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Tales of the Old [Westerns]
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Now I think I'll get the book.
Also, everyone here better be watching Justified. Not only does it have tons of Western influence(as it's inspired by a Elmore Leonard story) but it's one of the best shows of the year period.
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One of the really great things about the film is that Ford shows an economy in that film that predates a lot of modern film technique. Nothing is wasted in the film. Every bit of dialogue builds to something else, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time. When people start talking about how slow, and plodding old movies can be I tend to show them Stagecoach simply because it keeps a quick but steady pace.
I've honestly never put much stock in the "slow" complaint. I think people who say that probably either haven't watched many movies, or imagine that everything from before 1977 was like Doctor Zhivago or 2001 or something. A lot of these 1930s movies, in particular, move really quickly, and tell stories in 90 minutes that we'd take two-plus hours to tell today. Actually, I think this is a really good example of that: it clocks in at 96 minutes while the remake from 1966 runs 115.
EDIT: but also, like you, I really do admire Ford's economy. Within, like, ten minutes he's established eight main characters and set up their conflicts and desires and so forth, and John Wayne hasn't even turned up yet! I mean, these characters are to some degree stereotypes (the good-natured prostitute, the conniving banker, and so forth) but they're inhabited by really well-chosen actors and all come to life on the screen.
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And I agree, the idea of old movies being slow is wrong. I just find Stagecoach to be one of the best counter-examples.
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There doesn't seem to be enough love for the film, as it's hardly being mentioned in this thread. It's got some of the best set pieces I've seen in a film; the Train Robbery is just about perfect. I strongly urge people who haven't seen it, to try and change that.
As a side note, Peckinpah also made The Cross of Iron, itself being a great WW2 film.
A fist full of dynamite was pretty enjoyable and is worth a look if you've not seen it.
Has anyone seen Seraphim Falls?
I couldn't finish it.
I was very excited to see it, seeing as it starred two great actors in Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan, and the cinematography was fairly competent.
But the writings and characterizations were the worst genre cliches one could think of. It reminded me of this SNL sketch, in the way that it seemed like a completely foreign translation of a Western, not an actual Western. It was like there was a check-sheet that the director had to complete:
"Okay, horses, check, hats, check, everyone chewing 'tobacky', check, characters spouting cliches like 'I reckon' and 'Howdy y'all,' check. Okay, we're done here."
That settles that then! I caught a glimpse of it the other night, but it was too late for me to start watching a film, so I turned it off, as I'd rather not ruin what might potentially be a good western. I was going to track it down, but if it's not that good, then I'll save myself the bother.
If you're looking for a good modern Western, you can't go wrong with The Proposition, Open Range, or 3:10 to Yuma.
I found Appaloosa to be also fairly crap.
Also Assassination of Jesse James or The Good the Bad The Weird, though the two are at pretty much opposite ends of the spectrum.
It's been up on Instant view for a while but it just did the expire/renew thing that happens sometimes.
McCabe and Mrs Miller
Taxi Driver
Dances with Wolves only gets a lot of shit because it so wholeheartedly buys into the "noble savage" trope, a condescension proven to be wrong time and time again.
But it's a well-acted and beautifully shot film, as many of Kevin Costner's films are. Even Wyatt Earp, at its glacial pace and questionable acting (mostly by Costner), is a great film to look at. At least Costner made one good Western: Open Range.
I jest.
Quigley isn't a bad Western at all.
If there was just some way to edit Laura Sangiocuomo out of it . . .
For the longest time, my only real exposure to westerns was the TV show Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman, which was pretty horrible. Playing RDR makes me want to experience more.
How is the Lonesome Dove miniseries viewed? My father loved it, but he has horrible taste in just about everything.
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Yes. Movie wasn't very good. It had a lot of potential, and Ben Foster played an awesome bad guy, but there are much better movies out there.
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Okay, I'll take this then. The reason Dances with Wolves gets so much shit is that the ground had been covered before by the Revisionist Westerns like Little Big Man, which had done it much, much better and without the patronizing tone. The characters in the films are cardboard cutouts for the most part. And when you compare it to films like Little Big Man or Last of the Mohicans then Dances tends to fall apart. It's simplistic at best.
Such a kick-ass Western
One of the best examples of how Stewart can be a badass too.
One of the Stewart/Mann films. They did five really dark films together. If you like that one, try Winchester '73, or The Man from Laramie.
Up for next week: The Ox-bow Incident.
Osterns, BTW, are Russian Westerns, usually set against the backdrop of the revolution.
I know a little bit about them but not well enough to make a recommendation. White Sun of the Desert I've seen bits and pieces of but I never could find the whole thing. I should check Amazon for it now.
Other favorites of mine are the previously-mentioned Quigley Down Under, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Young Guns. Also the newer 3:10 to Yuma.
I know I don't have the best taste in Westerns, but this thread has actually made me want to expand my horizons.
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Thank God someone mentioned this. I LOVE this miniseries, and I'm not a huge fan of westerns. Robert Duvall reminds me of my dad so much in this show. I've read interviews given by Duvall where he claims that the greatest acting experience he's ever had was playing Gus McRae. I have the book, the DVD, and the Blu-Ray of this, and would reccommend it to anyone interested in Westerns.
EDIT: Man, i gotta do something about that av and sig.
One suggestion. John Wayne did a bunch of Westerns before Stagecoach. Just leave them be. Life is much better if you pretend his acting career started with Stagecoach.
I pretty much figured that when I saw the massive amount of them. They're tantamount to shovelware for the Wii.
Hrm, I'm going to need to hunt that down. I'm also trying to find a copy of Sholay which was the first of the curry westerns.