Cowboy Movies: A Guide to America's Favorite Genre
Cowboy movies, also known as Westerns, are one of the most enduring and influential genres in American cinema. They depict stories of adventure, romance, violence, justice, and heroism set in the American frontier, often featuring cowboys, outlaws, Indians, sheriffs, settlers, and other iconic characters. Cowboy movies have captivated audiences for over a century, reflecting America's history, culture, values, myths, and dreams.
But what makes a good cowboy movie? How did this genre originate and evolve over time? What are some of the best examples and subgenres of cowboy movies? And what is the state of cowboy movies today? In this article, we will answer these questions and more, providing you with a comprehensive overview of this fascinating genre.
cowboy movies
The origins of cowboy movies
The Western genre has its roots in literature, especially in dime novels and pulp magazines that popularized stories of frontier life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Authors such as Zane Grey, Owen Wister, Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Jack London, Louis L'Amour, and others created memorable characters and plots that inspired many filmmakers.
The first cowboy movie is generally considered to be The Great Train Robbery (1903), directed by Edwin S. Porter. This 12-minute silent film featured a daring robbery, a chase scene, a shootout, and a famous shot of an outlaw firing his gun at the camera. It was a huge success and established many of the conventions and tropes of the genre.
Other early cowboy movies include The Squaw Man (1914), directed by Cecil B. DeMille; The Covered Wagon (1923), directed by James Cruze; The Iron Horse (1924), directed by John Ford; The Big Trail (1930), starring John Wayne; Cimarron (1931), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture; Stagecoach (1939), also starring John Wayne; Destry Rides Again (1939), starring James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich; and High Noon (1952), starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly.
Cowboy movies evolved over time and adapted to changing audiences and technologies. They explored different themes and subgenres, such as musicals, comedies, epics, biographies, romances, and dramas. They also incorporated elements from other genres, such as noir, horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Some of the main characteristics and subgenres of cowboy movies are:
Classic Westerns: These are the traditional cowboy movies that follow the conventions of the genre, such as the hero versus villain conflict, the frontier setting, the moral code, the gunfight, the horse chase, the saloon, the train robbery, the cattle drive, the Indian attack, and so on. Examples include The Searchers (1956), Shane (1953), The Magnificent Seven (1960), The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).
Revisionist Westerns: These are cowboy movies that challenge or subvert the conventions of the genre, often by portraying a more realistic, complex, or critical view of the frontier life, the characters, the history, and the morality. Examples include The Wild Bunch (1969), Little Big Man (1970), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), Dances with Wolves (1990), Unforgiven (1992), and Brokeback Mountain (2005).
Spaghetti Westerns: These are cowboy movies made by Italian or European filmmakers, often with low budgets, stylized visuals, violent action, cynical heroes, and iconic music. Examples include A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965), The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), and Django (1966).
Contemporary Westerns: These are cowboy movies set in modern times or in recent history, often dealing with current social and political issues and trends. Examples include No Country for Old Men (2007), Hell or High Water (2016), The Revenant (2015), The Hateful Eight (2015), and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018).
Cross-genre Westerns: These are cowboy movies that combine elements from other genres, such as noir, horror, science fiction, fantasy, comedy, musical, or animation. Examples include Rango (2011), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), The Lone Ranger (2013), Bone Tomahawk (2015), and The Sisters Brothers (2018).
The golden age of cowboy movies
The peak of cowboy movie production and popularity was in the 1940s and 1950s, when hundreds of films were made every year by major studios and independent producers. This era is often considered the golden age of cowboy movies, as it produced some of the most famous stars, directors, and films of the genre.
Some of the most famous cowboy movie stars of this era were John Wayne, James Stewart, Henry Fonda, Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood, Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster , Gregory Peck, Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea, Glenn Ford, and Audie Murphy. They portrayed various types of cowboy heroes, such as the rugged loner, the reluctant hero, the honorable lawman, the charismatic outlaw, the aging gunslinger, and the noble warrior.
