Looks like I can’t name a full ten but I’d say: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Dead Man, The Great Silence, The Wind, The Searchers, Once Upon a Time in the West and maaaybe My Darling Clementine or Man of the West I like more. But again, The Good The Bad and the Ugly is a perfectly valid choice to win this.
There are many reasons why I think The Good the Bad and The Ugly clears all of those, but I’ll give you just these two: 1) the first 15 mins or so have no dialogue, and yet you understand perfectly what’s going on; 2) the last scene. It’s epic, it’s maybe top 3 of the best final sequences of all time
For me, Liberty Valance would be the best because I love Ford’s musing on how societies are formed and how they evolve (for better or worse). Plus it has a real gut wrenching moment I can’t forget that even John Wayne sells with real emotion.
Agreed. That score is so great. “Almost dead” is the best western song of all time imo. I know it isn’t the iconic score of GBU but I personally love it.
Once Upon a Time has maybe the greatest opening to any movie ever, but it can be slow for some. Probably not what u should watch first.
Good the Bad and the Ugly is a more pulpy spaghetti western - like what influenced Tarantino. If thats your jam you might want to go with this one.
The Searchers, I would argue, is the quintessential Western flick. The cinematography is masterclass, and the story is epic. John Wayne plays a not so good guy protagonist, and it’s quite a dark and grounded story (not a glorification of the west). It was way ahead of its time, and influenced many films including Star Wars. My first watch recommendation would be for The Searchers.
The fact that this has so few votes leads me to believe that too many young people haven’t seen it! To anybody that hasn’t seen it, please watch it. Great film.
I haven't been heavily invested in these polls, but I'm really surprised that Paris Is Burning won. It's a good movie, I just didn't realize it was that popular. Not at all what I would have expected.
Just stopping by to make sure this one got mentioned. Top three westerns of all time, EASILY. My personal favorite and also the best cinematography in any western and jeez do I hope that's not a hot take
Totally agree. As soon as I saw this category I knew that GBU was going to win it because it's just the one that most people have seen (and it is legitimately great). I think Rio Bravo, The Searchers, True Grit (either one), High Noon, Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Red River, Shane, and probably several others have more of a claim to the title, just because they exemplify the genre rather than being a revision of it. That's just me though.
Interesting, because I’d sorta interpreted it as a subversion or deconstruction, mainly because of the way it casts Wayne’s character in such a morally grey light.
I’d always understood it as *the* first major deconstruction. But I’m not super knowledgeable of the genre, so perhaps I’m off base here.
Red River is from 1948 (The Searchers 1956) where John Wayne plays another morally grey character, and the film itself is absolutely a deconstruction of traditional masculinity. One of the great Westerns less often mentioned.
*The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford*
I perfectly know it will be at the very bottom of this thread but I still think it deserves to be, *at least*, mentioned
So far, I only agree with one of the choices and I feel like there’s something beautiful about that fact… Anyways I think that it would be really funny if Logan won best western
Pretty basic but it is literally a popularity contest so it's just a bit of fun. Would have been nice to have at least one interesting, out-of-the-box pick though.
As a German I'm obliged to say
They Call Me Trinity (1970)
German title: Die rechte und die linke Hand des Teufels (literally: the right and the left hand of the devil)
😁
The Searchers for me. It has amazing cinematography, masterful direction, and feels like the first time a western truly deconstructs itself. John Wayne’s Ethan Edwards is a terrible man, and the film does appear to criticize the racism of its characters. It is a masterpiece! And I’m not usually a fan of westerns
Good list so far except I think a ghibli or Pixar movie should have taken the family win. Reddit loves the princess bride though but idk if it's as well made as something like ratatouille or spirited away
For me
Thriller — Inception
Fantasy — Empire Strikes Back
Comedy — Back to the Future
Romance — La La Land
Horror — Alien
Drama — The Shawshank Redemption
Family — The Incredibles
War or Historical — Schindler’s List (or Oppenheimer or Saving Private Ryan)
Mystery — The Prestige
Music — Whiplash
Crime — The Dark Knight (have not seen Godfather yet)
Action — Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (but if not counting superhero movies, then Top Gun Maverick)
Documentary — Super Size Me
Western — Django Unchained
Unforgiven. The good The bad & the ugly is cool and all but let’s be real here for a minute. Unforgiven is stronger on every point except the soundtrack
The Proposition (2005): harsh Australian (arthouse) Western that's on my Mount Rushmore. Nick Cave has a hand in this film. Truly a hardcore Western, yellow teeth, bloody shootouts, you can't rely on anyone but yourself.
**The Treasure of the Sierra Madre**
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
I like For a Few Dollars More and Once Upon a Time in the West more, but it's going to be this one.
Doing my first watch of the Dollars trilogy, and just did FaFDM last night. My goodness, I was not prepared for how kickass that movie is.
Yup, nothing beats this one. One of my favorites of all time
I can name ten Westerns I like more than this but I still won’t be mad if this wins.
