The Red Dead Redemption duology often refers to classic and modern westerns. Before playing the first part, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the most striking representatives of this genre. Feature films are not documentaries, but they allow you to feel the spirit of the era and create the right mood. As a result, playing Red Dead Redemption will be much more interesting. Westerns have been released since 1903. However, if you start watching them in order, you will probably be disappointed in the genre. Many of them have not stood the test of time and are no longer impressive today. We recommend starting with modern films about the Wild West and gradually moving back into the past. This way, you can get acquainted with the classics, but at the same time not lose interest in westerns. In our article, the films are arranged in the order that we think is optimal for viewing.
Django Unchained
Release date: 2012;
Director: Quentin Tarantino;
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, and
Samuel L. Jackson;
Rotten Tomatoes ratings: 87% from critics, 92% from
audiences.
"Django Unchained" is not a reboot of the classic 1966 spaghetti western, but a completely different film. Its action took place before the American Civil War, so the plot includes themes of slavery and racism. At the same time, it has an excellent plot, lots of comedy elements, well-staged action and charismatic heroes. It was for the role of Dr. Schultz in "Django" that Christoph Waltz received his second Oscar in his career.
"The Revenant"
Release date: 2015;
Director: Alejandro G. Inarritu;
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson and
Will Poulter;
Rotten Tomatoes ratings: 78% from critics, 84% from
audiences.
Another western with Leonardo DiCaprio. For it, the actor was given an Oscar as the leading actor. However, "The Revenant" is not at all like "Django". Alejandro González Iñárritu, director of Birdman, raises themes of betrayal, fear of Indians, and questions of human survival in the wild. Moreover, the filming was done on location, with minimal use of computer graphics. The film cleverly changes the pace — calm scenes demonstrating beautiful landscapes are combined with vigorous action.
3:10 to Yuma
Release date: 2007;
Director: James Mangold;
Starring: Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Logan Lerman, and
Dallas Roberts;
Rotten Tomatoes ratings: 89% from critics, 86% from viewers.
A civil war leaves deep wounds on the body of a state. After it, there are always those who are dissatisfied with the outcome or feel that they were cheated. For example, the main character of the film "3:10 to Yuma" Dan Evans is a combat veteran who was deprived of his pension because he was wounded, but not too seriously. In order to feed his family, the man is forced to participate in the escort of the gang leader, who is being taken to the fort. But his accomplices are following in the convoy's footsteps, ready to kill anyone who gets in their way. The film is not limited to action. It raises serious topics that remain relevant even today. Moreover, the plot surprises viewers with unexpected twists several times. This distinguishes 3:10 to Yuma from other westerns.
Unforgiven
Release date: 1992;
Director: Clint Eastwood;
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, and
Richard Harris;
Rotten Tomatoes ratings: 96% from critics, 93% from viewers.
Clint Eastwood became famous as an actor in classic spaghetti westerns. But starting in 1971, he began making films himself. His "Unforgiven" turned out to be one of the best westerns of the 90s. The film is dedicated to an aging thug who decided to quit killing and tries to live like an ordinary farmer. However, circumstances force him to remember bloody methods of solving problems. The film won four Oscars and influenced the entire entertainment industry. And it's not just about westerns. For example, the cult comic "Old Man Logan" was inspired by "Unforgiven".
True Grit
Release date: 2010;
Directors: Ethan Coen and Joel CoenCoen);
Starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Hailee
Steinfeld;
Rotten Tomatoes ratings: 95% from critics, 85% from
audiences.
The Coen brothers' films are considered to be quite specific, and not everyone likes them. Meanwhile, if you liked The Big Lebowski, Fargo, and No Country for Old Men, you can also check out True Grit. The plot revolves around the pursuit of the killer Tom Chaney, who has managed to turn many people against him. However, the thug does not escape alone, but in the company of other criminals. Together they try to hide in the Indian territory. There, the sheriff has no authority, so the heroes will have to act on their own, without the help of lawmen. In addition to demonstrating the realities of those years, the film surprises with its unpredictability. Positive characters do not always win in fights. The bandits shoot accurately and have no sense of morality, they act decisively and ruthlessly.
The Hateful Eight
Release date: 2015;
Director: Quentin Tarantino;
Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, and
Walton Goggins;
Rotten Tomatoes score: 74% from critics, 77% from audiences.
The Hateful Eight is less a Western and more a Wild West Reservoir Dogs. A female outlaw, two bounty hunters, a coachman, and a small town sheriff are stuck under the same roof with other random travelers in the middle of a snowstorm. But everyone knows that they want to free the bandit, so there is an atmosphere of mistrust in the house, which later leads to a bloody massacre. Most of the time is devoted to dialogues, which are done in Tarantino's signature style. The characters talk about the Civil War, remember how other thugs tried to kill them, sing sad songs and read letters from Abraham Lincoln. The viewer is involuntarily imbued with the era and notes the key features that are characteristic of America in the second half of the 19th century.
"Tombstone: Legend of the Wild West" (Tombstone)
Release date: 1993;
Director: George P. Cosmatos;
Starring Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Michael Biehn, and Powers
Boothe;
Rotten Tomatoes ratings: 73% from critics, 93% from
audiences.
At first glance, the plot of "Tombstone" may seem banal. A silver deposit was discovered in the town, so two friends go there in the hope of getting rich quickly. However, bandits come to the settlement and want to take everything for themselves. There is one nuance in this story — it is based on real events that unfolded in 1971. Otherwise, this is a quality action movie from the 90s in a Wild West setting.
