The Western movie genre is one of the oldest in Hollywood history. One of the first ever movies released in theaters in Hollywood was The Great Train Robbery, and Westerns remained a staple of the industry until they began to fall out of style in the late 1970s. However, they reemerged in the 1990s, and there have been some great offerings since then.

However, going back to the start of cinema, certain Western movies are unarguably masterpieces. They are movies that true Western fans, and movie lovers in general, simply can’t live without. They feature iconic Western actors, masterful performances, and stories that often transcend the genre’s trappings.

10

The Searchers (1956)

John Wayne’s Masterpiece

The Searchers is often regarded as one of the greatest Western films ever made – and rightly so. John Wayne stars as Ethan Edwards, a man who fought in the American Civil War and returns home to see his family for the first time in eight years. However, soon after he arrives, a Comanche attack on his home results in Ethan’s nieces being abducted.

This Western does something very different with John Wayne. The actor is usually known for playing the good guy in his movies, and is often portrayed as the moral person in a world of immorality. However, here, Ethan Edwards is a racist and violent man, one who sets out to kill his niece to prevent her from living among the Comanche tribe.

It was an interesting take, as Ethan is the film’s hero, but he is never portrayed as a good person and is consistently depicted as an outsider. He does the right thing in the end, but this shade of gray is something that transcended the Western genre and helped The Searchers remain a true Hollywood masterpiece.

9

Unforgiven (1992)

Clint Eastwood Revives The Western Genre

In the late 1970s, the Western movie genre began to lose its dominance after seven decades of popularity. One of the last major Western stars of the genre at the time was Clint Eastwood, and he had started to drift into other genres thanks to the success of Dirty Harry. However, Eastwood never stopped loving Western movies.

This led Eastwood to set his sights on the Western genre when he began directing movies. While he directed a few in the genre over the years, he reignited fans’ love for Westerns in 1992 with his film Unforgiven. This is a revisionist Western starring Eastwood as a retired outlaw who lives in solitude after his wife’s death.

Between the acting performances (including a masterful Gene Hackman role) and incredible storytelling and direction, Unforgiven single-handedly brought Westerns back to the forefront and opened the door for films like Tombstone to enjoy successful releases in the years that followed.

8

Stagecoach (1939)

John Ford & John Wayne’s Amazing Start Together

John Ford and John Wayne became one of the most successful pairings in Western movie history. The two men created some of the best Westerns in cinema history, and it all started with the 1939 film Stagecoach. In this movie, Wayne plays the Ringo Kid, and he accompanies a stagecoach on its journey to protect it from danger.

While the movie has not aged well as a Western thanks to its depiction of Native Americans in the Wild West, it remains a well-directed, well-acted Western masterpiece that set the table for what fans could expect over the years from the genre, from John Ford, and specifically from John Wayne, who was an unknown at the time.

7

The Man Who SH๏τ Liberty Valance (1962)

John Wayne & James Stewart’s Best Partnership

Two of the most acclaimed Western actors in history joined forces in 1962 for the John Ford movie, The Man Who SH๏τ Liberty Valance. In the film, James Stewart stars as a U.S. Senator who arrives for the funeral of a poor rancher, and the movie then shows why this rancher was so important to the politician. They had crossed paths 25 years before.

When Ranse Stoddard was a young lawyer, he was severely beaten up by an infamous outlaw named Liberty Valance and his gang. He knows he needs help, but the local lawmen are too scared to stop him. He finds help in a local man named Tom, who helps him learn how to use a gun and looks out for him. When Liberty Valance shows up, a gunfight occurs, which leaves the outlaw ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.

The entire theme of the movie revolves around doing something kind for someone for the greater good, without ever taking credit for it, and mainly remaining out of the spotlight. It is a rare Western where the hero remains unknown to the public. It is also one of the best American political movies ever made, and being a Western is just a bonus.

6

Shane (1953)

Alan Ladd’s Seminal Western Masterpiece

Based on the Western novel of the same name, Shane tells the story of a gunfighter with a mysterious past who rides into an isolated valley and takes a job with a homesteading rancher, growing close to the man and his family. Alan Ladd stars as Shane, the gunfighter, and he stands up to defend the family when a cattle baron tries to force them off their land.

