The Western genre is host to several of the greatest movies ever made. All-time great Western directors like Sergio Leone, John Ford, Howard Hawks, and John Huston have spearheaded some truly remarkable films over the years, many of which are movies that don’t disappoint in any capacity.

That’s naturally a tough task to pull off, but it’s been done sparingly, dating all the way back to the 1930s when the Western genre was just getting going. This sparked a sort of golden age for the genre, which was consistently pumping out solid films throughout the 1940s, the 1950s, and 1960s.

Westerns declined after that, but even now, the genre still gets an incredible, must-watch entry from time to time.

The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre

One of the highest-rated Western movies ever came from an unlikely source in 1948. Humphrey Bogart, whose only other Westerns were 1930s B-movies, starred in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre opposite Walter Huston and Tim Holt. A Western set in the 1920s, the 1948 John Huston-directed film saw the three lead characters play go on a treacherous, troubled journey to find gold, and therefore secure their futures.

It’s a relatively simple concept from a plot perspective, but it paves the way for two excellent character arcs. And ultimately, they’re what makes the movie so compelling from beginning to end; how the hunger for gold gradually draws out the worst impulses of Bogart’s character allows the actor to deliver one of the most nuanced performances of his career.

Stagecoach

One of the most complete Westerns in John Wayne’s career came in the film that launched him to stardom. John Wayne effectively his days of making B-movie Westerns when he appeared in Stagecoach, the 1939 John Ford Western that chronicles one stagecoach’s perilous trip through the American Wild West.

Stagecoach never becomes boring, getting off to a great start with John Wayne’s grand entrance as the Ringo Kid, and only getting better from there. The outlaw once perceived as a threat to the people on the stagecoach evolves into their best chance of survival as they encounter obstacle after obstacle, with each one demonstrating the depths of John Ford’s directing potential.

Lonely Are The Brave

Lonely are the Brave feels like a Western version of First Blood, which is obviously a recipe for an incredible thriller that’s both psychological and action-packed.

In the 1962 movie, Kirk Douglas plays a loner who longs for the days of the American Wild West and the life of a true cowboy. This desire leads him to rescue an imprisoned man (who doesn’t even want to be saved), thus setting off an epic manhunt where Douglas’ character has to put his skills to the test to avoid capture.

Roger Ebert rightfully referred to Kirk Douglas’ 1962 Western as his “unrecognized masterpiece.“

Winchester ’73

Anthony Mann delivered a perfect combination of the film noir and Western genres when he helmed Winchester ’73, a Western that brought a very different – but equally welcome side of its star, James Stewart. Stewart distances himself from his easily likable, “everyman” characters to play an extremely flawed and violent individual.

Seeing James Stewart play a greedy and paranoid anti-hero is fun to watch, and his performance is the driving force behind a film with a unique storytelling format. As hinted by its тιтle, Winchester ’73 hinges its narrative on a particular gun, tracing the actions of each person who carries it, and switching to the story of the next person who gets their hands on the prized rifle.

Tombstone

Undoubtedly one of the best Westerns of the 1990s, Tombstone is full of bright spots, and that’s largely due to its excellent ensemble cast. The story’s lead characters are Kurt Russell’s Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer’s Doc Holliday, and while they’re the heart of the action, they don’t have to be on screen for Tombstone to entertain.

Each character in Tombstone’s cast brings something worthwhile to the table, whether it’s Michael Biehn’s portrayal of the despicable Jimmy Ringo, or Powers Boothe’s depiction of the villain, Curly Bill. Plus, there’s all the great cameos littered throughout the film, including Harry Carey, Jr. and even Charlton Heston.

The Big Country

The Big Country’s тιтle perfectly emphasizes its focus on cinematography, and the way in which it showcases its beautiful landscape to immerse the view in its interpretation of the American Wild West. The 1958 Western centers its tale on a peaceful man from New England whose values are put to the test in his new home.

The Big Country creates great, complex villains for Gregory Peck’s hero to contend with in Burl Ives and Chuck Conners’ characters, but the movie doesn’t make you wait for its final showdown for some excitement. The slugfest between Charlton Heston and Gregory Peck near the middle of the film is one of the best Western fist fights of all time.

The Man Who SH๏τ Liberty Valance

Stagecoach, Red River, and The Searchers, are typically that come to mind when it comes to settling on John Wayne’s greatest contribution to the Western genre, but such discussions shouldn’t ignore The Man Who SH๏τ Liberty Valance, a masterpiece from start to finish.

The Man Who SH๏τ Liberty Valance pairs two of the greatest actors of Hollywood’s Golden Age – John Wayne and James Stewart – for a dramatic story that retells the life stories of the two main characters and their rivalry with the тιтular villain in flashback form.

The movie makes the curious decision to reveal right away that Wayne’s character dies, but employs enough twists and turns and great performances to keep the story engaging nonetheless. Lee Marvin’s role as Liberty Valance underscores the actor’s reputation as one of Hollywood’s best villain actors.

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Regardless of overall quality, most films that are three hours or long are bound to have certain segments where the story drags, but that’s not the case with The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, the quintessential Spaghetti Western and a legendary Clint Eastwood movie.

Toward the middle of the movie, the final installment in Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy segues into a Civil War story for “The Good” and “The Ugly,” that puts off the inevitable showdown at the end, but it deepens the world Leone has created for its characters, and offers Eastwood one of his best moments in the film when he gives water to a dying soldier.

However, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly’s greatest strength is that all three of its leads put in phenomenal performances, with Eli Wallach and Lee Van Cleef even managing to steal the show from Eastwood on occasion.