Bad Company (Robert Benton, 1972)
What starts out as an odyssey to the “promised land” of American riches evolves into something far more dark and even bizarre. Jake (Jeff Bridges) and his buddy have stripped of their dreams and even dignity thanks to a cruel gang of roaming bandits.
It’s a dog eat dog world out there.
Pale Rider (Clint Eastwood, 1985)
When a snowy mountain is pillaged over a land ownership battle during the early Gold Rush, all notions of money and land play into the grand struggle for power in America.
This Clint Eastwood blockbuster, while special in its own right, somewhat resembles "The Unforgiven" and could even be considered as a trial run.
The Ballad of Cable Hogue (Sam Peckinpah, 1970)
"The Ballad of Cable Hogue" production caused quite a stir at the time. It went over the budget by three-million dollars and continued 19 days after schedule. That being said, the film that was shot in the desert landscapes of Nevada ended up being a masterful commentary on American despair.
Sadly due to production issues, Holywood lost interest in Peckinpah after this film. But we sure didn't!
No Country for Old Men (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2007)
The Coen brothers can't do much wrong, and it becomes evident as ever here. This masterful script based on Cormac McCarthy's novel captures the disparities between young and old.
The Coens, together with their prized director of photography, Roger Deakins, shed light on the viciousness that took place in the vast wild region of the western landscape.
A Fistful of Dollars (Sergio Leone, 1964)
The film has aged really well considering it's from 1964. The Man With No Name (Clint Eastwood) rolls into a village of San Miguel in the middle of a power struggle between the Rojo brothers. Of course, Eastwood inserts himself right into the battle with plans of his own.
Shots of menacing faces and forbidding landscapes almost make this western feel like a comic book.