The Western genre has been a defining hallmark of cinema ever since it first rose to prominence as far back as the 1930s. Reaching its pinnacle in the 50s and 60s, it became emblematic of American film with screen icons like John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, and Gary Cooper prolific stars of the genre. However, with the advent of Italy’s spaghetti Westerns, which surged in popularity through the 60s, the Western has become a cherished pillar of cinema’s identity on the global stage.
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One of the strengths of the Western, and the reason for its evergreen timelessness, has been its willingness to constantly evolve, with each new generation of filmmakers able to re-align the genre to contemporary sensitivities. As such, the Westerns’ greatest films span across the better part of a century. From pioneering classics of the 30s and 40s to modern day iterations of the genre, and everything in between, the 20 best Westerns of all time make up some of cinema’s most iconic and enduring achievements.
20 ‘Shane’ (1953)
Director: George Stevens
Image via Paramount Pictures
A Western classic that was catapulted back into mainstream consciousness with its appearance in, and influence on, 2017’s superhero hit Logan, Shane is a brilliant and contemplative example of the genre. Set in 1880s Wyoming, it follows the titular bounty hunter as he arrives in a small town and begins working as a farmhand. As Shane (Alan Ladd) befriends the family who employ him, he begins dreaming of a quieter life on the homestead, before the arrival of a ruthless cattle baron forces the gunslinger to take up arms once more.
One of the most influential films in Western cinema, its tale of a violent man hoping to settle into some normality and peace only to return to his brutal ways for the greater good is one which has been replicated countless times. Few films, however, have done it with as much pathos as Shane. Rich with gorgeous views that embody the Old West, Shane won Best Cinematography at the Oscars while also earning a further five nominations.
Shane
Release Date April 23, 1953
Director George Stevens
Cast Jean Arthur , Van Heflin , Jack Palance
Runtime 118m
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19 ‘True Grit’ (2010)
Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Image via Paramount Pictures
An exceptionally rare case where a remake surpasses the original film, the Coen Brothers’ re-creation of the 1969 John Wayne classic was masterful. With young Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) desperate to avenge her murdered father, she enlists the crotchety, drunken US Marshall veteran Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to help her bring the culprit to justice while insisting that she accompanies him on his journey.
True Grit represented the first pure-genre film by the Coens. It was an exercise they excelled in as well, with True Grit perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the Old West while drawing terrific performances from the talented cast. In addition to being one of the best Western movies of the 21st century, it also stands as one of the best movies of 2011, one which received 10 Academy Award nominations.
True Grit
Release Date December 22, 2010
Director Ethan Coen , Joel Coen
Runtime 110
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18 ‘McCabe & Mrs. Miller’ (1971)
Director: Robert Altman
Image via Warner Bros.
Described as an “anti-Western,” McCabe & Mrs. Miller abandoned more flashy, cinematic ideas of the Old West and was more invested in depicting the way people actually lived. Directed by Robert Altman, it follows gambler John McCabe (Warren Beatty) as he arrives in a quiet mining town and opens a brothel. While many of the townsfolk are charmed by the enterprising newcomer, cockney prostitute Constance Miller (Julie Christie) is awake to his facade and makes herself his business partner.
A revisionist Western decades before the introspective subgenre became a trending idea, McCabe & Mrs. Miller is viewed by many to be among the greatest Westerns of all time. Bereft of macho heroism and suave shootouts, its focus on ordinary yet complicated people in a brutal though romanticized era remains a fresh take on the genre even more than 50 years since its release.
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Release Date July 8, 1971
Runtime 120 minutes
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17 ‘3:10 to Yuma’ (2007)
Director: James Mangold
Image via Lionsgate
While it could be viewed as another Western remake that served as an improvement on the original film, James Mangold’s 3:10 to Yuma is probably more adequately described as its own adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s short story “Three-Ten to Yuma.” Making use of a brilliant cast, it follows small-time rancher Dan Evans (Christian Bale) who, desperate for money, agrees to help transport a dangerous outlaw, Ben Wade (Russell Crowe), to the train station.
