Top 30 Westerns
These are the top 30 westerns ever made in my opinion. This list has changed in my head a lot over the years and will probably change in the future, but I'd be glad to hear any suggestions on additions or substitutions. I'd also like to point out my top five could all be number one depending on what day it is, so they are slightly flexible.
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- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodSondra LockeChief Dan GeorgeMissouri farmer Josey Wales joins a Confederate guerrilla unit and winds up on the run from the Union soldiers who murdered his family.In my opinion the best film Clint Eastwood ever directed, The Outlaw Josey Wales comes out as number 1 on my list. The character development, atmosphere, story and cinematography are really what sell this movie and with great performances from Eastwood, Chief Dan George, Will Sampson and John Vernon who can deny that this isn't one of the best westerns ever made.
- DirectorSergio LeoneStarsClint EastwoodEli WallachLee Van CleefA bounty hunting scam joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a third in a race to find a fortune in gold buried in a remote cemetery.This film is often cited as the best western ever made, its one of the most impactful films on the genre, the motifs style and characters are now considered the classic western style despite its revolutionary change in the 1960's. With memorable characters, fantastic acting and a score that is recognised by nearly anyone who hears it, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly will live on in cinema history as perhaps the most pivotal film of all time.
- DirectorSergio LeoneStarsHenry FondaCharles BronsonClaudia CardinaleA mysterious stranger with a harmonica joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad.Leone's Mona Lisa, this film is beautiful to look at, the characters are well written and cast perfectly, the score is excellent and the plot is gripping and enjoyable, and who can forget that haunting harmonica. A must see for any western fanatic who hasn't seen it already. Possibly the best produced film of the 1960s.
- DirectorSam PeckinpahStarsWilliam HoldenErnest BorgnineRobert RyanAn aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as the "traditional" American West is disappearing around them.Sam Peckinpah's 1968 masterpiece that shocked audiences and critics around the world, not only saw the shift of the American western into a darker and more grey atmosphere, but set the new bar for action and the depiction of violence in cinema for years to come.
- DirectorGeorge Roy HillStarsPaul NewmanRobert RedfordKatharine RossIn 1890s Wyoming, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid lead a band of outlaws. When a train robbery goes wrong, they find themselves on the run with a posse hard on their heels. After considering their options, they escape to South America.Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a film that is dear to my heart, it played a massive part in my teenage years and its fun but poignant story delves deep into the personality an conscious of two bandits as they attempt to survive in dying era.
- DirectorSydney PollackStarsRobert RedfordWill GeerDelle BoltonA mountain man who wishes to live the life of a hermit becomes the unwilling object of a long vendetta by the Crow tribe and proves to be a match for their warriors in single combat on the early frontier.Sydney Pollack's frontier masterpiece makes the viewer feel like they are succeeding and falling with every twist of Jeremiah Johnson's life. The locations and atmosphere are really what sell this film, but all cast members add immense value with their characters especially Will Geer.
- DirectorSimon WincerStarsTom SelleckLaura San GiacomoAlan RickmanSharpshooter Matt Quigley is hired from Wyoming by an Australian rancher paying a very high price. But when Quigley arrives Down Under, all is not as it seems.Now some people may disagree with me on this one, some may even disagree that this is a western, but hear me out. Quigley down under captures the essence of the traditional American western more than any other in the 1990's (Looking at you Dances With Wolves). Tom Selleck is the perfect fit for the role of Matthew Quigley and although Alan Rickman's accent is questionable this is a great looking, sounding and feeling film. Plus who can forget that Sharp's Rifle.
- DirectorSergio LeoneStarsClint EastwoodLee Van CleefGian Maria VolontèTwo bounty hunters with the same intentions team up to track down a gang of outlaws led by a psychotic Mexican bandit, who is plotting an audacious bank robbery.This sequel upped the ante and brought Lee Van Cleef back to the spotlight. One of the best sequels ever made and solidified Leone's vision of the west.
- DirectorSam PeckinpahStarsJames CoburnKris KristoffersonRichard JaeckelPat Garrett is hired as a lawman on behalf of a group of wealthy New Mexico cattle barons to bring down his old friend Billy the Kid.Now a cult classic, this film was derided upon its release. The directors cut is essential for the viewing of this film and although their are some rocky performances (Bob Dylan) this is a fantastic film and deserves all the credit it has earned in recent years.
- DirectorSergio LeoneStarsClint EastwoodGian Maria VolontèMarianne KochA wandering gunfighter plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by greed, pride, and revenge.Starting off the Top Ten, A Fistful of Dollars. Sergio Leone redefined what a western should be and spurred on the new Spaghetti western genre that would see the rise of European influence in the classic American folklore.
- StarsRobert DuvallTommy Lee JonesDanny GloverTwo former Texas Rangers renew their spirit of adventure as they and several other residents of a small Texas town join a cattle drive to the Montana Territory.An outlier on this list the TV miniseries Lonesome Dove is a fantastic saga with great performances by Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones as two grizzled old Texas Rangers. This series makes you feel like you went on the journey with them.
