For as long as cinema has existed, the Western has been prevalent and at the forefront of new developments in cinematic storytelling. From editing to camera to story, as film has evolved, so has the western. With a long history of amazing Westerns dating back to even before The Great Train Robbery in 1903, there comes a great deal of both triumphs and failures. These often range from an innocent crime such as poor pacing to malicious ones such as the treatment of Native Americans. This leaves more than enough projects on the table and ready for re-imagining.
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Unfortunately, in our current cinematic landscape, the western has fallen out of favor as a more dated genre. This perspective ignores the ways in which modern westerns have been able to subvert and contradict their predecessors in a highly fruitful manner. The Coen brothers’ True Grit exemplified this and managed to succeed as an example of what older Westerns could be. Westerns have always evolved, and there are more than enough examples of films deserving of that chance.
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10 Joe Kidd (1972)
Directed By John Sturges
Since the beginning of his career, Clint Eastwood has been at the gunslinging forefront of the ever-changing Western. His breakthrough roles posited him as a spaghetti Western lead, Sergio Leone steering him into the Stoic figure he has come to be known as today. His American Westerns, however, often failed to quite capture the magic of those earlier films, with Joe Kidd proving an example of this.
The film follows an ex-bounty hunter who is forced into capturing the leader of a band of Mexican revolutionaries. Though examining ideas of land ownership and the treatment of Mexicans within America at that period, it bottoms out with an all too forced finale that abandons any political pretext. With a remake willing to explore these deeper themes and fully develop its lead beyond the Eastwood archetype, there could be something truly special to be found.
9 Stagecoach (1939)
Directed By John Ford
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9/10 Stagecoach Not RatedWesternAdventure
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*Availability in US Release Date March 3, 1939 Writers Dudley Nichols Cast Claire Trevor , John Wayne , George Bancroft , Andy Devine , Thomas Mitchell , John Carradine , Donald Meek , Berton Churchill , Louise Platt , Tim Holt , Tom Tyler , Chief John Big Tree , Yakima Canutt , Francis Ford , William Hopper , Chris-Pin Martin , Paul McVey , Jack Pennick , Harry Tenbrook , Whitehorse Runtime 96 Minutes Director John Ford Main Genre Western Expand
There is no doubt that Stagecoach is in fact one of the most important Westerns to have ever been made. Its approach to more action-orientated film making and exceptional pacing make it an example of why Westerns have and will always remain relevant. Special credit has to be given to the exceptional introduction of John Wayne’s lead. Despite these achievements, the film is certainly not immune to criticism, with the treatment of the native characters proving the most unlikable.
Though the film is worthy of a remake on just those merits, the film proves most worthy as remake material due to the ways in which it can be told now. The film follows the titular stagecoach as its passengers attempt to make it safely through dangerous territories. This plot leads to a good number of astonishing stunts, but there is no telling what could be achieved now with modern technology. It is possible with an update it could achieve similar heights as Mad Max: Fury Road in its singular dangerous journey.
8 Young Guns (1988)
Directed By Christopher Cain
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Young Guns RWesternActionDrama
A band of young gunslingers, led by the rebellious Billy the Kid, seeks retribution for the killing of their guardian. As they navigate the dangers of the Old West, their acts of vengeance draw the ire of both the law and their enemies.
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*Availability in US Release Date August 12, 1988 Writers John Fusco Cast Emilio Estevez , Kiefer Sutherland , Lou Diamond Phillips , Charlie Sheen , Dermot Mulroney , Casey Siemaszko , Terence Stamp , Jack Palance Runtime 107 Minutes Director Christopher Cain Main Genre Western Expand
A huge success upon release, Young Guns was an attempt to revitalize the genre with a new and younger attitude. Following a group of young outlaws, the story follows their quest for revenge after the murder of their father figure. It is no secret that it was mostly a success on account of the young actors who made up the cast, with Emilio Estevez, Charlie Sheen, and Keifer Sutherland already having had multiple hits.
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The movie is poorly paced and lacks a script good enough to support all its leads, leaving the film tonally confused and meandering. With an update able to fill in a cast as exciting as the original and a script suitable to support them, there could be a great deal of fun to be had. There is no doubt that an attempt to recapture the success of Young Guns would prove an interesting project.
7 Ulzana’s Raid (1972)
Directed By Robert Aldrich
The revisionist Westerns of the 1970s dealt with a great many concepts long looked over during the genre’s golden age. Ulzana’s Raid falls into this category as it attempts to break down the prejudices that are built into American soldiers as they venture to find an Apache warrior named Ulzana. It was heralded upon release for its underlying criticism of the Vietnam War, which is certainly the film’s biggest strength.
The film is undoubtedly powerful in its examination of prejudice, but it is that very power which would make it such an interesting remake for the present cinematic landscape. Seeing a version of Ulzana’s Raid that is able to tackle its subject head on could provide for a more complete experience and reflect on the present. A modern rendition could prove a fascinating study of the ways in which American history has and continues to repeat.