While there are plenty of twists and turns on the journey, 3:10 to Yuma isn’t so much a triumph for its story as much as it was celebrated for its effortlessly smooth presentation. Bale and Crowe were both magnificent in their starring roles, portraying the characters’ initial opposition with an understated sincerity which made the respect that evolved between the two men all the more compelling.
16 ‘The Magnificent Seven’ (1960)
Director: John Sturges
Image via United Artists
An adoring recreation of Akira Kurosawa’s mesmerizing samurai epic Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven has become a true classic in its own right, one which maintained many of the Japanese film’s beats while adorning them in a cowboy aesthetic. A rousing tale of honor and camaraderie, it follows seven gunslingers who agree to help a poor Mexican village fight back against a group of bandits.
The film was largely defined by its incredible ensemble cast, with Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and James Coburg as just some of the iconic actors appearing. With its rollicking score, conflicting character motivations, and emotionally arresting tale all feeding into the film’s overt though surprisingly earnest and welcoming masculinity, The Magnificent Seven remains just as triumphant a viewing experience today as it was way back in 1960.
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Release Date October 12, 1960
Director John Sturges
Runtime 128 Minutes
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15 ‘Stagecoach’ (1939)
Director: John Ford
Image via United Artists
After working prolifically through the late 20s and the entirety of the 1930s, John Wayne finally got his big break in the now-revered Western classic, Stagecoach. Set in the 1880s, it follows the clashing personalities aboard a stagecoach bound for Lordsburg, New Mexico. With a drunk, a philosophizer, a prostitute, and Wayne’s vengeful outlaw, the Ringo Kid, among the travelers, their trek sees the nine passengers begin to understand one another as the ever-present threat of an Apache attack hangs heavy over their voyage.
A universal story about human interaction, Stagecoach has managed to both transcend the Western genre and become one of the finest examples of it. It made exceptional use of the striking views of Monument Valley – making the location a staple of Western cinema for decades to come – while also displaying Hollywood legend John Ford at his film-making best. A highlight of the astonishing year 1939 was for film, Stagecoach has become a timeless achievement in cinematic storytelling.
Stagecoach
Release Date March 2, 1939
Director John Ford
Runtime 1 hr 36 min
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14 ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’ (1976)
Director: Clint Eastwood
Image via Warner Bros
One of the genre’s greatest stars, Clint Eastwood’s service to Western cinema has perhaps never been more evident than it was in The Outlaw Josey Wales, a film in which he directed and starred. A revenge thriller dressed up as a Western, it follows a Missouri farmer who embarks on a quest for revenge when his wife and son are murdered by Union soldiers. Joining a Confederate guerrilla unit to get closer to his target, he becomes a notorious and feared gunslinger.
While a gritty and grimy picture that hearkens back to Eastwood’s work on the Dollars Trilogy, The Outlaw Josey Wales has more sensitivity on display and also doubles as an effective and damning anti-war film. With a sharper sense of humanity and more regard for the consequences of violence, it can be viewed as an evolutionary step in the context of Eastwood’s career in Western cinema, as well as a powerful film in its own right.
The Outlaw Josey Wales
Release Date June 30, 1976
Cast Clint Eastwood , Chief Dan George , Sondra Locke , Bill McKinney , John Vernon , Paula Trueman
Runtime 135 minutes
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13 ‘A Fistful of Dollars’ (1964)
Director: Sergio Leone
Image via Unidis
In addition to being one of the greatest trilogies ever made, Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy also serves as a major influence on Western cinema over the past 60 years. Another film that took inspiration from the samurai films of Akira Kurosawa, A Fistful of Dollars was a Western re-imagining of the Japanese director’s 1962 picture, Yojimbo. It follows Eastwood’s nameless protagonist as he arrives in a town split by two feuding criminal factions and plays the gangs against each other.