- DirectorRobert AltmanStarsPaul NewmanJoel GreyKevin McCarthyA cynical Buffalo Bill hires Sitting Bull to exploit him and add his credibility to the distorted view of history presented in his Wild West Show.An often forgotten film, Paul Newman shows the depth of his acting talent in this wonderful depiction of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. What appears to be a fairly shallow subject, Robert Altman transforms into an analysis of the torments of Bill and his cast caused by their previous lives and status as the celebrities of their day.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodGene HackmanMorgan FreemanRetired Old West gunslinger William Munny reluctantly takes on one last job, with the help of his old partner Ned Logan and a young man, The "Schofield Kid."Some may be surprised this is at 13 on the list. A fantastic film and maybe the best western the 1990s , Unforgiven is perhaps the crown jewell in Clint Eastwood's directing career. However, this is slightly lower on my list than people expect, not because of the quality of the film but because I don't feel it captures the essence of the on screen western. It is certainly arguable that this is the point of the film, but that may be what makes this a great film but not what makes it a great western.
- DirectorSergio LeoneStarsRod SteigerJames CoburnRomolo ValliA low-life bandit and an I.R.A. explosives expert rebel against the government and become heroes of the Mexican Revolution.Often disregarded as one of Sergio Leone's lesser films and a failure upon its release, A Fistful of Dynamite (or Duck You Sucker) is a fantastic piece of art and touches upon subjects other westerns wouldn't dare to.
- DirectorJames MangoldStarsRussell CroweChristian BaleBen FosterA small-time rancher agrees to hold a captured outlaw who's awaiting a train to go to court in Yuma. A battle of wills ensues as the outlaw tries to psych out the rancher.No it's not a repeat, this remake of the 1957 classic was hailed at the time of its release for reviving the western, and shows clear influence on films such as True Grit (2010).
- DirectorDon SiegelStarsJohn WayneLauren BacallRon HowardA dying gunfighter spends his last days looking for a way to die with a minimum of pain and a maximum of dignity.Perhaps John Wayne's magnum opus, The shootist presents in my opinion Wayne's best acting performance and shows the vulnerability which Wayne was faced with towards the end of his life in this his last film.
- DirectorSam PeckinpahStarsSteve McQueenRobert PrestonIda LupinoAce Bonner returns to Arizona several years after he abandoned his family, Junior Bonner is a wild young man. Against the typical rodeo championship, family drama erupts.The last contemporary western on this list, Junior Bonner is a fantastic representation of the rodeo world and sports great performances from Steve McQueen, Ben Johnson and Joe don Baker.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodVerna BloomMarianna HillA gun-fighting stranger comes to the small settlement of Lago and is hired to bring the townsfolk together in an attempt to hold off three outlaws who are on their way.As only Clint Eastwood's second film as director, this is a great effort and sets the tone for Eastwood's future films. I particularly enjoyed the supernatural element to this film that I hadn't seen in other westerns of the era.
- DirectorElliot SilversteinStarsRichard HarrisJudith AndersonJean GasconIn 1825, an English aristocrat is captured by Native Americans. He lives with them and begins to understand their way of life. Eventually, he is accepted as part of the tribe and aspires to become their leader.For those who have seen this we all remember one scene in particular. However I think the rest of the film is engaging and fun while not suffering from the low budgets of many other films of this vain.
- DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsLeonardo DiCaprioTom HardyWill PoulterA frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.Now I am no Dicaprio fan but this film blew me away. A truly beautiful film with great action and well implemented camera work that create a thoroughly enjoyable film with a great arc and satisfying action.
- DirectorWalter HillStarsDavid CarradineStacy KeachDennis QuaidThe origins, exploits and the ultimate fate of the Jesse James gang is told in a sympathetic portrayal of the bank robbers made up of brothers who begin their legendary bank raids because of revenge.I hesitated to add this film to the list but I folded, the sets of brothers in this cast add an interesting atmosphere that couldn't otherwise have been captured and to me this feels like a continuation of Sam Peckinpah's style of western.
- DirectorDelmer DavesStarsGlenn FordVan HeflinFelicia FarrBroke small-time rancher Dan Evans is hired by the stagecoach line to put big-time captured outlaw leader Ben Wade on the 3:10 train to Yuma but Wade's gang tries to free him.Another classic, Glenn Ford and Van Heflin redefined the western format with this film, and the cinematography is fantastic for a Holywood film from the 50s
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsGary CooperGrace KellyThomas MitchellA town Marshal, despite the disagreements of his newlywed bride and the townspeople around him, must face a gang of deadly killers alone at "high noon" when the gang leader, an outlaw he "sent up" years ago, arrives on the noon train.This classic is one of the defining moments in Western history. Restarting Gary Coopers career, separating audiences between Cooper and Wayne, and launching the career of a then little known Lee Van Cleef. Unlike a lot of 50's westerns High Noon still holds up today.
- DirectorSydney PollackStarsRobert RedfordJane FondaValerie PerrineA rodeo star past his prime steals his company's horse and rides into the desert, accompanied by a feisty reporter.The first contemporary western on my list. This title may come as a surprise to many readers who turn their head at the mere sight of Robert Redford's light-up Costume , however I found the main plot line and Redford's acting to be engaging and thoroughly enjoyable, not to mention a fantastic soundtrack by Willie Nelson.
- DirectorSam PeckinpahStarsJoel McCreaRandolph ScottMariette HartleyAn ex-union soldier is hired to transport gold from a mining community through dangerous territory. But what he doesn't realize is that his partner and old friend is plotting to double-cross him.Sam Peckinpah's first major feature film certainly laid the groundwork for things to come. This tale of two ageing gunfighters is captivating and somewhat melancholic, well worth a watch.