Since its release, Tombstone has cemented itself as one of the most renowned Westerns through a string of expert performances, gunfights, and one-liners. Truthfully, it wouldn’t be until the late 2000s that its status as the dominant Western would be challenged, and the film that would come to be its rival couldn’t have differed more in style, tone, and approach.
Hitting theaters in 2007, No Country for Old Men took cinema by storm with its breakneck narrative and terrifying antagonist Anton Chigurh, whose instantly recognizable haircut proves just as villainous as Javier Bardem’s performance. Recently identified as the best Western of the 21st century, the film broke the genre’s parameters, redefining its rules and norms for a darker modern age.
No Country For Old Men Created The Modern Western
The Film Doesn’t Contain Your Typical Western Story
No Country for Old Men sees its narrative set in the desolate terrain of 1980s Texas, where blood is traded for money as eggs are ordered for breakfast. In the midst of this setting is Llewelyn Moss, a part-time welder who stumbles on a drug deal gone wrong and finds himself on the run with $2 million in cash.
In addition to the cartel, Llewelyn is primarily hunted by Anton Chigurh, an enigmatic villain who operates more as a tool of fate than your typical hitman. Clad in black with a cattle gun and an eerily Grim Reaper-like haircut, Anton will stop at nothing to retrieve the money from Llewelyn, killing anything and anyone in his path.
…the film also highlights the randomness of fate, killing its protagonist approximately two-thirds through the movie’s runtime.
Whereas previous Westerns championed the age-old tale of good vs. evil, à la the guy in the white cowboy hat versus the guy in black, No Country for Old Men dispels this myth, crafting a narrative where violence rules the land indiscriminately. Moreover, the film also highlights the randomness of fate, killing its protagonist approximately two-thirds through the movie’s runtime.
Truthfully, it’s hard to argue with the notion that Westerns are a product of a bygone era. Modernity, therefore, requires that the genre adapt to the present by challenging its tropes and norms; No Country for Old Men accomplishes this through Anton Chigurh, whose terrifying presence forces audiences to confront the reality that good will not always triumph over evil.
How No Country For Old Men Stands 18 Years Later
The Film Stands As A Modern Masterpiece
18 years later, No Country for Old Men stands as a masterpiece of the 21st century, possessing all the traits imperative of such a тιтle: expert storytelling, stellar cinematography, and genre-challenging performances. Though shows like 1883 have seen a return to more traditional narratives, the film’s impact can still be felt today in neo-Westerns like Wind River, Yellowstone, and Landman.
Moreover, the film’s impact can be felt in other genres popular in the late 2000s, such as in crime thrillers like The Dark Knight and David Fincher’s Zodiac. A hallmark of cinema in the present century, No Country for Old Men‘s legacy extends far beyond the limits of the Western genre, speaking to a deep, pulsing fear present within humanity.
