As long as cinema has existed, the West was prevalent and at the forefront of new developments in cinematic storytelling. From editing to camera to story, as film has evolved, so has the West. With a long history of amazing Westerns dating back to even earlier The Great Train Robbery In 1903, there are many triumphs and failures. These often range from an innocent crime such as poor pacing to malicious ones such as the treatment of Native Americans. This leaves more than enough projects on the table and ready for re-imagining.
Unfortunately, in our current cinematic landscape, the Western has fallen out of favor as a more dated genre. This perspective ignores the ways in which modern Westerners have been able to subvert and contradict their predecessors in a highly fruitful way. The Cohen brothers True size Exemplified this and managed to succeed as an example of what older Westerners could be. Westerns have always evolved, And there are more than enough examples of films that deserve this opportunity.
10
Joe Kidd (1972)
Directed by John Sturges
Since the beginning of his career, Clint Eastwood has been at the forefront of the ever-changing West. His breakthrough roles positioned him as a spaghetti western lead, Sergio Leone steering him into the stoic figure he has become known as today. His American Westerns, however, often failed to quite capture the magic of those earlier films, with Joe Kidd Show an example of this.
The film follows an ex-power hunter who is forced to capture the leader of a gang of Mexican revolutionaries. Although examining ideas of land ownership and the treatment of Mexicans in America at the time, It bottoms out with an all too forced finale Which leaves no political justification. With a remake willing to explore these deeper themes and fully develop its lead beyond the Eastwood archetype, there could be something truly special to be found.
9
Stagecoach (1939)
Directed by John Ford
There is no doubt that Stagecoach is in fact one of the most important westerns to have ever been made. Its approach to more action-oriented film making and exceptional pacing make it an example of why Westerns have and will always remain relevant. Special credit must be given to the exceptional introduction of John Wayne’s lead. Despite these achievements, the film is certainly not immune to criticism, with the treatment of the native characters proving the most unlikely.
Although the film is worthy of a remake on its merits alone, the film proves most worthy as remake material due to the ways in which it can be told now. The film follows the titular stagecoach as its passengers attempt to make it safely through dangerous territories. The plot leads to a good number of astonishing stunts, but there is no evidence that could be achieved now with modern technology. It is possible with an update it could reach similar heights as Mad Max: Fury Road In his unique dangerous journey.
8
Young Guns (1988)
Directed by Christopher Kane
A great success in liberation, Young guns was an attempt to revitalize the genre with a new and younger attitude. Following a group of young outlaws, the story follows their quest for revenge after the murder of their father figure. It’s no secret that it was mostly a success because of the young actors who made up the cast, with Emilio Estevez, Charlie Sheen and Keifer Sutherland already having multiple hits.
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The movie is Poorly paced and locks a script well enough to support all its leadsleaving the film tonally confused and meandering. With an update that can fill a cast as exciting as the original and a script suitable to support them, it could be a lot of fun. There is no doubt that an attempt to recapture the success of Young guns Would prove an interesting project.
7
Ulzana’s Raid (1972)
Directed by Robert Aldrich
The revisionist Westerns of the 1970s dealt with many concepts that had long been seen in the golden age of the genre. Ulzana’s Raid falls into this category as it attempts to break down the prejudices built into American soldiers when they venture to find an Apache warrior named Ulzana. It was heralded upon release for its underlying critique of the Vietnam War, which is surely the film’s biggest strength.
The film is undoubtedly strong in its examination of prejudiceBut it’s that very power that would make it such an interesting remake for the current cinematic landscape. See a version of Ulzana’s Raid Who is able to cope with his subject can provide a more complete experience and reflect the present. A modern interpretation can prove a fascinating study of the ways in which American history has and continues to repeat itself.
6
Hannie Caulder (1971)
Directed by Burt Kennedy
Despite remaining a dark western classic, Honey Caulder Has proved to be highly influential in his story of revenge. The film follows a woman’s journey of revenge to kill the men who killed her husband and assaulted her. It is notable for being one of the few Westerns to follow a female protagonist, with a strong turn from Raquel Welch. Despite this, the film often veers into exploitative territory, struggling to see Welch’s lead without sexualizing her.
