My Take

Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 7 months ago to Entertainment
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During the holiday season, I'd like to lighten up a bit. Instead of world politics or weighty philosophical concepts, let's take a look at movies. The western is the genre I'd like to focus on. It is a typically American subject and as far as I can tell, only one foreign director has ever made any decent Westerns and that was Sergio Leone. Remember "The Good The Bad, And The Ugly?" Here's my take on my favorites. They are quite different from most critics.
1. The Big Country. If ever there was a Randian hero, it is Gregory Peck's performance in this film loaded with great actors and even the music is great. 2. Shane. Alan Ladd's best role and performance ever, and also a hero that Rand could applaud. 3. True Grit, John Wayne's portrayal of an old guy rising into heroism deserved his Acadamy Award. What do you think?

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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Good Grief! I forgot about "Blazing Saddles."
    The only truly great western spoof, second only to Brooks' take-off on Hitchcock with "High Anxiety." Come to think of it, not 2nd to anything. Yet one of the funniest moments happens sans western when Hedley Lamar tries to get a discount at the movie theater with a student I.D.
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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Firefly is definitely a western in futuristic garb. Just as some of the above mentioned westerns are take-offs on Shakespeare.
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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Isn't life fascinating? If it wasn't for the Tarentinos of the world, I'd like to live forever just to see what the human race will do next in science and art.
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  • Posted by Flootus5 9 years, 7 months ago
    Another favorite that is more obscure is Yellow Sky. Gregory Peck, Richard Widmark, Harry Morgan, and one cute as a button Ann Baxter.

    And of course, for me any movie that has gold in it is a must!

    Although McKenna's Gold is a bit of a stretch for a geologist. But Lurch as an Indian makes up for it all!
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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I remember thinking that MM would ruin the picture, but she didn't. Nothing wrong with a good adventure flick.
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  • Posted by Flootus5 9 years, 7 months ago
    There are so many. I am addicted to the western channel.

    One of my favorites is Shane. The classic line about guns being as good or bad as the person using it. That should make it required viewing in schools for that alone. And Jack Palance as the bad guy? Fantastic!
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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Wasn't it a wondrous almost magical place? From there, we went to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Not nearly as "touristy" as the south rim, and we slept in in a 4 person log cabin and walked to a magnificent lodge for our meals.
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  • Posted by khalling 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    yes. do not get me started.
    but, it was so fun and interesting. thanks again for reminding me.
    we also watched Apollo 13 because they just released 10K photos from the Apollo years AND by the film roll. great history and so dang interesting
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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Another great insight! I love "The Quiet man." Just re-viewed it the other day. It never gets old.
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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    You are right. As a matter of fact, he was the only moral character in the films. Sort of the Sam Spade of "The Maltese Flacon" in western garb with six shooters.
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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I think everyone learned from Leone's westerns. It changed the direction of westerns and for the better. I wouldn't be surprised if Tarantino got it from Leone. It sure looks like it in his latest movie/western. Too bad he's such an asshole.
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  • Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Yes, the sound is exquisite in that first scene, and the magnificent cinematography starts there, too. They did an amazing job showing a romantic view of the genre.
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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    That was Lawrence Kasdan's directorial debut. He was a writer, but in my opinion, even though he has made many movies since, I think this was his best.
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  • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Not at all one of the basic plot forms in 'Western' and both Star Trek and the early Star Wars were often characterized that way.
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  • Posted by khalling 9 years, 7 months ago
    watched the Good, The Bad and the Ugly last night. nice. this is where Tarantino learned isn't it
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  • Posted by ohiocrossroads 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    The opening scene where Emmet is attacked by three gunmen in the line shack really gets the viewer's attention quickly. Then after the battle, the shot where he opens the door overlooking a valley is truly breathtaking.
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  • Posted by ohiocrossroads 9 years, 7 months ago
    When Sergio Leone's westerns came out in the mid-60's, they got a lot of criticism from the right because Eastwood's character (the Man With No Name) was viewed as being an amoral gunman. But I don't necessarily buy into that. In A Fistfull of Dollars, he reunited the little boy with his mother and helped them get away, then cleaned up the town by wiping out both gangs. In For a Few Dollars More, he saved Col. Mortimer from being murdered by Indio.
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  • Posted by ohiocrossroads 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    McLintock is basically Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew told in a Western setting.

    McLintock also has some political undertones, circa 1963. The territorial governor Cuthbert H. Humphrey was based on Hubert Humphrey, and John Wayne's attitude toward government bureaucrats was illustrated by the bumbling Indian agent Agard.
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  • Posted by ohiocrossroads 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I drove through monument valley back in 2009 and stopped to tour the cabin that was John Wayne's quarters in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. It made me a skosh breathless to be in a place that I had seen in a classic movie.
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  • Posted by ohiocrossroads 9 years, 7 months ago
    Every time The Big Country and Shane come on, I have to watch at least part of them. Although, now that I captured The Big Country on DVR, my schedule can be more flexible.

    Another movie that has re-watchability is River of No Return, starring Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. No great philosophical themes, just a perfectly constructed adventure story with the incomparable scenery of the Canadian Rockies as a backdrop.
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  • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Ditto on Josey Wales his side kick was Chief Dan George out of Oregon (Real name) another good one was Culpepper Cattle Company.
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  • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 7 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Exactly he did the same in Northern Minnesota minus Topper in the same year as a school program... the old memory circuits are churning big time on that one.
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