The cast is incredible, with Van Heflin as the rancher, Joe Starrett, Jean Arthur as his wife, and Brandon deWilde stealing scenes as their young son Joey. While Shane helps Joe stand up for himself and defend his home, it is Shane who ultimately has to save everyone, possibly even at the cost of his own life and happiness.

The movie was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Director, and won for Best Cinematography. It was also added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1993.

5

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966)

Clint Eastwood’s Spaghetti Western Masterpiece

Just about every movie in the Dollars Trilogy deserves to last forever in Western film discussions. However, if only one were chosen, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is the movie that stands above the rest. This is the third and final movie in the trilogy, featuring excellent performances by the cast, with Eli Wallach as a standout.

This is the franchise that made Clint Eastwood a Western icon, and he is the man who tied them all together as The Man with No Name. In this film, he is “The Good,” while Lee Van Cleef is “The Bad” and Eli Wallach is “The Ugly,” and they compete to find buried Confederate gold during the American Civil War.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly was one of the best spaghetti Westerns ever made, directed by Sergio Leone, and is a film that countless others tried to replicate for the next two decades. However, if you watch only one, get this one, followed closely by A Fistful of Dollars, the first in the franchise.

4

Blazing Saddles (1974)

The Best Western Comedy Ever Made

Not all Western movies have to take themselves seriously. In 1974, Mel Brooks spoofed the Western genre with Blazing Saddles. While many people claim that this movie could never be made today due to its more controversial humor, the script was clever, and the movie poked fun at the people who deserved it.

A territorial attorney general (Harvey Korman) wants to force the residents of Rock Ridge out of town so he can sell the land to a new railroad company. He sends a gang of thugs to rough up the townspeople and has the weak governor (Mel Brooks) appoint a Black sheriff, knowing the townspeople would immediately reject him.

That is where the humor lies, as Cleavon Little is brilliant as the new sheriff, Taggart, and he gets some help from a gunslinger known as the Waco Kid (Gene Wilder). There is a lot of racial humor in the movie, but it is all squarely aimed at the white racists in the film. What most people don’t know is that Richard Pryor co-wrote the script, adding a touch of reality to the comedy.

3

High Noon (1952)

The Western Masterpiece That John Wayne Turned Down

John Wayne once turned down the leading role in one of the greatest Western movies of all time because he felt it was “un-American.” Wayne’s main complaint was that a blacklisted screenwriter wrote the movie during the Communist Scare, and he felt the marshal wasn’t strong enough, having to fight on his own as the town turned against him.

However, that is what makes the movie a brilliant Western. Gary Cooper stars as the town’s marshal who is ready to retire and settle down with his family, only to find a vicious outlaw gang gunning for him to help free the criminal. Marshal Will Kane looks for help from the townspeople who he has served for so long, but no one will risk their lives to help him.

This is a harsh portrayal of the Wild West, highlighting the selfishness of people in general, who often prioritize their own safety over doing the right thing. It is also why the film received such high acclaim, with seven Oscar nominations, including Best Actor for Gary Cooper.

2

True Grit (1969)

John Wayne’s Biggest Oscar Success

The last great Western movie in which John Wayne starred arrived in 1969 with True Grit. Wayne stars in the film as Rooster Cogburn, an aging marshal who a young girl named Mattie (Kim Darby) hires to help her track down the man who killed her father and to bring him to justice. Glen Campbell stars as Ranger La Boeuf, who joins them in the hunt.

The movie was a mᴀssive success for the veteran Western star, as John Wayne won Best Actor at the Academy Awards, the only time he ever won an Oscar in his career. There was also a fantastic remake in 2010 by the Coen brothers that is also worth watching for Western fans.

1

No Country For Old Men (2007)

One Of The Best Modern-Day Westerns

The last Western movie to win an Oscar for Best Picture was the Coen brothers’ masterpiece No Country for Old Men. This is a modern-day Western and has little in common with the movies from men like John Wayne and Gary Cooper. Instead, it is more of a crime drama, with a man finding a cartel’s money and an ᴀssᴀssin killing everyone in his path to retrieve it.

The movie won Best Picture and Best Director at the Oscars, while also winning Javier Bardem the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor as the hired killer. For anyone wanting to see how Hollywood is making Westerns today, this is the best example and one of the best Westerns of all time.