With a low budget, few English-speaking actors, and a relative unknown in Clint Eastwood starring, the film seemed doomed to fail. However, its lack of polish gave it a gritty authenticity that America’s blockbuster Westerns lacked, and the rougher aesthetic was complemented by a grimier story and an out-for-himself anti-hero who remains the best gunslinger in film. A Fistful of Dollars’ unexpected financial success saw it become a pioneer of spaghetti Western cinema, as well as one of the best movies the subgenre has to offer.
A Fistful of Dollars
Release Date January 18, 1964
Director Sergio Leone , Monte Hellman
Cast Clint Eastwood , Marianne Koch , Gian Maria Volonte , Wolfgang Lukschy , Sieghardt Rupp , Joseph Egger
Runtime 99
12 ‘The Searchers’ (1956)
Director: John Ford
Image via Warner Bros.
John Wayne has become a cinematic icon for his trademark heroism and chivalry, but The Searchers is viewed by many to be his greatest picture because of his against-type performance. Wayne portrays Ethan Edwards, a Civil War veteran who returns home to find his family murdered, and his niece abducted by a Comanche tribe. Refusing to give up on the young girl, Ethan and his nephew set out on a rescue mission that spans years.
The Searchers cut deeper into the fabric of Western tropes than most other movies even thought of, addressing the violent characters and underlying racism the genre often exhibited casually. Nothing evinced this more powerfully than Wayne’s career-best performance as the openly racist and viciously spiteful protagonist. In many respects, The Searchers is an even better film to watch today, as people’s understanding of topics like racism, violence, and frontier life is more mature and better informed.
The Searchers
Release Date May 26, 1956
Director John Ford
Cast John Wayne , Jeffrey Hunter , Vera Miles , Ward Bond , Natalie Wood
Runtime 119 minutes
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11 ‘High Noon’ (1952)
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Image via United Artists
A rather contentious film upon release, High Noon was met with fiercely mixed reviews as a complete subversion of Western tropes, but it has come to be revered as one of the most commanding and daring films in the genre. Gary Cooper stars as Will Kane, a newlywed marshal whose plans of settling down are disrupted when he learns a freed criminal he imprisoned is coming to town for revenge. Kane’s attempts to form a posse to fight with him falter as the townsfolk reject him or flee.
The tale of one man, cast out by his own community, and forced to go into battle alone stoked the ire of many. John Wayne even described the film as “the most un-American thing I’ve ever seen”. The conjecture is made all the more intriguing considering High Noon’s screenwriter, Carl Foreman, was blacklisted for having Communist sympathies. Over 70 years on, though, High Noon is a universally celebrated movie that is admired as one of the earliest revisionist Westerns. It won four Academy Awards from seven nominations.
High Noon
Release Date June 9, 1952
Director Fred Zinnemann
Cast Gary Cooper , Thomas Mitchell , Lloyd Bridges , Katy Jurado , Grace Kelly , Otto Kruger
Runtime 85
10 ‘The Wild Bunch’ (1969)
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Image via Warner Bros.
The barnstorming breakout of director Sam Packinpah, The Wild Bunch was as shocking as it was sensational, becoming a critically applauded hit shrouded in controversy. An ultra-violent masterpiece, it follows a crew of aging outlaws looking to make one last big score before retiring as the world around them rapidly changes. However, the heist turns out to be an ambush that sees the gunmen flee to Mexico, where they cross paths with a vicious general in the Mexican Federal Army.
Boasting a wide cast of characters which ranged from sadistic villains to remorseful killers, The Wild Bunch made for a more mature and nuanced Western than many that had come before it. Its contemplation on, and skewering of, violence as a spectacle, and what that makes of an audience, was as relentless as it was brutal. Its capacity to affect audiences has diluted little over the decades, with the film earning universal praise retrospectively.
The Wild Bunch
Release Date June 19, 1969
Director Sam Peckinpah
Runtime 135 Minutes
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9 ‘Rio Bravo’ (1959)
Director: Howard Hawks
Image via Warner Bros.
