For as long as films have been made in their most primitive forms, theWesterngenre has always been a popular one with audiences. Westerns have undergone many changes over their long history in the film industry and now encompass many different styles such as noir Westerns, revisionist Westerns, and various other kinds that may not always conform to classical notions of what a Western film should be.
For various reasons, there have been many Western films over the ages that have been highly acclaimed. Whether for their action, intriguing stories, exceptional acting, or complex plots, such films stick out in memory and have become associated as classics of the genre. Most of these feature notable actors, who over time, have become renowned asthe best Western actors around. Whatever your favorite style of Western, there’s usually something out there for everyone’s tastes. However, according to Rotten Tomatoes, these are the best Western movies of all time.
10The Searchers (1956)
A film by John Ford, one of the mostnotable filmmakers of a generation,The Searcherswas a classic Western that featured another legend. John Wayne is widely regarded as the quintessential Western actor of his time. In this film, he played an aging Civil War veteran as he searches for his missing niece, and was scintillating in it. The film has since influenced many others and is hailed as a story that beautifully tied in many other themes such as redemption and obsession.
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Wayne is a classic hero in the film, full of grit but tainted in many ways by his own demons. Decades later, the film may not have aged well with modern audiences for its depictions of racism toward Native Americans and the genocidal actions shown during the Texas-Native American war, but it remains one of the best-made Westerns for its fearlessness. Unsurprisingly, it has a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
9My Darling Clementine (1946)
Rated 100% on the aggregator site,My Darling Clementinewas a Wyatt Earp-led Western that brilliantly depicted the depraved violence that gave the wildwest its reputation. Henry Fonda played the famous lawman who becomes aseedy town’s new Marshall to clean it up after he sees what a lawless place it’s become.
Despite its classical aspects, the film also had a bold portrayal of a different kind of tough guy with Earp showing far more restraint than the usually unfettered masculinity depictions of the day. Here’s a snippet of what the legendary film critic Roger Ebert had to say about the film and Fonda’s role as Earp in it.
“Most Westerns put the emphasis on the showdown. “My Darling Clementine” builds up to the legendary gunfight at the OK Corral, but it is more about everyday things–haircuts, romance, friendship, poker and illness. At the center is Henry Fonda’s performance as Wyatt Earp. He’s usually shown as a man of action, but Fonda makes him the new-style Westerner, who stands up when a woman comes into the room and knows how to carve a chicken and dance a reel.
8Unforgiven (1992)
It would be a travesty of note to mention the best Western films in history and not mention Clint Eastwood, since the legendary actor has become so synonymous with many of the genre’s greatest ones.Unforgivenwas the 1992 Western that was directed by Eastwood, and he also starred in its main role. Featuring a 96% rating, the film was a brilliant one that was nominated for a staggering nine Academy Awards, winning three of them, including Best Picture.
The film may be described as an early rendition of stylized violence that became to Westerns whatThe Matrixwas to ordinary action films. It follows the last job of an aging outlaw after he thought he’d turned away from the life for good. Unsurprisingly,Eastwood was mesmerizingin the film, one that has gone down as a true favorite of Western fans all over the world. As for its stellar cast, aside from Eastwood, it also featured the likes of Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman.
7True Grit (2010)
The first film from this century to make it onto the list,True Grit,was a Jeff Bridges film that featured him as a drunken lawman who’s hired by a teenage girl to track down the man who killed her father. The girl was played by Hailee Steinfield, who although is best known as a singer, showed once again how multi-talented she actually is as she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the movie.
The pair’s constant arguing makes them an unlikely pairing but sets the tone for the uneasy bond they actually end up sharing beneath it all.True Gritwent on to be nominated for ten Academy Awards, and although it never won any of them, remains one of the best Westerns ever made, and one of the best filmsof the last decadein any genre.
6Hell or High Water (2016)
IfTrue Gritwasn’t good enough for everyone, six years later Jeff Bridges proved that the film was no fluke as he pulled out another amazing Western. This time in the noir Western,Hell or High Water,Bridges played a lawman again, though a more sober one this time. He joins another Texas ranger as the pair pursue a pair of bank-robbing brothers played by Chris Pine and Ben Foster.