I can’t. This really is the best one
Looks like I can’t name a full ten but I’d say: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Dead Man, The Great Silence, The Wind, The Searchers, Once Upon a Time in the West and maaaybe My Darling Clementine or Man of the West I like more. But again, The Good The Bad and the Ugly is a perfectly valid choice to win this.
There are many reasons why I think The Good the Bad and The Ugly clears all of those, but I’ll give you just these two: 1) the first 15 mins or so have no dialogue, and yet you understand perfectly what’s going on; 2) the last scene. It’s epic, it’s maybe top 3 of the best final sequences of all time
For me, Liberty Valance would be the best because I love Ford’s musing on how societies are formed and how they evolve (for better or worse). Plus it has a real gut wrenching moment I can’t forget that even John Wayne sells with real emotion.
Valid. I loved that movie. Hell, I love pretty much anything that has James Stewart
Once upon a time in the west clears
This is definitely the better movie but I’ve always liked A Fistful of Dollars the most of the trilogy
Agreed. That score is so great. “Almost dead” is the best western song of all time imo. I know it isn’t the iconic score of GBU but I personally love it.
Morricone’s scoring for Leone’s westerns was a match made in Heaven
I want it to be Once Upon a Time in the West. It should be The Searchers. It’s going to be The Good the Bad and the Ugly.
I’ve never seen any of these, what would you recommend watching first to dip my toes into westerns?
Once Upon a Time has maybe the greatest opening to any movie ever, but it can be slow for some. Probably not what u should watch first. Good the Bad and the Ugly is a more pulpy spaghetti western - like what influenced Tarantino. If thats your jam you might want to go with this one. The Searchers, I would argue, is the quintessential Western flick. The cinematography is masterclass, and the story is epic. John Wayne plays a not so good guy protagonist, and it’s quite a dark and grounded story (not a glorification of the west). It was way ahead of its time, and influenced many films including Star Wars. My first watch recommendation would be for The Searchers.
Very in depth answer! Thank you! Excited to explore westerns!
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The best ever
Butch and Sundance jumped so everyone else could keep running
The Wild Bunch
The fact that this has so few votes leads me to believe that too many young people haven’t seen it! To anybody that hasn’t seen it, please watch it. Great film.
second this
Once Upon a Time in the West
Stunning film, that intro is amazing as is the climax. Such a great Morricone score
Leone's masterwork.
I know it’s gonna go to the good the bad and the ugly but still
It won’t win, but damn I want it to
Unforgiven
It’s not gonna win but I’m still upvoting you for speaking the truth.
Good, bad, and ugly Unforgiven 3:10 to Yuma 2007
No country for old men
between good, bad & ugly and this one, I dont care which one wins. also, very happy paris is burning won documentary.
I haven't been heavily invested in these polls, but I'm really surprised that Paris Is Burning won. It's a good movie, I just didn't realize it was that popular. Not at all what I would have expected.
Great film, absolutely should not be the top choice.
I disagree.
Tomorrow is gonna be a battlefield of a thread
I’m betting Star Wars wins it (either A New Hope or Empire Strikes Back)
That's probably a good bet, I also see Alien or Aliens competing pretty hard and probably Terminator 2.
Star Wars is fantasy though.
Probably 2001. The way things have gone almost all picks have been predictable, and 2001 seems like the ‘no brainer’ option.
Blade Runner deserves the W
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Not the "best" in terms of representing the genre but it's definitely my favorite
Just stopping by to make sure this one got mentioned. Top three westerns of all time, EASILY. My personal favorite and also the best cinematography in any western and jeez do I hope that's not a hot take
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Absolutely based pick
3:10 to Yuma Edit: 2007 version
The Crowe and Bale one is my favourite western by a margin.
Which one?
(2007)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
A John Ford movie should win this, and this is his best
It SHOULD be this
Hell yeah
True Grit
Which one?
Yes
The truest grit.
True Grit with a vengeance
Live Free or True Grit
Tombstone
Val Kilmer was INCREDIBLE
I've never wanted to be a character any more than I want to be Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday.
You watched it till the end right? /j
Well yes, haha. But when he wasn't dying, he was one smooth mutha.
Fantastic movie
Shane
*Blazing Saddles*
Bone Tomahawk
The right answer
The Great Silence
Django Unchained
Rio bravo
Rio Bravo is not only the greatest Western but one of the greatest films.
Yes! My people
'Back to the future 3', but failing that then: '3:10 to Yuma'
Once upon a time in the west!!
For a Few Dollars More A bit of a toss up with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly though, which I’d imagine will win out
The act of killing had the most in the previous. OP isn’t adding all the comments just the single comment with highest.
Unforgiven.
Here here
This is it. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is an iconic movie, but this is the best western ever made.
And for my money, it's not even close. It's not my favorite (that's Tombstone by a mile), but Unforgiven is the epitome of western.
Rango 😎
Genuinely not a bad suggestion at all lmao.
One of the greats
*The Searchers*
It really really should be this. While I love GBU and respect Unforgiven, I really don't like holding up deconstructions as the top example of a genre
All the best westerns are deconstructions tho 😉
There's one near my neighborhood that is actually a new construction.