Once Upon a Time in the West
The Searchers
Red River
High Noon
Shane
Unforgiven
Johnny Guitar
The Wild Bunch
Killers of the Flower Moon
Blazing Saddles
Django Unchained
The Magnificent Seven
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Hell or High Water
Tombstone
The Old Way
True Grit
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Dances with Wolves
The Revenant
No Country for Old Men
3:10 to Yuma
The Hateful Eight
Open Range
Rio Bravo
The Outlaw Josey Wales
Stagecoach
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Lonesome Dove
Deadwood: The Movie
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Silverado
Pale Rider
Young Guns
Rango
Bone Tomahawk
The Lone Ranger
A Fistful of Dollars
For a Few Dollars More
El Dorado
My Darling Clementine
How the West Was Won
The Shootist
Maverick
The Alamo
Little Big Man
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
Some of the most famous cowboy movie directors of this era were John Ford, Howard Hawks, Anthony Mann, Sergio Leone, Sam Peckinpah, George Stevens, Fred Zinnemann, and John Sturges. They created distinctive styles and visions of the Western genre, ranging from epic landscapes and historical dramas to psychological thrillers and violent action.
Some of the most iconic and acclaimed cowboy movies of this era were The Searchers (1956), directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne; High Noon (1952), directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Gary Cooper; The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and James Stewart; Shane (1953), directed by George Stevens and starring Alan Ladd; The Magnificent Seven (1960), directed by John Sturges and starring Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and others; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach; The Wild Bunch (1969), directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, and others; and Red River (1948), directed by Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne and Montgomery Clift.
The decline and revival of cowboy movies
In the 1960s and 1970s, cowboy movie popularity and quality declined due to several factors, such as the rise of television, the competition from other genres, the changing tastes and expectations of audiences, the social and political turmoil of the times, and the aging or death of many stars and directors. Cowboy movies became less profitable and less respected by critics and viewers.
However, some filmmakers continued to make innovative and influential cowboy movies that reinvented the genre in various ways. Some of them were foreign or independent filmmakers who brought new perspectives and techniques to the Western genre. Some examples are:
Sergio Leone: The Italian director who created the spaghetti Western subgenre with his "Dollars Trilogy" starring Clint Eastwood (A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) and his epic masterpiece Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) starring Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale, and Jason Robards.
Sam Peckinpah: The American director who pushed the boundaries of violence and realism in cowboy movies with his films such as The Wild Bunch (1969), P at Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), The Getaway (1972), and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974).
Clint Eastwood: The American actor and director who starred in many cowboy movies and directed some of his own, such as High Plains Drifter (1973), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), Pale Rider (1985), and Unforgiven (1992), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Robert Altman: The American director who made unconventional and experimental cowboy movies, such as MASH (1970), McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), Brewster McCloud (1970), and Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson (1976).
Sergio Corbucci: The Italian director who made some of the most violent and dark spaghetti Westerns, such as Django (1966), The Great Silence (1968), The Mercenary (1968), and Compañeros (1970).
Akira Kurosawa: The Japanese director who influenced many cowboy movie makers with his samurai films, such as Rashomon (1950), Seven Samurai (1954), The Hidden Fortress (1958), and Yojimbo (1961).
Cowboy movies made a comeback in the 1980s and 1990s with new themes and perspectives, such as feminism, multiculturalism, environmentalism, revisionism, and postmodernism. Some examples are:
Silverado: A 1985 film directed by Lawrence Kasdan and starring Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, and others. It is a homage to the classic Westerns with a modern twist.
Dances with Wolves: A 1990 film directed by and starring Kevin Costner. It is a historical epic that portrays the life of a Union soldier who befriends a tribe of Lakota Indians and learns their culture.
Tombstone: A 1993 film directed by George P. Cosmatos and starring Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, and others. It is a biographical drama that depicts the events of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and the Earp Vendetta Ride.
The Quick and the Dead: A 1995 film directed by Sam Raimi and starring Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio, and others. It is a stylized action thriller that features a female gunslinger who enters a deadly tournament.