6 Hannie Caulder (1971)
Directed By Burt Kennedy
Despite remaining an obscure Western classic, Hannie Caulder has proved to be highly influential in its story of revenge. The film follows a woman’s journey of revenge to kill the men who murdered her husband and assaulted her. It is notable for being one of few Westerns to follow a female protagonist, featuring a strong turn from Raquel Welch. Despite this, the film often veers into exploitative territory, struggling to see Welch’s lead without sexualizing her.
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To see a modern interpretation would prove a fascinating experiment, given that it is still rare to see women lead Westerns, let alone action movies. The movie has already proved fertile ground for adaptation, as Quentin Tarantino cited it as inspiration for Kill Bill. Having a new approach, more willing to tackle the significance of a woman making her own way toward revenge in the wild west, could prove highly successful.
5 Broken Arrow (1950)
Directed By Delmer Daves
Much like most of James Stewart’s great Westerns, Broken Arrow is a movie more than worthy of compliment. It is considered one of the earliest Westerns to tackle themes of racial injustice in the west. It follows an American settler and his attempt to establish a friendly relationship between the other white settlers and the Apache tribe. It is no doubt an important example of the ways in which the western genre evolved with time, allowing for better examples of Native peoples.
For all the compliments Broken Arrow deserves, there is also a great deal of baggage that comes along with it. For all the movie’s attempts to capture the strife of Native peoples, it still cast white actors donning redface in most of the lead roles. This is highly contradictory to what the film attempts to achieve, and certainly blunts its messaging today. To see a version able to properly focus upon the Native viewpoint and cast the correct actors, would only carry the original’s messaging further.
4 Cat Ballou (1965)
Directed By Elliot Silverstein
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Cat Ballou Not RatedWesternComedy
Release Date June 24, 1965 Writers Walter Newman , Frank Pierson , Roy Chanslor Cast Jane Fonda , Lee Marvin , Michael Callan , Dwayne Hickman , Nat ‘King’ Cole , Stubby Kaye , Tom Nardini , John Marley Runtime 97 Minutes Director Elliot Silverstein Main Genre Western Expand
There are few Western comedies that are remembered outside Blazing Saddles in 1974 and Cat Ballou was one of those. A hit upon release, Jane Fonda’s wacky Western managed to capture much more attention than it possibly deserved. It even earned Lee Marvin an Oscar for best leading actor. Despite this, Cat Ballou has fallen from the public consciousness for the simple reason that it just isn’t particularly memorable.
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It follows Jane Fonda’s titular character as she attempts to hire an aging gunslinger to avenge her father. Despite being named after Fonda, the film pays little attention to her character and spends far longer focused on Lee Marvin’s Kid Shelleen. To see an update, more willing to focus on Cat Ballou and the humor that her character can bring from the eccentric side character, could prove worthwhile.
3 Navajo Joe (1966)
Directed By Sergio Corbucci
Sergio Corbucci is responsible for what are possibly some of the greatest spaghetti Westerns of the 1960s, with Django and The Great Silence proving the best of his work. Navajo Joe, however, fails to live up to Corbucci’s mastery of action and emotion that he showed in other films. It purports to tell the story of a Navajo warrior and his quest to avenge his murdered tribe, but fails on these grounds by casting Burt Reynolds in the lead role.
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Reynolds himself was a vocal critic of Navajo Joe and saw it as among his worst films, which is more than understandable. Seeing a version in the modern day fronted by a Native actor would show a different side of the west that has long been neglected. It would also give more dramatic weight to the revenge and what it would mean to that character.
2 Annie Oakley (1935)
Directed By George Stevens
George Stevens is responsible for a great many classic Westerns (Giant & Shane), but Annie Oakley has always been somewhat of a disappointment in his catalog. Telling the story of the titular sharpshooter, the film follows her involvement in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and her relationship with her fictional sharpshooter rival, Toby Walker. Barbara Stanwyck is exceptional in the lead role, but is let down by the relationship, which overshadows the entire film.
This version leaves a lot of elements of her real story on the table, concentrating on a fictional romance rather than her achievements as a highly skilled sharpshooter. She spends the majority of the movie trailing behind her male counterparts, instead of focusing on the strongly feminist point of view Oakley possessed. She is a fascinating piece of American history, and one deserving of a project that is more willing to delve into her importance as a feminist figure.
1 The Searchers (1956)
Directed By John Ford
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7.3/10 The Searchers pg-13WesternDrama
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*Availability in US Director John Ford Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers John Ford Cast John Wayne Runtime 119minutes Release Date March 13, 1956 Expand
Since its release in 1956, The Searchers has maintained its status as one of the greatest Westerns ever made. It is not a film without controversy, having been criticized since its release for its often deplorable portrayal of Native characters and excessive use of redface. It is important to note that while The Searchers is a racist film, it is also a film about racism. It tackles the story of a Civil War veteran and his attempt to get his niece back from a Comanche tribe.
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The Searchers is undoubtedly powerful in its portrayal of blind hatred, but repeatedly continues to play into racist tropes. While a remake might seem like an impossible task, there is more than enough material at the heart of the story to bring about a reinterpretation. Pushing further into the ideology and pathos of John Wayne’s lead could bring about a film more equipped to deal with racism, and not further dispel it.
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