Tuesday, June 17, 2008
American Film Institute’s Top Westerns
Movies
I just watched the American Film Institutes’s list of top ten westerns and was absolutely appalled. Here they are in as near an order as I can remember:
Cat Ballou
Stagecoach
McCabe and Mrs Miller
Butch and Sundance
The Wild Bunch
Red River
Unforgiven
Shane
High Noon
The Searchers (#1)
While I am not as big a fan of The Searchers as others, I recognize that it’s viewed as a classic of film—not just of westerns—so I suppose it deserves it’s spot. I also don’t have a beef with Stagecoach, Red River, Shane and High Noon.
I’m less certain of The Wild Bunch and Unforgiven. But I can see why some would include them.
But how, I ask, are Cat Ballou, McCabe and Mrs Miller and even Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid even considered for the top ten? All of those were tongue-in-cheek westerns, made with a 1970s “we’re smarter than you”, mocking the westerns type of mentality.
I submit that any of the following would have been better choices than those three:
The Magnificent Seven
The Tall T
Ride The High Country
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Rio Bravo
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
My Darling Clementine
The Big Country
The Violent Men
Dances With Wolves
Open Range
Here, then is my top ten list, counting down to #1
Open Range
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Magnificent Seven
The Big Country
Stagecoach
High Noon
Shane
The Searchers
Ride the High Country (#1)
What’s yours? Leave a comment below:
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Absolutely with you on The Magnificent Seven, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, and The Big Country. I might try and squeeze The Treasure of The Sierra Madre in there too, if’n that’s ok, Partner?
Posted by on 06/23 at 04:36 AM | #
I thought about Treasure, but wasn’t sure it was a western. Don’t know what it is ...
Posted by on 06/23 at 06:10 AM | #
hi. definately agree with rio bravo, although of all the ‘wayne’ westerns i prefer ‘the sons of katie elder’. my favourite is ‘bend of the river’ and james stewart gives a very humanised portrait of a western hero-not all bravado and glam. ‘winchester 73’ is another that would certainly just about place above a couple in that original list !!! finally, and to competely throw-a-spanner-into the works, what about ‘westworld’ ?
i suppose, strictly, it shouldnt be considered but the western scenes are some of the most menacing i can recall.
Posted by on 09/04 at 03:34 PM | #