Robert Redford stars as a rugged mountain man who has turned his back on humanity in this existential Western by Sydney Pollack.
It’s a real visual stunner filled with a brilliant cast.
The Big Gundown (Sergio Sollima, 1966)
Jonathan Colorado Corbett, the Bounty hunter (Lee Van Cleef), makes his way through Texas and Mexico to catch a supposed murderous bandit named Manuel Chuchillo Sanchez (Tomas Milian.)
Spaghetti Western legend Sergio Sollima's film is considered to be an allegorical tale of North America's interference in Latin America. Watch this if you can take all the harsh social commentary.
Bend of the River (Anthony Mann, 1951)
Glyn and Emerson play two buddies who lead a wagon train along the Columbia River Valley in search of a new settlement. The two end up going head to head when Emmerson (Arthur Kennedy) decides to rob and sell the passengers' belongings for cash. Glyn (James Stewart), however, remains commuted to the traveling settlers.
Director Anthony Mann's film is an allegory for the divide between the culture of production and the culture of consumption that defined the 1950s.
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (John Ford, 1949)
This technicolor Western starring John Wayne that takes place on Monument Valley bursts with picturesque imagery. The story follows the journey of a retired cavalry officer. it's certainly Wayne's most subtle performance of his career.
The landscapes are striking in this 1949 John Ford classic.
Tears of the Black Tiger (Wisit Sasanatieng, 2000)
Our first Thai Western film on this list, "Tears of the Black Tiger" by Thai Chinese director Wisit Sasanatieng is a true triumph of Eastern cinema. It took seven years for the film to be premiered in America, but when it did, Western fans went wild.
Starring Chartchai Ngamsan as Dum, a common man in love with a rich woman named Rumpoey. Their love becomes forbidden when Rumpoey's father wants to marry her off to Police Captain Kumjorn. Dum is then forced to be the outlaw Black Tiger.