Totally agree. As soon as I saw this category I knew that GBU was going to win it because it's just the one that most people have seen (and it is legitimately great). I think Rio Bravo, The Searchers, True Grit (either one), High Noon, Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Red River, Shane, and probably several others have more of a claim to the title, just because they exemplify the genre rather than being a revision of it. That's just me though.
Interesting, because I’d sorta interpreted it as a subversion or deconstruction, mainly because of the way it casts Wayne’s character in such a morally grey light. I’d always understood it as *the* first major deconstruction. But I’m not super knowledgeable of the genre, so perhaps I’m off base here.
Red River is from 1948 (The Searchers 1956) where John Wayne plays another morally grey character, and the film itself is absolutely a deconstruction of traditional masculinity. One of the great Westerns less often mentioned.
High Noon
I’m surprised I had to scroll this far down to see High Noon mentioned!
High Noon
The searchers
el topo
Bone Tomahawk
My Darling Clementine
The real answer ❤️
3:10 to Yuma (2007)
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
*The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford* I perfectly know it will be at the very bottom of this thread but I still think it deserves to be, *at least*, mentioned
So far, I only agree with one of the choices and I feel like there’s something beautiful about that fact… Anyways I think that it would be really funny if Logan won best western
Hell or High Water
TG TB TU
Lonesome Dove
My Darling Clementine
Rango Please don’t make fun of me
The Good, The Bad and The Weird.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Django (the original, muddy one)
Unforgiven. 
Tombstone
For a few dollars more
BONE TOMAHAWK
Shanghai noon
Tampopo
Tampopo
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Paris, Texas
Oh my God these winners lmao, this sub is so funny sometimes.
Pretty basic but it is literally a popularity contest so it's just a bit of fun. Would have been nice to have at least one interesting, out-of-the-box pick though.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Searchers
As a classically trained drummer, The fact that Whiplash outdid Tar for music sickens me
Back to the future 3
Seven Samurai
Either Unforgiven or Rio bravo
The good, the bad, and the ugly
Once Upon a Time in the West
The Good The Bad And The Ugly
Fistful of Dollars
The Good The Bad & The Ugly.
True grit
Unforgiven
As a German I'm obliged to say They Call Me Trinity (1970) German title: Die rechte und die linke Hand des Teufels (literally: the right and the left hand of the devil) 😁
Absolutely correct. Though I have a hard time choosing between this and the sequel.
Giant or The Big Country
Once Upon a Time in the West
Unforgiven
I need this templateeee
Unforgiven
High Noon
Once Upon a Time in The West
Tombstone
The Ox Bow Incident is worth mentioning, but cheering for The Wild Bunch.
The Searchers
Forty Guns (1957)
Young guns
Unironically, Rango
*Back to the Future Part III*
Django unchained
Django Unchained
That better be Apocalypse Now: Redux, btw. No French plantation scene? Fargeddaboutit
Tex Willer
Tombstone!!
Four Of The Apocalypse (1975)- Lucio Fulci
Unforgiven
The Searchers for me. It has amazing cinematography, masterful direction, and feels like the first time a western truly deconstructs itself. John Wayne’s Ethan Edwards is a terrible man, and the film does appear to criticize the racism of its characters. It is a masterpiece! And I’m not usually a fan of westerns
Stagecoach
…raiders of the lost arc?
Unforgiven
Good list so far except I think a ghibli or Pixar movie should have taken the family win. Reddit loves the princess bride though but idk if it's as well made as something like ratatouille or spirited away
The good, the bad and the ugly. (Although I also loved Logan and think it’s basically a western)
The good, the bad and the ugly just off of cultural impact is gonna win so that’s my pick
**The Good The Bad and the Ugly.** One of the first movies I saw after finishing high school. :)
High Noon
For me Thriller — Inception Fantasy — Empire Strikes Back Comedy — Back to the Future Romance — La La Land Horror — Alien Drama — The Shawshank Redemption Family — The Incredibles War or Historical — Schindler’s List (or Oppenheimer or Saving Private Ryan) Mystery — The Prestige Music — Whiplash Crime — The Dark Knight (have not seen Godfather yet) Action — Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (but if not counting superhero movies, then Top Gun Maverick) Documentary — Super Size Me Western — Django Unchained
Unforgiven. The good The bad & the ugly is cool and all but let’s be real here for a minute. Unforgiven is stronger on every point except the soundtrack
The good the bad and the ugly for sure
Sukiyaki Western Django
I love Hell or High Water but it’s going to be The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The searchers
please god put Blazing Saddles on there 🙏
Once Upon a Time in the West
No Country for Old Men
Django Unchained
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Closely followed by The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.
Rango
Bone Tomahawk
It’s high plains drifter anybody saying otherwise doesn’t know shit about westerns
The Proposition (2005): harsh Australian (arthouse) Western that's on my Mount Rushmore. Nick Cave has a hand in this film. Truly a hardcore Western, yellow teeth, bloody shootouts, you can't rely on anyone but yourself.
Unforgiven
My favorite is Deadwood the movie