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Seeing a modern interpretation would prove a fascinating experiment, as it is still rare to see women directing Westerns, let alone action movies. The movie has already proved fertile ground for adaptation, viz Quentin Tarantino cites it as inspiration for Kill Bill. Having a new approach, more ready to tackle the significance of a woman who makes her own way to revenge in the Wild West, can be very successful.
5
Broken Arrow (1950)
Directed by Delmer Daves
Much like most of James Stewart’s great westerns, Broken Arrow is a movie more than worthy of compliment. It is considered one of the earliest Westerns to tackle the themes of racial injustice in the West. It follows an American settler and his attempt to establish a friendly relationship between the other white settlers and the Apache tribe. It is undoubtedly an important example of the ways in which the Western genre has developed over time, allowing better examples of native peoples.
For all the compliments Broken Arrow deserved, There is also a great deal of baggage that comes along with it. For all the movie’s attempts to raise the animosity of native peoples, it still casts white actors wearing red face in most of the main roles. This is highly contradictory to what the film is trying to achieve, and certainly blunts its messaging today. To see a version that is able to properly focus on the native mind and cast the correct actors, would only carry the original messaging further.
4
Cat Ballou (1965)
Directed by Elliot Silverstein
There are few western comedies that are mentioned outside Blazing saddles In 1974 and Cat Ballou was one of those. A hit upon release, Jane Fonda’s Wacky West managed to garner far more attention than it possibly deserved. It even earned Lee Marvin an Oscar for Best Leading Actor. despite this, Cat Ballou has fallen from the public consciousness for the simple reason that It’s just not particularly memorable.
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It follows Jane Fonda’s titular character as she tries to hire an aging gunslinger to avenge her father. Despite being named after Fonda, the film pays little attention to her character and spends much more focused on Lee Marvin’s Kid Shelleen. Seeing an update, more willing to focus on Cat Ballou and the humor that her character can bring from the eccentric side character, could be worthwhile.
3
Navajo Joe (1966)
Directed by Sergio Corbucci
Sergio Corbucci is responsible for what are possibly some of the greatest spaghetti westerns of the 1960s, with Django And The great silence Show the best of his work. Navajo JoeHowever, it fails to live up to Corbucci’s mastery of action and emotion that he displayed in other films. It purports to tell the story of a Navajo warrior and his quest to embrace his murdered tribe, but fails on the grounds of casting Burt Reynolds in the lead role.
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Reynolds himself was a vocal critic of Navajo Joe And saw it as among his worst films, which is more than understandable. Seeing a version in the modern day front by a native actor would show a different side of the West that has long been neglected. It would also give more dramatic weight to the revenge and what it would mean to the character.
2
Annie Oakley (1935)
Directed by George Stevens
George Stevens is responsible for many classic Westerns (Giant & beautiful)However Annie Oakley Has always been something of a disappointment in his catalog. The film tells the story of the titular sharpshooter, and follows her involvement in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and her relationship with her fictional sharpshooter rival, Toby Walker. Barbara Stanwyck is exceptional in the lead role, but is let down by the relationship, which overshadows the entire film.
This version leaves many elements of her real story on the table, concentrating on a fictional romance rather than her achievements as a highly skilled sharpshooter. She spends the majority of the movie trailing behind her male counterparts, Instead of focusing on the strongly feminist point of view Oakley possesses. She is a fascinating piece of American history, and one that deserves a project more willing to expand on her importance as a feminist figure.
1
The Searchers (1956)
Directed by John Ford
Since its release in 1956, The searchers has maintained his status as one of the greatest westerns ever made. It is not a film without controversy, as it has been criticized since its release for its often deplorable portrayal of native characters and excessive use of redface. It is important to do that while The searchers is a racist film, it is also a film about racism. It tackles the story of a Civil War veteran and his attempt to get his niece back from a Comanche tribe.
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The searchers is undoubtedly strong in her portrayal of blind hatred, but repeatedly continues to play into racist tropes. Although a remake may seem like an impossible task, there is more than enough material at the heart of the story to bring about a reinterpretation. To push further into the ideology and pathos of John Wayne’s lead could result in a film that is more equipped to deal with racism, and not further detract from it.