Lone Star: A 1996 film directed by John Sayles and starring Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Peña, Kris Kristofferson, Matthew McConaughey, and others. It is a mystery drama that explores the history and identity of a Texas border town.
The modern state of cowboy movies
Contemporary cowboy movies reflect current social and political issues and trends, such as globalization, immigration, terrorism, racism, sexism, corruption, violence, and identity. They also use new technologies and techniques, such as digital cinematography, computer-generated imagery, nonlinear storytelling, and metafiction. Some examples are:
No Country for Old Men: A 2007 film directed by the Coen brothers and starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, and others. It is a neo-noir thriller that follows a man who finds a suitcase of money and is pursued by a ruthless killer.
There Will Be Blood: A 2007 film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano. It is a historical drama that depicts the rise and fall of an oil tycoon in the early 20th century.
True Grit: A 2010 film directed by the Coen brothers and starring Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, and others. It is a remake of the 1969 film of the same name, based on the novel by Charles Portis. It is a revenge story that follows a young girl who hires a grizzled marshal to track down her father's killer.
Django Unchained: A 2012 film directed by Quentin Tarantino and starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, and others. It is a spaghetti Western homage that follows a freed slave who becomes a bounty hunter and rescues his wife from a plantation owner.
The Revenant: A 2015 film directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. It is a survival drama that follows a fur trapper who is mauled by a bear and left for dead by his companions.
Conclusion
Cowboy movies are more than just entertainment. They are a reflection of America's history, culture, values, myths, and dreams. They have shaped and been shaped by the changing times and contexts. They have created some of the most memorable characters, stories, images, and sounds in cinema history. They have influenced and been influenced by other genres and media.
Cowboy movies are not dead. They are alive and well, evolving and innovating with new themes and perspectives. They are still relevant and appealing to modern audiences, who can find something to enjoy and learn from them.
If you love cowboy movies or want to learn more about them, here are some recommendations for further reading or viewing:
The Western Reader: A book edited by Jim Kitses and Gregg Rickman that provides a comprehensive overview of the Western genre in literature and film.
Westerns: Making the Man in Fiction and Film: A book by Lee Clark Mitchell that analyzes the representation of masculinity in Westerns.
Unforgiven: The Making of a Classic: A documentary by Richard Schickel that explores the production and impact of Clint Eastwood's masterpiece.
Once Upon a Time in the West: Shooting a Masterpiece: A book by Christopher Frayling that details the creation and legacy of Sergio Leone's epic.
The American West in Film: Critical Approaches to the Western: A book by Jon Tuska that examines the social and political implications of Westerns.
FAQs
What is the difference between a cowboy movie and a Western movie?
A cowboy movie is a type of Western movie that focuses on cowboys as the main characters. A Western movie is a broader term that encompasses any movie set in the American frontier or inspired by its themes and aesthetics.
What is a spaghetti Western?
A spaghetti Western is a subgenre of Western movies made by Italian or European filmmakers, often with low budgets, stylized visuals, violent action, cynical heroes, and iconic music.
Who is considered the greatest cowboy movie actor of all time?
This is a subjective question that depends on personal preference and criteria. However, some of the most popular and acclaimed cowboy movie actors are John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, James Stewart, Gary Cooper, Henry Fonda, Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster and Gregory Peck.
What is the highest-grossing cowboy movie ever made?
According to Box Office Mojo, the highest-grossing cowboy movie ever made is Django Unchained (2012), directed by Quentin Tarantino and starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, and others. It grossed over $425 million worldwide.
What is the best way to watch cowboy movies?
The best way to watch cowboy movies is to find a comfortable and quiet place, preferably with a large screen and a good sound system. You can also watch them with friends or family who share your interest and appreciation for the genre. You can also read reviews, articles, books, or blogs that provide more information and insights on the movies you watch.
I hope you enjoyed this article on cowboy movies. If you have any questions or feedback, please let me know. Thank you for reading! 44f88ac181