The Top 10 Classy And Stylish Western Movies Of All Time

Western are the major defining genre of the world cinema especially American film industry.Their most prolific era was in the 1930s to the 1980s. These western movies are one of the most characteristically american genre,  most enduring and  flexible genre in their historic origins. These movies are classy, stylish and adventurous with whole lot of substance and mesmerizing cinematography. Sergio Leone, John Wayne, John Ford, Clint Eastwood, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers are well known for their classic western movies in world cinema. Let's check it out the top 10 classy and stylish western movies of all time.

1. Unforgiven (1992)

***A Greatest Western Masterpiece Ever***

"That's right. I've killed women and children. I killed just about anything that's walked at one time or another. And I'm here to kill you Little Bill."

"It's a hell of a thing killin a man. You take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have."

"Unforgiven" is arguably Producer/Director/Star Clint Eastwood's best western and perhaps his best film overall. It could be very well his last western (I hope not), and if it is he certainly went out on top. The film was honored with several Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor for Gene Hackman. Eastwood's performance as the tragic Munny was also of Oscar calorie. I highly recommend serious film lovers to revisit the movie several times. The iconic nature of the movie may well characterize it as the best western ever made. Unforgiven is as good as Clint Eastwood's other film, 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly'. The difference between the two however shows up over time.

2. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) 

  ***The Greatest Western Adventure Movie Ever Made***

"They formed an alliance of hate to steal a fortune in dead man's gold."

"I've never seen so many men wasted so badly."

"There are two kinds of people in the world, my friend. Those with a rope around their neck and the people who have the job of doing the cutting. Listen, the neck at the end of the rope is mine! I run the risks. So the next time, I want more than half."

"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is a landmark movie in many respects. Its cultural influence is nigh-impossible to overstate, with its iconic musical score by Ennio Morricone, three memorably amoral protagonists, the close-ups, vast landscapes, and the title itself, all of which are instantly recognizable icons of cinema, having been referenced and replicated time and again in movies, TV shows, and even commercials. It is Sergio Leone's first truly great movie, a transition from the low-budget Spaghetti Westerns ("A Fistful of Dollars", "For a Few Dollars More") to the big budget, artistic epics that Leone would make for the rest of his career ("Once Upon a Time in the West/America"). This is a full-blown epic, and one with an interesting subtext. We see three completely amoral characters whose crimes - robbery, murder, and racketeering - are minor compared to the brutal carnage we see the Civil War inflicting.

"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is one of the most well-known and influential movies ever made, and with good reason. In terms of style, it is an absolute triumph, being one of the most amazingly made movies ever made. Those only familiar with the movie for its cast, its score, or peripherally through its iconic stature, are missing out on one of the most breathtaking cinematic experiences ever.

3. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) 

***Great Movie, Acting, Direction And Music***

"There were three men in her life. One to take her... one to love her... and one to kill her."

"You don’t understand, Jill. People like that have something inside… something to do with death."

There are four stand-out performances from Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale and Jason Robards. Bronson plays Harmonica the mysterious stranger, Fonda brilliantly cast against type is the cold-eyed killer, Cardinale is the stunningly beautiful woman in the center of the narrative and Robards is the grizzled outlaw. Together, they are terrific. And Leone moves them around the widescreen frame quite beautifully. Morricone's score once again is quite outstanding. The haunting harmonica theme is a particular standout; only Morricone could make a harmonica sound so sweeping, evocative and mystical.

"Once Upon A Time In The West" is a truly epic film-making of the very best kind. It's a western of intense emotions and brilliant acting; of peerless photography and groundbreaking music. It illustrates perfectly how to use cinematic space and how to pace events within it. It refashioned the western and brought the highest cinematic artistry to Monument Valley. It goes without saying that it is a masterpiece. 

4. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

***A Great Tale With Brilliant Direction And Performance***

"The more he yearns for a woman's arms . . . the fiercer he lusts for the treasure that cursed them all!"

"I know what gold does to men's souls."

"Badges? We ain’t got no badges! We don’t need no badges! I don’t have to show you any stinking badges!"

"The Treasure of Sierra Madre", is not only a stunningly visual treat, but also a story and script of depth and magnitude, set in old time Mexico.

At its best, film noir (which this most certainly is--Western surroundings or no) makes the viewer complicit in the evil depicted on screen. We find ourselves scheming and plotting in our heads along with the unsavory characters we are watching--we start to feel the same temptations and desires that they do. "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" accomplishes this bond with the audience as well as any film you are likely to see.

A magnificent film--one of the few great screen tragedies.

5. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

***Simple, Beautiful And One Of A Kind***

"They're taking trains... They're taking banks and they're taking one piece of baggage!"

"For a moment there i thought we were in trouble"

"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" pretty much the ultimate action western movie I can think of. This movie has everything you could want, and it appeals to almost any type of viewer. Paul Newman, one of if not the best actor of our time is the lead along with Robert Redford, the two go together perfectly. 

This movie won Best Score, Best Song (Raindrops) which was very good unconditional music in a western, it fit good in this movie, Best Cinematography, shot by Conrad L. Hall who also did Road To Perdition, arguably the best cinematography done to this very day, and Adapted Screenplay, all for the right reasons. George Roy Hill, Paul Newman, and Robert Redford all went on to create "The Sting" in 1973, which is possibly one of the best movies ever made.

