Ticket 2 Ride

When I was growing up, everybody loved Westerns. That’s not the case today; Westerns are an acquired taste. In earlier times, the Western genre was able to tell any kind of story, hence the popularity on TV and the big screen. The Western has been dissected, reimagined, demystified and is no longer the chosen vehicle for telling morality tales.

Smartly done films transcend genre and time, and that includes Westerns. Someone once told me, Westerns are just violent and bloody. Not all of them are, and if you compare them to the horror and slasher films, and the superhero films, Westerns probably have a lower violence and death rate. It certainly depends on the subject matter and the filmmakers.

Ride the High Country (1962) – Directed by Sam Peckinpah, starring Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea. Two old friends are hired to haul gold from a mining site through dangerous territory. One friend intends to double-cross the other. One of the first Westerns to turned the genre on end.

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) – An epic, and the best Sergio Leone film. Starring Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards and Claudia Cardinale. Four different stories: revenge, conquest, transformation and redemption, converge in a battle over valuable land adjacent to the new railroad tracks. Great acting and Leone’s sweeping vision, make for a dazzling story and brilliant photography.

Stagecoach (1939) – The film that made John Wayne’s career and gave John Ford the Western classic he sought. A stage filled with riders with secrets and drama. The Ringo Kid hitches a ride and gets thrown into saving the stage from Natives Americans trying to kill them. This film has drama, action, humor and compelling stories.

3:10 to Yuma (1957) – The original, not the remake. A reticent rancher, who is facing losing his ranch, gets himself involved with guarding and transporting an outlaw, with declining support from the town. He stands alone, against the outlaw’s gang, to get the outlaw on the 3:10 train to Yuma. He’s willing to risk everything to do what’s right. Even the outlaw respects that. Starring Glenn Ford and Van Heflin. Directed by Delmar Daves.

The Wild Bunch (1969) – Yes, it’s the Western that changed Westerns. Slow-motion deaths and a lot of blood. It was shocking then, and somewhat today. Director Sam Peckinpah was making a statement and he was trying to introduce realism into what really happens in a gunfight. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but this film’s impact both on Westerns and the film industry is undeniable.

Rio Bravo (1959) or El Dorado (1966) – These are essentially the same film, both written by Leigh Brackett and directed by Howard Hawks, starring John Wayne. The jail under siege by a wealthy villain with lots of hired guns, trying to breakout a prisoner is a familiar tale. Hawks dresses up both films with some comedy, a love interest and daring action scenes. Are these great Westerns? No, but they are quite entertaining and watchable on multiple viewings.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) – John Wayne, James Stewart and Lee Marvin, in the last classic film directed by John Ford. The West is turning civilized by becoming a state, except there is still an outlaw gang that needs to be taken down. The film is about the power of legends and myths over the truth. Lives, careers and a state can be built on what people believe. Three powerful performances.

The Magnificent Seven (1969) – The original version, loosely based on Kurakuwa’s Seven Samurais. Directed by John Sturges, starring Steve McQueen, Yule Brenner, Robert Vaughan, Eli Wallach, Charles Bronson and James Coburn. A village is taken prisoner by a Mexican gang. Several villagers hire seven Americans to fend off the gang and free the village. This film paved the way for many variations and made everyone in the film a star.

Hombre (1967) – John Russell is mixed race and he tries to make it in the White world, but it isn’t to his liking. He boards a stage with a group of others who all have stories and things they are escaping. The stage is held up and horses taken, leaving them to find their way across the desert. One of the passengers is head of the stage robbers. Russell and the others take off on foot and are pursued by the robbers who discover one of the passengers has hidden money. Russell must take charge and risk his life to defend the other passengers and keep the robbers from killing him and the others, who don’t respect Russell. The film confronts racist attitudes. Great performances by Paul Newman, Martin Balsam, Fredric March, Diane Cilento and Richard Boone. Directed by Martin Ritt.

Silverado (1985) – Co-written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan. Starring Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, Kevin Kline, John Cleese and Brian Dennehy. It took me awhile to warm up to this film, there are numerous stories spread across the film and a few subplots. This group of wandering cowboys seem to attract trouble, but keep finding a way out of it. They are united in freeing the town of Silverado from corrupt forces. There is a great sense of connection between these cowboys.

Jeremiah Johnson (1972) – Johnson leaves civilization for the mountains, he has a lot to learn. Fellow mountain men teach him, and he is able to build a life with a native bride and adopted son. That happiness dissolves as he takes a group of soldiers across sacred burial ground. His wife and son are killed and he abandons the home he built to seek revenge for the killings. Instead of an established home, he is set to wander. Robert Redford, Will Geer and Stefan Gierasch are great in their roles. Sydney Pollach

Red River (1948) – Directed by Howard Hawks, starring John Wayne, Montgomery Cliff and Walter Brennan. An adventurous cattle drive pits father and son against each other, a study in contrasts. One of Wayne’s best roles. Hawks does an amazing job with the look of the film and building tension in the story.

Other considerations…

Unforgivable – A great film, but too dark and unhappy for me. For an Eastwood Western I would pick High Plains Drifter.

Shane – It’s everything that’s said about it. The film is tough, even brutal, but uncompromising.

High Noon – It’s a grand film, and a safe choice, but there are better, lesser-known films.

City Slickers – We need a comedy and this remains a good one.

Tombstone – I don’t know about the accuracy, but this an absorbing film. A bit over the top at times, but it’s a thrill.

Winchester ’73 – James Stewart and director Anthony Mann, that was a great combination for tough, action-filled Westerns, usually involving a damaged character. This film is about tracking down a stolen rifle.

McCabe & Mrs. Miller – Opium, prostitutes, hired killers. What’s more American those past times? Robert Altman directs Warren Beatty, Julie Christie and a bunch of Altman regulars.

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kidd – Peckinpah again, with Kris Kristofferson, James Coburn and Bob Dylan.