The TV series “Deadwood” first aired in 2004 and had 3 seasons, the last of which aired in 2006. The TV show plot made it onto the silver screen in 2019 with a full-length movie. The film opens with South Dakota being declared an official state in 1899 and, while the residents are celebrating, the drama is brewing.
Senator George Hearst (Gerald McRaney) challenges the property claim held by Charlie Utter (Dayton Callie), which he declines. The refusal then ignites a major feud between Hearst and the other residents of Deadwood.
Treasure of the Sierra Madre (John Huston, 1948)
One of the common plots found in the Western genre was the character’s search for gold or participation in the “gold rush.” Directed by Jack Huston, the story of the "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" centered on two Americans working in Mexico who enlist the help of a prospector so they can look for gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains.
Values are tested, and the men, of course, encounter bandits on their way to striking it rich. The film starred Humphrey Bogart and another member of the Huston dynasty, Walter Huston.
Giant (George Stevens, 1956)
"Giant" was a star-studded Western featuring some of Hollywood’s most beautiful faces: James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson. Family legacies, old money, generational controversy, and ranching, Giant was a sweeping, epic drama that was more than just a Western.
The story follows Jordan “Bick” Benedict Jr. (Hudson) and Leslie Benedict (Taylor) as they maintain their Texan family wealth and legacy. What makes Giant more unique is that it follows the character’s storylines throughout their lives and even into the next generation of Benedicts.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Ethan & Joel Coen, 2018)
The Coen brothers are known for their dark, quirky, and avant-garde films. They brought their same unique flair to their western, "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs." The film was also unique because the plot involved six different storylines, with the main protagonist (Buster Scruggs, played by Tim Blake Nelson) narrating some of the opening stories.
The other short stories in the film gave viewers bite-sized, narrative dramas of different characters.
Sweetgrass (Llisa Barbash & Lucien Castaing-Taylor, 2009)
The documentary "Sweetgrass" took viewers deep inside the daily lives of shepherds in Montana as they take care of their flocks. It may sound like a simple task, but the herders were responsible for caring for the helpless animals as they took them through treacherous terrain where predators waited for an easy meal.
They had been carrying on the tradition since the 1800s, guiding the flock on horseback and with the help of herding dogs.