If I Were to only Watch ONE Western Movie, which should it be?

I really want to watch a western movie, but I plan on only watching one for now. Which is the best of the best that epitomizes Western movies? Im thinking The Good the Bad and the Ugly, Unforgiven, and True Grit as I often prefer newer movies for their better film quality. Any recommendations?

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Back to the Future 3, obviously.

Book was better but Dustin was great!

You won't find anything better than Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)



Yeah, Dustin was quite a squaw crasher there.

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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.

Those are three really bad choices, those are the westerns you watch after you see a bunch of other westerns.

1. Tombstone (1993)
2. The Wild Bunch (1969)
3. High Noon (1952)
4. The Searchers(1956)
5. 3:10 to Yuma(2007)

And if that works for you


6. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) - this is the greatest western but it would be like reading Moby Dick for your first book
7. Unforgiven(1992)
8/9/10 - A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Westerns have THE best clothes.



What was with the frillies? Not much use to keep flies off the face so I cant figure it out. Or were cowboys just hipster.

Shane

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

How about The Gunfighter (1950)?

Even though Unforgiven is my favorite movie ever (not just among westerns), I don't think it's a good starting point. However, I do think Clint Eastwood's The Outlaw Josey Wales would be an excellent western to start with if you're not going to watch one from the glory days of the western.

Either version of True Grit would be a good choice, but I think The Shootist would also be a good choice for a western newbie. Eventually you will want to check out the spaghetti westerns staring Clint Eastwood. Whether or not you like Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West will depend on your level of patience with regards to watching movies.

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I may go back to hating you. It was more fun.

My favourite of those that I've seen is 'High Plains Drifter' which Eastwood Directed and stared in. I just love the mystery element to it and the aesthetic of reds against the western backdrop.

Anything with Clint Eastwood or John Wayne. I also strongly recommend The Quick and the Dead.

Shane(1953)

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

No questions.

I can't speak for all westerns but wanted to point out that newer films don't have better film quality. 35mm is what high def essentially is. A good transfer of an older film can look much better than a modern digitally shot feature.

High Plains Drifter is my favorite western.

But to ask a question for your question: what do you like about westerns, specifically? I don't think the choices you've listed are bad, but it would be cool to know what it is about westerns you respond to. From there, I'm sure you may get more refined suggestions.

I guess I may ruffle some feathers here then. Sorry in advance

Your comment on newer movies for quality tells me that you might need a bridge first into the genre. IMO, True Grit (the recent one) is not that. While I enjoyed it, there was a lot of overacting done with garbled accents. That may be very distracting. The others in your list, though classics, may be a bit too stylized for a first time viewing.

Instead allow me to recommend Open Range (2003). The cinematography and landscape shots are absolutely gorgeous. The pacing is just right, stepping it up as the final showdown builds. And honestly, the story is fairly simple and approachable from any angle. I used to truly hate westerns. That changed with Open Range. Since, I've been able to go back to pick up the standards and have really enjoyed them. So through Open Range, I've opened a door to a new genre of films that I've avoided most of my life.

Good luck with your selection!

Riancu, there are some fine choices on this thread. However before you get 'deeper' into more varied types of Westerns, I suggest you start with a powerful morality tale, that will touch your soul, High Noon (1952)

AGAIN!!!!

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Tombstone

I love Open Range. I never realised either that Michael Gambon is actually Irish.

Great film. Val Kilmer was amazing "Say when" but in his own way so was Kurt Russell.