This western’s got it all. From a thrilling knife/gun duel to Steve Mcqueen, a great soundtrack and killer storyline.
This 1960 western by John Sturges cannot disappoint even if it tried.
The Gunfighter (Henry King, 1950)
In essence, this is a Greek tragedy dressed up as a western. Not surprisingly, the film went on to pave the way for the western trope of the aging gunslinger for years to come.
The film follows Gregory Peck as he tries to bury his ugly past. Unfortunately, his effort proves futile when he discovers that there is one more kid to outdraw.
Ride the High Country (Sam Peckinpah, 1962)
A mournful lament for the loss of the old West, this film follows the retired lawman Steve Judd (Joel McCrea) and his journey of transporting gold from a faraway small mine to a bank.
Enter the restless Gil and a young drifter who intends to rob Judd of the gold during his journey.
Red River (Howard Hawks, 1948)
This epic western stars the one and only John Wayne as a no-nonsense, determined rancher who seeks to drive his cattle to the bitter end, even if that involves killing Montomgory Clift, his adopted son who takes his herd from him.
The film is, in fact, a fictional account of the actual cattle-drive from Texas to Kansas that took place along the Chisholm Trail.
High Noon (Fred Zinnemann,1952)
"High Noon" has been regarded as an allegorical tale of the McCarthy witch hunts in Hollywood. With that said, it should, above all, be embraced as a Western.
Lawman Gary Cooper gets deserted by his town and is left to face the bad guys all by himself.