Why I Think Westerns Are Awesome

Recently I purchased Sergio Leone's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly because it was sitting in the western section and giving off a strange luminance that kept catching my eye. And it was on sale. I had seen bits and pieces of it before, but like all good films (or any film really), it can only be truly appreciated when its watched from beginning to end. So I watched it, in its 3 hour long glorious entirety, and I was hooked. It is truly a remarkable feat in cinema, which is no mystery to any of Leone's appreciators. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly masters the techniques that were attempted in his first to films in the series, Fistful of Dollars and For A Few Dollars More, both starring Clint Eastwood.

Thus, my adoration for the Western genre was sparked. A dirty shot glass full of aged whiskey served with  a dusty revolver in a rustic 1880's New Mexico saloon became my idea of a good time. If I could get away with it, I wouldn't hesitate to wear a poncho and spurs everywhere. I've seen westerns before, but somehow Sergio Leone's trilogy was truly inspirational, and turned me on to an hidden love of a pre-industrialized United States that I didn't realize existed within me. And the ironic thing is that it took a series filmed in Spain by an Italian director to do so.

Leone began what is referred to as the "Spaghetti Western" genre. During the beginning of the 1960's, Italy was still in the aftermath of its postwar turmoils and hurting economically. Consequently, so was its film industry. In an effort to save money, the Italian film industry decided to finance Serigo Leone's Fistful of Dollars, starring young and unknown Clint Eastwood. The relatively inexpensive production costs of western films popularized by American cinema was appealing for the film studios, and after the first movie in the Dollars trilogy became successful, the "Spaghetti Western" genre was born. Thanks to Leone, Eastwood, and the classic composer Ennio Marconie (whose iconic music in each film became a staple of the genre), the film industry boomed with westerns. Over 200 were made during its era, and all were in the style of Leone and Marconie.

Everyone is familiar with the score of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, whether they are aware of it or not. Leone often referred to Marconie as a screenwriter as well as a composer, because the scene could be easily rewritten by Marconie's musical stings that could add tension and suspense to any segment of the film, even one where three character's stare at each other for what seems to be hours in a supremely climaxing apex (below).

These films in many ways, I feel, surpassed the level that American filmmakers like John Ford set when the Western was first invented. Not only are the films remarkable to look at and listen to, but they characterize everything that is awesome about Westerns, and crank up their intensity. As a film enthusiast with a self-proclaimed motto that movies should be enjoyed on a deeper level then simply the context, I cannot help but feel like a wide-eyed child admiring Eastwood's bad-ass-itude, and sit hoping one day I'll be able to live with fellow outlaws.  Shotguns, tequila, saddles, and cabaret dancers. There is something about the cinema that makes these things fantastic.

If nothing else, this article, though lacking any real film study, may just be a plea for escapism and its justification. But if any words in this has peaked any interest in the Old West, I highly recommend purchasing any of Leone's films. Immediately. And you too might find yourself in a situation where your  stagecoach has been ransacked by Injuns or some dude cuts you off on the freeway, and ask yourself "What Would Eastwood Do?"

For more on The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, check out: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly IMDB
For more on Sergio Leone, check out: Fistful-of-Leone.com

For more Movies To Love, check out: MoviesToLove Blog

Recommended Films:
Stagecoach
Fistful Of Dollars
For A Few Dollars More
Once Upon A Time In The West
Dances With Wolves