6. For a Few Dollars More (1965)

***One Of The Best Spaghetti Western Film Ever***

"The man with no name is back... The man in black is waiting! As if one wasn't enough . . . as if death needed a double!"

"I generally smoke just after I eat. Why don't you come back in about ten minutes? --In ten minutes you'll be smoking in Hell. "

Italian director Sergio Leone changed the face of the Western genre in 1964 when he introduced what would be known as the "Spaghetti Western" with the brilliant "Per un Pugno di Dollari" ("A Fistful of Dollars"). Not only the films looked grittier, violent and realistic; the characters in Leone's westerns became complex men with complex and obscure moral codes, very far away from the classic clear moral opposites of previous westerns. "Per Qualche Dollaro in più" ("For a few dollars more"), is the epitome of all this. It is a powerful, raw and ruthless masterpiece that transcended its genre and became one of the best movies of all-time.

Written by Fulvio Morsella and Sergio Leone himself, the film's main characteristic is the complex moral code the main characters follow. They are no longer the perfect clean heroes of classic westerns, both Manco and the Colonel have well-developed attitudes, motivations and purposes; they are neither completely good nor completely bad, they are just real. The story unfolds with a fine pace and good rhythm, it is probably the best structured of the "Trilogy" and the easiest to follow. It is also the one that represents the elements of the Spaghetti Western style the best.

7. A Fistful of Dollars (1965)

***A Fistful Of Style And A True Western Classic***

"This short cigar belongs to a man with no name. This long gun belongs to a man with no name. This poncho belongs to a man with no name. He's going to trigger a whole new style in adventure."

"In his own way he is perhaps, the most dangerous man who ever lived!"

"A Fistful of Dollars" is distinguished by Sergio Leone's visual gift, and convincing fashion in handling violence, rape and torture... He presents his sadistic killers, invariably unshaven, sweating and bleeding in frequent big closeups... Both the real and the unreal invincibility of his 'Stranger' are never better illustrated than in the final scene when the trembling Ramon fills the gunfighter's heart with bullets.

The film is strong on passionate emotions, and bloody violence... This aspect is completely foreign to the American tradition based on John Ford concepts of honor, bravery and romantic adventure. Sergio Leone's film deeply influenced the future of the West in general and the Italian 'spaghetti' Western in particular.

8. The Searchers (1956)

***The Biggest, Roughest, Toughest ...and Most Beautiful Picture Ever Made!"

"The story that sweeps from the great Southwest to the Canadian border in Vista Vision."

"The Searchers" is perhaps a John Ford's greatest film. The character studies are rich and complex and never too revealing, adding mystery and depth. The location in Utah's Monument Valley is magnificent. The Technicolor is simply stunning. And of course, the story set a standard for all action movies to come. The plot is simple and engaging and the subplot allows us to take a break from the relentless search. John Wayne's portrayal of Ethan Edwards is memorable. The dark, anti-hero persona gives the movie an edge not seen in those days. Jeffrey Hunter (Martin Pauly) and the rest of the cast give solid performances that are very natural and spirited. All of this is credited to the brilliant directing of John Ford. It is a great movie to watch. It is a great outdoor movie that should be seen on a big screen.

Watch the film, it gets inside you. Watch it again, and you'll find things you never saw before, no matter how many times you see it.

9. 3:10 to Yuma (2007)

***An Old Classy Modern Western Film***

"Time Waits For No Man"

"3:10 to Yuma", one of the best westerns and best all-around movies I've seen in a long time. That's largely due to the outstanding performances by the cast, ably led by the alpha male, bad guy, Russell Crowe. His protagonist is Christian Bale who turns in a nuanced performance as the down-on-his luck rancher. The scenes between these two men are riveting and a display of acting at its best. The supporting cast are all wonderful and in particular, Ben Foster, Fonda and Logan Lerman as Bale's oldest son.

The action is virtually non-stop which makes for a compelling, exciting story. But what really drew me in were the stellar performances, particularly that of Crowe. He is the bad guy you actually might end up rooting for. He goes from charming to deadly and back again all in the blink of an eye. He carries the film on his very able shoulders, but Bale gives him a good run for his money in the acting department.

This is one movie that any lover of westerns or anyone simply longing for a good movie with good acting will not want to miss. The two hours will go by in the blink of an eye and you'll be wishing there was more.

10. True Grit (2010)

***The Coen's Good Old Fashioned Story Telling***

"Punishment comes one way or another"

"True Grit" isn't really a remake as such, but as a more faithful take on the novel. And even if it were a remake, it is one of the better ones if so. While I did like the 1969 very much, although I didn't like Kim Darby, this version does make some improvements, such as the pace and Mattie. But it also has some hindrances, the ending is abrupt, and some of the characters perhaps are not quite as intriguing as they are in the 1969 film, Rooster especially has a more somewhat cantankerous personality there.

Like all the Coen Bros movies, True Grit is beautifully shot, the scenery is stunning and there are some typically quirky moments in the cinematography. The story is compelling, and the dialogue is surprisingly droll which enhances the bleak atmosphere even more.

Overall, it was an amazing cinematic experience that truly transports the viewer to a very real and fully realized time and space that crackles with fire and true grit.

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