Cowboys, Indians and Mel Brooks; Five must-see films
“The Western has always been a definitively American art form,” said Jeffrey Richardson, Gamble curator of Western history, popular culture and firearms at the Autry National Center of the American West in Los Angeles. “It’s one that has grown and evolved over time, but unfortunately, it has been in decline over the past 50 years.”
The Western doesn’t have the same place in the minds of young people that it does for the baby boomer generation, which grew up on the movies of John Wayne, Gary Cooper and Clint Eastwood, and television series such as “Gunsmoke,” “Bonanza” and “Wagon Train.” The Western is an empty word for them, conjuring images of cowboys and campfires but disassociated from the true heart behind them: the survivalist sentiments and moral lessons.
Even Richardson, who is 35, says he didn’t grow up on Western movies – and he’s made a career out of the genre.
Still, every few years, the Western makes a reappearance. There was the remake of the classic “True Grit” (2010), starring Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon, and the more contemporary Western “No Country for Old Men” (2007), starring Tommy Lee Jones and Javier Bardem. But neither completely won over young audiences as the former was rated PG-13 and the latter R.
Richardson thinks the revival of “The Lone Ranger” has a shot at changing that (although it too is PG-13).
“The marketing might of Disney and Johnny Depp might make this a little different – hopefully ignite a passion of a much younger audience,” he said.
Not only was the film shot on location in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, but modern technology also adds an entirely new component, especially in comparison to many great Western films that weren’t even shot outdoors, Richardson notes. He says he hopes “The Lone Ranger” delivers a good combination of live action and computer-generated imagery that appeals to younger and older audiences.
On the occasion of “The Lone Ranger’s” release, Richardson shared his top five Western films:
“Unforgiven” (1992)
This film, directed by and starring Eastwood, follows retired gunslinger William Munny (Eastwood) as he takes one last job after a prostitute is disfigured by cowboys. A darker Western, “it really shows the moral and social complexity of the Western genre,” Richardson said. “It was one of the few I saw as a kid in the theater. I thought Westerns were very simplistic, and this film was so much more than that.”
The film went on to win an Academy Award for best picture, the third Western to do so – following on the spurs of “Cimarron” (1931) and “Dances With Wolves” (1990).
“High Noon” (1952)
“It’s the most screened movie by the White House,” Richardson said. It doesn’t conform to the typical action-packed Western scenario. “Really, it is quite slow and very methodical,” Richardson said. “The build-up and pacing to the climactic action is confined to the ending minutes, but the drama and suspense is quite powerful.”
Gary Cooper plays Will Kane, a longtime marshal in New Mexico who is newly married to Amy (Grace Kelly) and about to turn in his badge when he learns that a man he once arrested is seeking revenge. Kane turns back to help, but the townspeople refuse to assist him, so he must act alone.
“The Wild Bunch” (1969)
The most violent of the group, this Sam Peckinpah film traces a pack of outlaws on the Texas border who look for one last robbery, as the West is becoming more gentrified all around them. “It showed the excitement of the West, but in somewhat of a more unrelenting style that really showed the consequences of violence,” Richardson said.
“The Searchers” (1956)
“I would probably lose my job if I didn’t mention at least one John Wayne-John Ford collaboration,” Richardson said. Probably no other actor has starred in more Westerns than Wayne, who was known for his rugged, masculine look that made him the perfect cowboy. But in this one, “you really see him as a human and not a caricature. He (Wayne) shows an entire range of emotion,” Richardson said.
“Blazing Saddles” (1974)
No Western movie list is complete without this comedic classic. This satire stars Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder and is directed by Mel Brooks, who also appears in multiple supporting roles. The film is filled with oddities and anachronisms – such as its black lawman, Sheriff Bart (Little). “It has that heart of absurdity that really skewers the genre in ways that are fun and informative,” Richardson said, especially in the scene where Sheriff Bart holds himself hostage.