Another of John Wayne’s classic films, Rio Bravo was cited as being his and director Howard Hawks’ retort to the aforementioned High Noon. Wayne stars as John T. Chance, a small-town sheriff whose arrest of a local cattle baron for murder sees the crook’s vicious gang ride into town to break him out of prison. In response, Chance enlists the aid of the town drunk, a young gunslinger, and a crotchety old man to defend the town and hold the criminals accountable.
An embracing of all that was glorious about the American Westerns of the 50s and 60s, Rio Bravo had the honorable underdog heroes fighting for what was right against a wave of uncivilized evil. Boasting an all-star cast which included Angie Dickinson, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, and Walter Brennan, it is a true icon of American cinema. It also helped popularize the siege movie, with John Carpenter stating it inspired his cult classic Assault on Precinct 13.
Rio Bravo
Release Date April 4, 1959
Director Howard Hawks
Cast John Wayne , Dean Martin , Ricky Nelson , Angie Dickinson , Walter Brennan , Ward Bond , John Russell
Runtime 141
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8 ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ (1969)
Director: George Roy Hill
Image via 20th Century Studios
One of the best aspects of the Western genre is the interesting and complex characters it creates, whether they are fictional or, in the case of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, mythicized versions of actual people. Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) serves as the quick-thinking leader of the Hole-in-the-Wall gang, with the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) as his trusty right-hand man. However, when the crew’s train robbery goes bad, the two outlaws must flee to Bolivia to evade the law.
The titular duo makes for one of the greatest pairings in cinematic history, with Newman and Redford’s incredible chemistry the defining quality of the film. Also imbued with some excellent action sequences, a rewarding love story, strong comedic instincts, and an unforgettable ending, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a highlight of 1960s American cinema which revolutionized what a Western could be.
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7 ‘The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance’ (1962)
Director: John Ford
Image via Paramount Pictures
The notion of Western heroes and quick-drawing cowboys has become something of a modern American myth. Few movies have delved into the difference between history in earnest and the great American fable of the Old West quite like The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance which followed U.S. Senator Ransom Stoddard (Jimmy Stewart) as he and his family attend the funeral of a humble rancher, Tom Doniphon (John Wayne). With questions asked as to why a Senator would be there, Stoddard speaks to the media about his old friend.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was more considered than the average Western, and showcased an enticing eagerness to contemplate the nature and identity of the genre. It was the second last of 14 films Wayne and John Ford worked on as star and director and it has become an icon of Western cinema, enduring as one of America’s greatest-ever movies.
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6 ‘For a Few Dollars More’ (1965)
Director: Sergio Leone
Image via United Artists
The second film of Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy, For a Few Dollars More sees Clint Eastwood reprising his role as the poncho-wearing Man with No Name, while Lee Van Cleef entered the fray as his unlikely ally. It centers on the uneasy bond between a bounty hunter and a former army officer as they pursue El Indio (Gian Maria Volonté), a cold-blooded bank robber, murderer, and rapist who is at large after being broken out of prison by his gang.
Few Westerns were able to realize grizzled gunslingers quite like Leone’s Dollars Trilogy and, where so many of the greatest examples of the genre have subverted or challenged violence as a central trope, For a Few Dollars More actively embraced it. The result was a heart-racing, engrossing, and intense film that made outstanding use of Ennio Morricone’s sublime score to be a glorious display of spaghetti Western cinema.
For a Few Dollars More
Release Date May 10, 1965
Director Sergio Leone
Cast Clint Eastwood , Lee Van Cleef , Gian Maria Volonte , Mara Krupp , Luigi Pistilli , Klaus Kinski
Runtime 132
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5 ‘The Treasure of the Sierra Madre’ (1948)
Director: John Huston
Image via Warner Bros.
It’s a big call considering he also made The Maltese Falcon, but the 1948 Western adventure film The Treasure of the Sierra Madre could be John Huston’s greatest picture. Set in 1920s Mexico, it follows two American drifters who, having fallen on unfortunate times, team-up with a veteran prospector and trek into the Sierra Madre in search of gold. While they find the treasure they seek, they also find great dangers in the form of lurking bandits and the growing distrust within their own little gang.
