Western Movies

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

High Plains Drifter (1973)

A classy western about a mysterious stranger who basically takes over a frontier mining town that's terrified of three outlaws fresh out of jail who are returning to mete out their own brand of frontier justice on the corrupt town. Taking advantage of the towns folk's fear the stranger takes what he wants and does what he wants whilst the frightened citizens can do nothing about it.

Clint Eastwood daubs the word 'Hell' over the town of Lago's sign but it could quite easily have been 'Retribution' as the great man plays the vengeful spirit of a marshal whipped to death in the street by the three criminals whilst the towns folk stood by watching doing nothing to help the stricken law man.

Depending on which i've watched the most recently this vies with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) as Eastwood's greatest western. It's a stylish, brutal allegory with jet black humour and paranoia to the fore.

One of those films that's once seen, never forgotten.

[Demoncrat]

"Hell" barely fits as it is D.

A film I return to sparingly, as it holds the attention like no other.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

"Hell" barely fits as it is D.

A film I return to sparingly, as it holds the attention like no other.

It did, he just scrawled it on really sloppily.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

One of the great revisionist westerns. McCabe and Mrs. Miller is a bleak and uncompromising look at life in a small mining town in Washington state at the turn of the twentieth century as new in town gambler John McCabe (Warren Beatty) establishes a makeshift whorehouse in order to fund his passion for cards until Constance Miller (Julie Christie) , an English madam, arrives and strikes a deal with Beatty to run his brothel for him.

As they become more successful a mining conglomerate offer to buy out McCabe and Mrs. Miller as well as the local zinc mines but they refuse to sell so the unscrupulous company send three gunmen after McCabe.

I keep saying town, it's more a case of wooden shacks and a large church to house the miners in the freezing winter months and it's beautifully atmospheric as the snow falls and the majesty of Leonard Cohen's soundtrack penetrates the cold like a ray of sunshine. Director Robert Altman has an interesting way of introducing us to McCabe and his venture into town. Altman seemingly flits his camera about as McCabe wanders so does the camera and the sound, we half listen in on conversations in the way a lost soul would do at a party and it makes an unconventional yet extremely realistic way to meet the characters.

There's an astounding sense of realism to the whole film. The ladies of the brothel are not glamorous good time showgirls so euphemistically observed in classic Hollywood productions, far from it in fact, but i suppose desperation and loneliness was something the miners really struggled with in the harsh realities of the frontier.

The final showdown has a similar realism. It's not a gun fight at High Noon or the OK Corral, there's no fanfare or big build up it kind of matter of factly happens in the snow early in the morning and it sums up this gorgeously filmed yet often harrowing movie rather poetically.

[Justin101]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

The Man from Laramie (1955)

A terrific western from director Anthony Mann in which James Stewart plays the man in question seeking whoever was responsible for supplying rifles to the Apaches that killed his brother.

This is a tough and uncompromising film and one of those Stewart / Mann collaborations that changed the face of the American western during the fifties. The scene in which Stewart is shot through the hand as a form of torture is memorable if not graphic.

There's a nice sub plot of infighting between rancher Donald Crisp and his sons Alex Nicol (natural) and Arthur Kennedy (adopted) which tend to dominate great swathes of the film but they really add to the way the action builds up in a tense finale.

The Man from Laramie was one of the very first westerns to be shot in CinemaScope which really captures beautifully the vast landscape of the American west.

Just finished watching this one, and I absolutely loved it. My journey of Westerns has gotten off to a great start, I've liked all of the ones I've seen so far! Maybe I've been a westerns fan this whole time?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Justin101

Just finished watching this one, and I absolutely loved it. My journey of Westerns has gotten off to a great start, I've liked all of the ones I've seen so far! Maybe I've been a westerns fan this whole time?

Fantastic! Have you any more to watch?

There's a couple of Eureka releases i recommend. Two Rode Together and Day of the Outlaw. The latter is a beautifully bleak snowbound film.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B015OBHC...v_ov_lig_dp_it

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B015OBHC...v_ov_lig_dp_it

I have upgraded my dvd of Two Rode Together but not watched it yet but really need to get Outlaw on Blu.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Rio Bravo (1959)

Probably Howard Hawks greatest film and an inspiration to the likes of John Carpenter and Quentin Tarantino. Rio Bravo takes all Hawks traits of men under duress in a 'base under siege' and snappy dialogue to create the an almost perfect western.

Although the first twenty minutes may make you think otherwise the further into this hundred and forty minute film you get the more invested you become.

The plot is simple; Three lawmen have to keep a killer locked up in the jail house until the marshals arrive whilst the killers friends mass outside waiting for their moment to step in and break him out.

It's barely enough plot for an hour really until you get to grips with the characters and generally explore them in what is a brilliant character study. John Wayne's heroic sheriff who struggles with his feelings towards the excellent Angie Dickinson's femme fatale. Whilst a melancholic Dean Martin suffers with alcoholism throughout and hobbling Walter Brennan guards the prisoner from the jail house. Meanwhile Ricky Nelson's gunslinger is desperate to get in on the act.

With half an hour to go just when you think things can't get any better we get to see a cool as f*ck impromptu jam session in the jail house with Martin on vocals, Nelson on guitar and vocals and Brennan on harmonica as Wayne (and myself) can barely stop grinning as the film reaches it's level of near perfection before the action packed finale.

Delighted to have finally seen this on Blu-ray.

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Rio Bravo (1959)

Probably Howard Hawks greatest film and an inspiration to the likes of John Carpenter and Quentin Tarantino. Rio Bravo takes all Hawks traits of men under duress in a 'base under siege' and snappy dialogue to create the an almost perfect western.

Although the first twenty minutes may make you think otherwise the further into this hundred and forty minute film you get the more invested you become.

The plot is simple; Three lawmen have to keep a killer locked up in the jail house until the marshals arrive whilst the killers friends mass outside waiting for their moment to step in and break him out.

It's barely enough plot for an hour really until you get to grips with the characters and generally explore them in what is a brilliant character study. John Wayne's heroic sheriff who struggles with his feelings towards the excellent Angie Dickinson's femme fatale. Whilst a melancholic Dean Martin suffers with alcoholism throughout and hobbling Walter Brennan guards the prisoner from the jail house. Meanwhile Ricky Nelson's gunslinger is desperate to get in on the act.

With half an hour to go just when you think things can't get any better we get to see a cool as f*ck impromptu jam session in the jail house with Martin on vocals, Nelson on guitar and vocals and Brennan on harmonica as Wayne (and myself) can barely stop grinning as the film reaches it's level of near perfection before the action packed finale.

Delighted to have finally seen this on Blu-ray.

How does Rio Bravo look on blu ray Dem?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by J Harker

How does Rio Bravo look on blu ray Dem?

Good, nice amount of grain makes it look cinematic whilst the outdoor scenes look stunning in their clarity.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Rio Bravo (1959)

Excellent review of a brilliant film, Dem