The modern Western boom may partially be thanks to Taylor Sheridan and Yellowstone. Through the sprawling franchise and its related offshoots, audiences have been eager to explore the world of Westerns once again. But back in the day, as they say, Westerns were among the most prominent genres in cinema, shaping the future of film.
If you’ve worn out the many series currently at your disposal, Prime Video has a large range of Western films that might help bring you back to the Wild Wild West. If you punch in “Westerns” and are overwhelmed with options, we are here to help with four preselected masterpieces. From a modern classic to three of the genre’s most important titles, these movies are surefire hits, eager to hit your target.
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‘Hostiles’ (2017)
The only entry of our four from the 21st century comes from writer and director Scott Cooper. Hostiles is a 19th-century drama set in 1892 in which Captain Joseph J. Blocker (Christian Bale), a veteran of the Indian Wars, is tasked with escorting a Cheyenne war chief, Chief Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi), and his family back to their Montana home, where he is set to die. On his journey, he is joined by settler widow Rosalee Quaid (Rosamund Pike), whose family was massacred by Comanches. A perilous journey is undertaken, confronting deep-seated hatred and prejudice along the way. Bringing themes of humanity, reconciliation, and forgiveness to the forefront, Hostiles is a brutal depiction of the harsh and often unforgiving nature of the American frontier.
A visually breathtaking film that exceeds expectations, Hostiles becomes a modern Western classic thanks to Cooper’s vision. Using a grounded approach to tell the story of an unrelenting dark period in American history, Hostiles is every bit as informative as it is entertaining. Hostiles features some stellar performances from individuals who have been mainstays during this year’s award season, including Jesse Plemons and Timothée Chalamet, who may be an Academy Award winner come Oscar night. If you’re eager to see his body of work before Marty Supreme, this is an excellent way to see the young actor before his big break in Hollywood. Nevertheless, if you’re seeking a sleek film to enter the world of Westerns, Hostiles is a great option.
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‘The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly’ (1967)
You may have heard of the term spaghetti Western, but never quite understood what that meant. Well, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly may not only be the prime example, but it’s also the epitome of the sub-genre. Directed by Sergio Leone, the pioneer of the spaghetti Western, the film follows three amoral, gunslinging bounty hunters who shift alliances and betrayals as they search for buried Confederate gold amid the chaos of conflict. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly helped redefine Westerns by blurring the lines between hero and villain. Now to the famous title. The good is represented by Blondie (Clint Eastwood), the bad through Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef), and the ugly as Tuco (Eli Wallach). Renowned for the legendary Mexican standoff and Ennio Morricone‘s soaring score, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly displayed the cynical side of the American Civil War through a lens of 1960s disillusionment.
The film’s purpose is to propose the depth of moral ambiguity, as there are no true heroes in the classical sense, only men surviving a brutal landscape. It’s brought to the forefront by Leone’s hyperstylized approach and the sweeping Techniscope cinematography of Tonino Delli Colli. Whether it be the wide shots or the tight close-ups, the violence is captured through visual tension. Perhaps the film is so smooth because it’s the third collaboration with Eastwood and the second with Van Cleef. Even if you’re not particularly fond of Westerns, you can absolutely walk away with a great appreciation for filmmaking through The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
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‘The Magnificent Seven’ (1960)
If you have seen the 2016 film of the same name, just know that it’s based on the far superior 1959 version. The classic Western The Magnificent Seven, directed by John Sturges, follows seven diverse, skilled gunslingers hired to protect a defenseless village terrorized by a ruthless band of marauders led byCalvera (Wallach). The group consists of varied individuals — Cajun gunslinger Chris Adams (Yul Brynner), drifter Vin Tanner (Steve McQueen), young, hot-blooded shootist Chico (Horst Buchholz), the professional Bernardo O’Reily (Charles Bronson), the traumatized veteran Lee (Robert Vaughn), fortune seeker Harry Luck (Brad Dexter), and knife expert Britt (James Coburn) — all looking for money, excitement, or redemption. Based on the Akira Kurosawa film Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven is ultimately a story about heroism and sacrifice.
With an exceptional climax featuring a high-octane action sequence, The Magnificent Seven soars thanks to its ensemble of stars who powered thestory. Though some feared the American remake dishonored the Japanese source material, what The Magnificent Seven proved was the story’s strength. Sturges’s ability to translate the action to the American West was seamless while still maintaining the integrity of the original. At its heart, The Magnificent Seven is a rip-roaring Western classic. And at the end of the day, that was the goal. Though three sequels followed and remakes have been attempted, including a CBS television series and the 2016 film iteration starring Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, and Chris Pratt, nothing will ever beat the original.
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‘The Misfits’ (1961)
There’s certainly a lot of behind-the-scenes stories and lore surrounding The Misfits. There was the marriage between writer Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe nearing its end, as well as marking the final completed film for Monroe and Clark Gable, but once you step back and take the film as is, John Huston directed a profound masterpiece. The 1961 classic tells the tale of a newly divorced woman, Roslyn Taber (Monroe), and her relationships with a friendly landlady, Isabelle Steers (Thelma Ritter), Gaylord Langland (Gable), an old-school cowboy, his tow-truck driving and plane-flying best friend, Guido (Wallach), and their rodeo-riding, bronco-busting friend, Perce Howland (Montgomery Clift). Exploring themes of loneliness, loss, and the decline of traditional masculinity, The Misfits refers to the wild “misfit” mustangs in the Nevada desert that they seek to capture.
For movie buffs, The Misfits marks the end of an era, as it is the two prominent stars’ final film. But as a work by itself, The Misfits was a robust adventure drama that was absorbing, thanks in part to the extraordinary actors on screen. Their vibrancy in their performances is on par with some of their greatest works. Though it underperformed at the box office at the time, its legacy has kept it alive today. It’s essential viewing if you’re fond of classic cinema.
- Release Date
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February 1, 1961
- Runtime
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124 Minutes
- Director
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John Huston
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