In addition to being a tremendous Western, The Maltese Falcon also stands as a gripping psychological thriller and a dazzling adventure movie. Hollywood icon Humphrey Bogart turned in a career-best performance, while it also saw Huston win the only Oscars of his career (Best Director and Best Screenplay). Despite the story being re-worked multiple times, none of its remakes have come close to surpassing it.
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
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4 ‘Django Unchained’ (2012)
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Quentin Tarantino’s foray into spaghetti Western cinema with Django Unchained is not only one of the best examples of the Western genre at large, but one of the most infectiously enjoyable films of the 21st century as well. The revenge thriller follows Django (Jamie Foxx), a freed slave who is recruited by German bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) to help him identify three wanted men. As their bond grows, Schultz devises a plan to help Django get his wife back from the eccentric yet cruel plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).
A tribute to the many spaghetti Western classics that came before it, Django Unchained was quick to tip its hat while indulging in an onslaught of foul-mouthed ultra-violence the likes of which the genre has seldom seen. The end result marks one of Quentin Tarantino’s best movies and a rousing reminder that Western cinema can still excel in the modern age, not only as revisionist drama but as a major box office drawcard as well.
3 ‘Unforgiven’ (1992)
Director: Clint Eastwood
Image via Warner Bros.
Nearly 30 years after he became a staple of Western cinema, Clint Eastwood was just about ready to hang up the ten-gallon hat and leave his spurs behind, but not before giving one final, fond farewell to the genre that made his career. A masterpiece that gives substantial weight to the violence on display, Unforgiven follows long-retired gunfighter Will Munny (Eastwood) as he takes up arms again to track the bounty on a cowboy who disfigured a prostitute’s face.
With Munny’s ruthless backstory an ever-present shadow that hangs over the character and the story, Unforgiven strips away the myth and romance of the Old West and instead revels in the harsh realities of life in that era. Marking what is undoubtedly Eastwood’s most committed work in the genre, Unforgiven saw him put in a career-best performance. He was also recognized by the Academy Awards with the film winning Best Director and Best Picture among four total wins and nine nominations.
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2 ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ (1969)
Director: Sergio Leone
Image via Paramount Pictures
Few directors have held such a defining grasp over a genre as Sergio Leone had on spaghetti Westerns. Following the success of the Dollars Trilogy, he put forth another classic with Once Upon a Time in the West, a film many consider to be his magnum opus. It follows a mysterious stranger known only as Harmonica (Charles Bronson) who helps an outlaw protect a widow whose land is being sought after by a vicious mercenary working for the railroad.
Immortalized by Ennio Morricone’s sublime score, Henry Fonda’s striking villainous performance, and its gloriously epic story which, while convoluted, gradually unfolds over the film’s 166-minute runtime, Once Upon a Time in the West marked what was perhaps the most ambitious venture of Leone’s career. In the decades since its release, Once Upon a Time in the West has come to be celebrated as one of the best Western movies of all time and one of the most influential accomplishments in cinematic history.
Once Upon a Time in the West
Release Date July 4, 1969
Director Sergio Leone
Runtime 166 minutes
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1 ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ (1966)
Director: Sergio Leone
Image via Produzioni Europee Associate
With Morricone’s timeless and ubiquitous score, its stunning visuals, exceptional performances, and its engrossing tale of greed, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is the greatest Western of all time. It follows the uneasy alliance formed between “Blondie” (Eastwood) and the slippery Tuco (Eli Wallach), with each man knowing half of the secret to the whereabouts of a stash of Confederate gold. All the while, they are pursued by the vicious killer Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef) who wants to get his hands on the treasure as well.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is a masterpiece of cinematic immersion, using everything from the sweeping cinematography to the pacing and the music to engross the viewer in the Old West, a cut-throat world of betrayal and greed. Additionally, it also manages to be an exuberant and fun watch, with the comedic chemistry between Eastwood and Wallach a treat as their characters try to outwit and manipulate one another. Culminating in one of the greatest scenes ever filmed, is still revered as one of the finest films ever released.
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NEXT:The Best Neo-Westerns of the 21st Century