Once Upon a Time in the West
Release date: 1968;
Director: Sergio Leone;
Starring: Claudia Cardinale, Henry Fonda, Jason Robards and
Charles Bronson;
Rotten Tomatoes ratings: 74% from critics, 77% from viewers.
From the films of the 90s, we smoothly move on to spaghetti westerns. And I would like to start with the epic film by Sergio Leone, who became famous for the dollar trilogy and the mafia saga Once Upon a Time in America. His film with the gorgeous Claudia Cardinale in the leading role is dedicated to the arrival of civilization to the territory of the Wild West. The appearance of the railroad sharply increased the cost of land plots, which local bandits want to take advantage of. The film can be praised for its competent combination of real historical events with the techniques of classic westerns.
The Wild Bunch
Release date: 1969;
Director: Sam Peckinpah;
Starring: William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, and
Warren Oates;
Rotten Tomatoes ratings: 91% from critics, 90% from
audiences.
The script for this western served as the basis for the first Red Dead Redemption. It shows that by the 20th century, it is no longer so easy for thugs to commit robberies. An attempt to rob a railway office cash register fails when the criminals are ambushed. They manage to escape and flee to Mexico. But the thugs are already hot on their trail. government troops led by the former leader of the same gang. "The Wild Bunch" shows how the Wild West died. Specially trained shooters tracked down criminals and opened fire on them without hesitation, and if necessary, pursued them for hundreds of kilometers. The choice was left — to try their luck one last time or surrender. But even giving up resistance did not guarantee a quiet life, because the skills of some bandits turned out to be useful in the fight against others.
"Django"
Release date: 1966;
Director: Sergio Corbucci;
Starring: Franco Nero, Jose Bodalo, Loredana Nusciak and
Angel Alvarez;
Rotten Tomatoes ratings: 94% from critics, 83% from viewers.
A classic spaghetti western that is more reminiscent of a quality action movie about the Wild West. The main character is the brave Django, a guy with noble goals and a sad fate. However, you shouldn't stand in his way, because he is excellent with a firearm. There are a lot of films in world cinema that bear the title "Django", from direct sequels of the first film to horror films and Japanese reinterpretations. But only the 1966 film and Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece deserve your attention.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Release date: 1967;
Director: Sergio Leone;
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach and Aldo
Giuffre;
Rotten Tomatoes ratings: 97% from critics, 97% from
audiences.
Sergio Leone was one of the pioneers of spaghetti westerns as a film genre. This is a rethinking of the genre by Italian filmmakers. Initially, it was conceived as a kind of parody of films about the Wild West, but such films quickly gained independent value and popularity around the world. Sergio himself shot the Dollars trilogy, in which Clint Eastwood played the main role. We recommend starting with the film "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". If you like it, you can check out the films "A Fistful of Dollars" and "For a Few Dollars More". The plot raises several topics at once. The Civil War, treasures with missing Confederate gold, criminals who turned each other in for a reward and then escaped, and much more. In parallel, we see the horrors of the military confrontation between the South and the North, excellent action and, of course, duels under the scorching sun. Separately, I would like to highlight the charisma of the young Clint Eastwood.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Release date: 1969;
Director: George Roy Hill;
Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross, and
Strother Martin;
Rotten Tomatoes ratings: 89% from critics, 92% from
audiences.
This film was a box office hit in the late 60s. However, it still looks great today. Its peculiarity is that the story is told from the point of view of the bandits. They carefully plan their operations and carry out raids on passing trains. However, one day, luck turns away from them. The guys fall into an ambush, from which they manage to escape only by a miracle. All that remains is to flee America to sunny Bolivia and hope that the lawmen will not be able to catch up with them.
How the West Was Won
Release date: 1962;
Directors: John Ford, Henry Hathaway and George Marshall;
Starring: Henry Fonda, Gregory Peck, Carolyn Jones and
Carroll Baker;
Rotten Tomatoes ratings: 88% from critics, 74% from
audiences.
The film "How the West Was Won" is also known as "War in the Wild West". This is a three-hour anthology, which consists of five short stories. They tell about animal hunters, prospectors who went looking for gold, settlers, bandits and the American Civil War. Although we have a feature film, not a documentary, it gives a complete picture of the era.
"The Great Silence"
Release date: 1968;
Director: Sergio Corbucci;
Starring: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Klaus Kinski, Frank Wolf,
and Luigi Pistilli;
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100% from critics, 89% from audiences.
The distinctive feature of the main character of this film is that he is always silent. In this regard, there may be an association with Claude from GTA 3. However, muteness does not prevent him from killing criminals for a reward. By the will of fate, he finds himself in a town where Loco, another bounty hunter with obvious signs of sadism, is already working. And the intervention of a sad widow leads to the two lawmen colliding with each other.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Release date: 1962;
Director: John Ford;
Starring John Wayne, Vera Miles, James Stewart, and Lee
Marvin;
Rotten Tomatoes ratings: 95% from critics, 92% from
audiences.
A late Western from the master of the genre, John Ford. This film is considered an important statement by the director, who made many films about the Wild West. By the early 60s, it seemed that the theme had exhausted itself and it was time to say goodbye to it. The plot showed how real facts about cutthroats and lawmen give way to legends that seem more interesting. This is how you can characterize the Western genre itself with its own myths and stereotypes. *** Will you watch Westerns before playing Red Dead Redemption? Or have you already familiarized yourself with the most prominent representatives of the genre? Share your opinions in the comments!