NCFOM - both had distinct elements of the Western in them, and helped the genre just as much as the other two films. They both took place in the southwest U.S., dealt with heavy themes and dark characters, and had a fair amount of action and violence. They may not be 'traditional' Westerns, but the influence was there.

I'm gonna be taking a class on the Western next year, which I'm very much looking forward to. I haven't seen much (if any) from before this recent hot period.


Agreed about TWBB and especially NCFOM. No Country didn't just have distinct elements. It was basically a modern anti-western. Blood certainly was influenced by westerns in style, but No Country, as I said, is essentially the closest you can get to a western without actually being one.

You should check out Seraphim Falls, trix, you might like this too.

As for the older westerns...have you seen igh Noon? If not, it's a must-see. Obviously, same goes for Leone flicks.

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Fri May 09, 2008 8:40 pm
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Post Re: The western genre has been pretty great recently
Oh, yes, Jon!

How could I forget that one?! The Proposition was pretty brilliant too. As far as style goes, I'd even put it above Jesse James. It's a very very harsh movie.

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Post Re: The western genre has been pretty great recently
Dr. Lecter wrote:
trixster wrote:
Yuma and Jesse James were both great films in the classic Western mould, with the former embodying the shoot-em-up style, and the latter embodying the quiet, contemplative style.

However, I'd argue that the two best films of 07 - TWBB and NCFOM - both had distinct elements of the Western in them, and helped the genre just as much as the other two films. They both took place in the southwest U.S., dealt with heavy themes and dark characters, and had a fair amount of action and violence. They may not be 'traditional' Westerns, but the influence was there.

I'm gonna be taking a class on the Western next year, which I'm very much looking forward to. I haven't seen much (if any) from before this recent hot period.


Agreed about TWBB and especially NCFOM. No Country didn't just have distinct elements. It was basically a modern anti-western. Blood certainly was influenced by westerns in style, but No Country, as I said, is essentially the closest you can get to a western without actually being one.

You should check out Seraphim Falls, trix, you might like this too.

As for the older westerns...have you seen igh Noon? If not, it's a must-see. Obviously, same goes for Leone flicks.

Seraphim Falls is on my list. It kinda fell through the cracks, but I'll see it.

As for older westerns... seen Good, Bad + Ugly and Magnificent Seven, so yeah. High Noon and The Searchers are two I definitely want to check out. Well, all of Ford's stuff, really.

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Fri May 09, 2008 8:43 pm
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Post Re: The western genre has been pretty great recently
The Searchers is one I've been meaning to see for a long time too. Should get to it.

Another one on my list is The Wild Bunch.

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Fri May 09, 2008 8:46 pm
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Post Re: The western genre has been pretty great recently
I think if someone stumbles on the right combination of elements--a hip but broadly appealing cast, a studio willing to back it up, and some kind of hook, a western could absolutely storm the gates and be huge. I'm certain of this.


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Post Re: The western genre has been pretty great recently
Dr. Lecter wrote:
Another one on my list is The Wild Bunch.

Don't bother, it's a waste of time.

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Post Re: The western genre has been pretty great recently
Seraphim falls was great. I loved that film. Pierce Brosnan jumping out of a dead animal and killing people is an image that certainly stays with you.

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Post Re: The western genre has been pretty great recently
Thegun wrote:
Seraphim falls was great. I loved that film. Pierce Brosnan jumping out of a dead animal and killing people is an image that certainly stays with you.

Agreed. It's very good.

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