[brurdefdoro]

Just saw this movie about an hour ago, and I am still "in the movie." Now keep in mind that I am very biased when it comes to westerns....I love them!! Not many westerns come out these days, mabye one every 2 years or so, but when they do they are damn good in my opinion. This movie seemed alot different from many other westerns in the way that it was filmed. titles like "tombstone," which is probably the best western out there, usually use "hollywood" antics to emphasize the "bad-ass-ness" of the characters, in this movie, just the acting alone and the scripting was enough to make me enthralled in the movie. There were some slow parts, and unless you were really paying attention, the ending might leave you very slightly confused.

You dont have to see it in the theatre, but you must see it when it comes out on Blu-ray!!!

[chppjdf]

I loved the movie. A few good actors in it too! The ending was a bit confusing, but I do believe that I have figured it all out.

There were a couple of slow parts, but nothing to make the movie bad.

[indentKew]

The decline of the Western genre during the American presidency of a former Western actor is one of life's little ironies. It's nice to see it making a comeback.

[moredasers]

I really want to see it, if for no other reason than Christian Bale is in it, pretty much my favourite actor atm beside Gerry Butler

[eskimosik]

Yes I'm a huge fan of Westerns too, my father raised me on them, and I agree this was a great film that could stand out as a period piece too.

The decline of the Western genre during the American presidency of a former Western actor is one of life's little ironies. It's nice to see it making a comeback.

Nixon was a Western actor? Seriously the Western Genre declined long before the 80s the great narrative that was the Western had begun to fade from Westerns in the 50s and what marked the genres decline was the hugely important revolution in American cinema in the 70s. So no it's not really ironic at all.

[indentKew]

Nixon was a Western actor? Seriously the Western Genre declined long before the 80s the great narrative that was the Western had begun to fade from Westerns in the 50s and what marked the genres decline was the hugely important revolution in American cinema in the 70s. So no it's not really ironic at all.

Actually, the revolution of American cinema in the 1970s is what contributed to the longevity of the genre. The Western is essentially divided into two periods: the classical Westerns typified by the works of John Ford and Anthony Mann and the revisionist Western that rose to prominence in the 1970s as a reaction to European film criticism led by Godard and the social turmoil of Vietnam and the civil rights movement. Leone, Altman, Peckinpah, Eastwood and Penn produced their finest work in this period which more or less ended with the large-budget Western extravaganza Heaven's Gate (1980). The majority of Westerns that remain popular today tend to belong to the latter category. Even The Searchers (considered a marginal film until reevaluated by French cinéastes, btw) incorporates elements of revisionism into its characterization of Ethan and can therefore be considered a transitional film.

[gettoblaster]

id side with yossbob here.

[Gakeincidoniac]

excellent performance as usual from christian bale, russel crowe gave a damn good performance too.

Waiting for dark knight to be released now [thumbup]

[eskimosik]

Actually, the revolution of American cinema in the 1970s is what contributed to the longevity of the genre. The Western is essentially divided into two periods: the classical Westerns typified by the works of John Ford and Anthony Mann and the revisionist Western that rose to prominence in the 1970s as a reaction to European film criticism led by Godard and the social turmoil of Vietnam and the civil rights movement. Leone, Altman, Peckinpah, Eastwood and Penn produced their finest work in this period which more or less ended with the large-budget Western extravaganza Heaven's Gate (1980). The majority of Westerns that remain popular today tend to belong to the latter category. Even The Searchers (considered a marginal film until reevaluated by French cinéastes, btw) incorporates elements of revisionism into its characterization of Ethan and can therefore be considered a transitional film.

Well yeah of course The Searchers was revisionist but if you are looking for transitional films you can go back to Johnny Guitar (also loved by the French) two years earlier a Western about McCarthyism. I have to admit I don't know what the French consider Sergio Leone's finest work but for me it's films like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West.

You said it yourself revisionism started in mainstream Westerns back in 1956 as far as I see it from the biased vision of an Anglophile these films with people like Leone, Penn (unless you think The Missouri Breaks is better than Little Big Man) peak as the decade of the 60s rolled over into the 70s and declined throughout the 70s. Personally the last quality Western on your list of directors is either Pat Garret and Billy the Kid or ...Alfredo Garcia but even then I doubt anyone would say they measured up to the Wild Bunch hence a decline.

So I would be grateful if you let me in on what the great Westerns of the 70s were and why films like Once Upon a Time in the West belong in the same period as the works of John Ford. For me something like Peckinpah's Ride the High Country marks a new emerging style in the early 60s and the Spaghetti Westerns of the mid 60s the works of Segios Leone and Corbucci and Giulio Questi really introduce a new narrative and style.