Film Westerns

Looking new movie rental ideas? Try one of the top 10 classic westerns, as voted on by members of the American Film Institute.

Nov 18, 2009 - Jocelyn Kerr

Released in January 1972, director Mark Rydell created a well-crafted John Wayne western, one that forced Duke to show his exceptional acting skills.

Nov 14, 2009 - Jeremy Roberts

The 13th film of his career, Ride Clear of Diablo, was released in 1954. Co-starring Dan Duryea, the well-paced western furthered cemented Audie's screen persona.

Nov 9, 2009 - Jeremy Roberts

Dustin Leighton (as Dustin James) and Tom Noga star in Redemption, a simplistic Western that stays true to its film genre but with a more modern punch.

Nov 9, 2009 - Jason Parent

Tackling such issues as militarism, capitalism, and racism, director Sam Peckinpah gave us one of the most memorable films of the 1960s and one of the best westerns ever.

Oct 20, 2009 - Daniel Allen

Once upon a time, the Western film characterized the lone gunman with a dark past who restores justice to a small town. Since then, the Western has evolved.

Oct 4, 2009 - Grace Troje

In modern-day movies, is it difficult to distinguish the heroes from the villains? A few decades ago classic movie westerns presented a much different image of heroes.

Sep 22, 2009 - Marian Henderson

The movies High Plains Drifter and High Noon both feature a sheriff who is abandoned by fearful townspeople and as a result must confront a murderous gang alone.

Sep 22, 2009 - Marian Henderson

The characters in The Magnificent Seven reveal the needs in the hearts of men. Themes from John Eldredge's book Wild at Heart capture the essence of the film.

Sep 13, 2009 - Timothy Fowler

The Three Godfathers is an American Western, directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, Pedro Armendariz and Harry Carey Jr., set in the parched Arizona desert.

Aug 18, 2009 - Christine Nyholm

Claire Trevor as the prostitute Dallas in Stagecoach(1939) is key to Ford's critique of social prejudice and defense of the noble outcast in this classic western movie.

Jul 20, 2009 - Susan Z. Swan

The character study of the Ringo Kid is key to John Ford's noble outlaw motif in this classic western movie- and it's the breakthrough role that made John Wayne a star.

Jul 8, 2009 - Susan Z. Swan

The common folk in Ford's Stagecoach contrast with the more flamboyant characters who are featured in the film, providing a more down-to-earth feel for movie audiences.

Jul 1, 2009 - Susan Z. Swan

The non-respectable characters in Ford's Stagecoach come in two forms: (1) the villains and (2) the merely disreputable ones who find the journey a quest for redemption.

Jun 27, 2009 - Susan Z. Swan

The respectable-seeming characters in the film Stagecoach are flawed individuals whose social prejudice lacks compassion and violates the frontier mythos of equality.

Jun 24, 2009 - Susan Z. Swan

John Ford and Dudley Nichols' work to craft the screenplay of Stagecoach (1939) focused on psychological character studies as the base of the first modern western film.

Jun 23, 2009 - Susan Z. Swan

Stagecoach is widely seen as one of the best westerns and most important films made. Critics praise it for its rich drama and artful photography of Monument Valley.

Jun 20, 2009 - Susan Z. Swan

The Spaghetti Western trilogy begins with a ruthless and intricate film in Dollars. A fantastic debut for any director and star, and a film that exceeds expectations.

Apr 26, 2009 - Will Roszczyk

In High Noon, Gary Cooper's iconic marshal has become the symbol of a good man betrayed. But an analysis of his name--Will Kane--reveals some inconsistencies.

Dec 14, 2008 - Jerod Allen

These three epics represent a significant shift in the making of Western movies. They brought the genre into the realm of the spectacular.

Nov 4, 2008 - John K. Davis

Originally written in 1969, this new and expanded edition of the now classic Horizons West is essential reading for any serious film scholar or movie buff.

Sep 2, 2008 - Jorge Carrega

The Searchers marks a turning point for Westerns in its depiction of American attitudes to racial hatred. Social attitudes pervade on a genre imbued with racism.

Jul 22, 2008 - Martyn Coppack

Star Kirk Douglas has called Dalton Trumbo's offbeat, contemporary Western the perfect screenplay. It isn't exactly but it is something admirable and unique.

Jun 22, 2008 - Dan Lalande

With the making of High Noon, writer Carl Foreman, director Fred Zinneman, and actor Gary Cooper revolutonized the Western

Jun 15, 2008 - Dan Lalande

A good film will prepare you for what is to come in the first three to five minutes, if you know what to look for. Rio Bravo (1959) does so with body language and motion.

Jun 9, 2008 - Missy Frye