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The kicker is that the brothers pull off the heists out of what they deem necessary to save their family ranch. Through this trope, the film wonderfully examines deep ethical questions that lie in the gray areas of morality. In total, the film was nominated for 117 awards, including four Academy Awards. While Bridges again lost out on these, the film and Bridges personally did win many other awards for it. It was also written by the brilliant Taylor Sheridan, who as the creator of the epic western TV franchiseYellowstone, isquickly earning a reputationas one of the greatest Western filmmakers around.
5Rio Bravo (1959)
The ’50s was a great decade for amazing Western films asRio Bravoproved three years after all the success ofThe Searchers. The film again featured John Wayne in imperious form, although this time he was backed up by fellow acting legends, Dean Martin and Angie Dickinson.
The film told the tense story of a Texan Sheriff who has to hold an outlaw in custody until the Marshall arrives to fetch him. Meanwhile, the man’s violent and ruthless gang tries to bust him free. The Sheriff only has a ragtag bunch of people, including a drunk and a crippled person to help. With the odds stacked against them,Rio Bravoused some amazing cinematography to pull off one truly entertaining film.
4Stagecoach (1939)
John Wayne and John Ford’s names are so legendary together as they becamesynonymous with astoundingly good Western filmsduring their day. Long before eitherThe SearchersorRio Bravo,the pair teamed up to makeStagecoach.The film proved to be an iconic one for more reasons than one. It’s not often that John Wayne’s name turns up second in a film that he starred in.
However, there was a good reason for this inStagecoach,since this was his breakthrough role and the one that launched his career to unfathomable heights. Meanwhile, Ford again showed why he was so highly rated as a director. The film featured a journey by stagecoach as a bunch of strangers are brought together as passengers on a perilous trip that passes through Apache country. Wayne was electric in the film, as was the beautiful actress Claire Trevor, who was actually the star of the film.
3High Noon (1952)
Sandwiched between two of John Wayne’s most famous films in the ’50s came another great Western. However, this one starred another acting legend, Gary Cooper.High Noonwas a film that was startlingly well-thought-out and featured a plot reminiscent of a deeper philosophical conundrum. Occurring in real-time, it depicts a Sheriff who finds himself facing a huge dilemma.
As a gang of outlaws approaches town, he must decide whether to stand firm and face them, or flee town and save his young wife in the process. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards and a host of other prestigious honors. Like many films of its day, not all parts of it have aged well, and it was mired in controversy back then too for its political themes. Regardless, it remains a beloved favorite among fans of Westerns and a true classic of the genre.
2The Treasure of Sierra Madre (1948)
Another gem of a Western, and classic films in general,The Treasure of Sierra Madrewas one of those great films that have become forever synonymous with its star. In this case, it was the legendary Humphrey Bogart in the lead role. The film follows three men who join forces to go prospecting for gold in Mexico.
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The movie broke boundaries in many ways since it was one of the first American films to be shot on location outside the United States. It’s now so renowned, it was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry and the Library of Congress. It was also nominated for four Academy Awards, winning three of them. While the film’s legacy has led to many more like it, it was one of the greatest renditions of a trope that displayed the depravity of human being’s greed, and how it can consume people who let it.
The true scope of why Clint Eastwood is so revered as a legendary actor and filmmaker can be summed up by the fact that he’s still around, making great films today, even though he was already starring in legendary ones back in the ’60s. In what is regarded as the greatest Western film ever made,The Good, the Bad and the Uglysaw Eastwood playing Joe, a man who forms an uneasy alliance with a Mexican outlaw but betrays him. After initially turning him in for the reward money, when he’s about to be hanged, Joe decides to try and rescue him.
With an Italian-led production crew, the film now features what will probably feel likethe worst of Western clichés. However, it was actually responsible for most of them since its famed wide-angle cinematography and legendary close-up shots set a template that many Westerns after it followed. With amazing performances and some truly memorable scenes, an iconic score, and an immense story, the film has truly earned its reputation as the greatest Western around — while firmly cementing Clint Eastwood as the best Western actor in history.
