European Westerns
- whaleallright
- Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 12:56 am
European Westerns
Hello all. I'm seeking recommendations for Euro-made Westerns, including but not limited to "Spaghetti Westerns." I'm talking Italian, Spanish, German (East or West), Czech, whatever else.
I've seen most of the big ones (Leone, "Lemonade Joe," etc.) so I'm curious for titles off the well-beaten path. Obviously movies that are easily available on DVD are welcome, but I'd like to hear about obscurities as well. And I'm not just interested in parodies, arty genre deconstructions, and so on -- also just good pictures that are representative of their respective subgenres.
This can also be a thread for discussing Euro westerns!
I've seen most of the big ones (Leone, "Lemonade Joe," etc.) so I'm curious for titles off the well-beaten path. Obviously movies that are easily available on DVD are welcome, but I'd like to hear about obscurities as well. And I'm not just interested in parodies, arty genre deconstructions, and so on -- also just good pictures that are representative of their respective subgenres.
This can also be a thread for discussing Euro westerns!
- Dadapass
- Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2008 6:57 pm
Re: European Westerns
While trying to find info on Cemetery Without Crosses I found Alex Cox's Top 20 Favorite Spaghetti Westerns
- aox
- Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:02 pm
- Location: nYc
Re: European Westerns
What a great list in terms of telling me where to go. I have seen the first five films and can't wait to see the next fourteen even though they have mixed reviews. I am also happy that this list doesn't include a Fistful of Dollars. This omission gives this list at least some credibility. Don't get me wrong, I like Leone's interpretation, I own it, and have seen it many times, but I think it is a lackluster film despite some classic scenes. And this isn't some strange beef with the superior Kurosawa film Yojimbo which I find inferior to Sanjuro (Yes, I know I am the only one). I find a Fistful of Dollars merely practice for the next three Leone westerns (FAFDM, TGTB&TU, and OUATINW).Dadapass wrote:While trying to find info on Cemetery Without Crosses I found Alex Cox's Top 20 Favorite Spaghetti Westerns
-
- Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 6:58 pm
Re: European Westerns
I'm surprised Alex Cox didn't put The Great Silence higher than five on his list. Fantoma released a great (the only?) Region One DVD of the film that Cox helped put together. He really couldn't get enough of Corbucci, the mute Silence or that nihilistic ending. It's also surprising Comancheros and Keoma aren't on there either, but as far as I know Alex Cox is the be-all and end-all master of Spaghetti Westerns--if they're not on the list, the others ones are most likely better. #6 on there, Requiescant, has been on my list for a long time now because it stars Lou Castel (of Fassbinder fame and Fists in the Pocket) and Pasolini in an acting role!
I am in the midst of a large research project on Jonathon Rosenbaum's term "acid western" and have had to watch quite a few Spaghetti Westerns for reference--the kind of thing where I watch them once to understand the influences but probably won't use them for criticism. While I tend to like Hollywood westerns more, Euro Westerns are a fascinating industry. I think a lot of casual fans of the genre don't realize how goddamn MANY were produced in the '60. The economical climate of Italy at that time was fiercely capitalist after WWII and Westerns were the best commodity. Once one storyline/protagonist hit it big there were literally dozens of spin-offs using the same name. A lot of great underrated actors from the time starred too--it's always nice to see Castel and Klaus Kinski in something different (Kinski in particular, because not many people give a crap about him outside of his collaborations with Herzog).
I wish I could be of more help for some recommendations but my research and spare time haven't let me stumble upon anything that isn't either a well-known essential recommendation or something mind-numbingly terrible. 95% of the Westerns I've watched for research are Hollywood productions, so if you ever want to chat about those I'd be very excited.
Criterion has always seemed to look over Westerns as a genre. That isn't a huge surprise since it's no longer the most dominant genre in production, and hasn't been in nearly 40 years. Hopefully that recent newsletter clue will bring around better tidings. But I stick by the persuasion that if one wants to understand American Cinema, the Western gives some of the most fascinating history/philosophy lessons. Happy watching!
I am in the midst of a large research project on Jonathon Rosenbaum's term "acid western" and have had to watch quite a few Spaghetti Westerns for reference--the kind of thing where I watch them once to understand the influences but probably won't use them for criticism. While I tend to like Hollywood westerns more, Euro Westerns are a fascinating industry. I think a lot of casual fans of the genre don't realize how goddamn MANY were produced in the '60. The economical climate of Italy at that time was fiercely capitalist after WWII and Westerns were the best commodity. Once one storyline/protagonist hit it big there were literally dozens of spin-offs using the same name. A lot of great underrated actors from the time starred too--it's always nice to see Castel and Klaus Kinski in something different (Kinski in particular, because not many people give a crap about him outside of his collaborations with Herzog).
I wish I could be of more help for some recommendations but my research and spare time haven't let me stumble upon anything that isn't either a well-known essential recommendation or something mind-numbingly terrible. 95% of the Westerns I've watched for research are Hollywood productions, so if you ever want to chat about those I'd be very excited.
Criterion has always seemed to look over Westerns as a genre. That isn't a huge surprise since it's no longer the most dominant genre in production, and hasn't been in nearly 40 years. Hopefully that recent newsletter clue will bring around better tidings. But I stick by the persuasion that if one wants to understand American Cinema, the Western gives some of the most fascinating history/philosophy lessons. Happy watching!
- Tom Amolad
- Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 4:30 pm
- Location: New York
Re: European Westerns
I'm fond of Luc Moullet's Une Aventure de Billy le Kid, aka A Girl Is a Gun (1971). I've been told Moullet preferred the dubbed English version, in which Jean-Pierre Léaud is made to sound somewhere between Clint Eastwood and Randolph Scott. The thing might as well have been shot on the surface of Mars.
- Camera Obscura
- Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:27 pm
- Location: The Netherlands
Re: European Westerns
Is this the list he also cites as favorites in that new book (I haven't read it) or did he just compile a little list on the spot there - seems to me nr. 5 is quite a respectable spot isn't it? The Great Silence is one of my favorite Spaghetti's, but it's hard to argue with the three Leone's and Django is not a bad choice either in my book. Kind of surprising is the absence of Sollima's Westerns, that usually top these kind of lists, but I don't find them half as fun as most of the others, so I wouldn't place them very highly either. I'll take Corbucci or Castellari any day over Sollima, but everyone got their own personal favorites of course.Mr. Ned wrote:I'm surprised Alex Cox didn't put The Great Silence higher than five on his list.
The one on the list that strikes me most, is Marco Ferreri's Don't Touch The White Woman (1974). I don't like the film at all, but I'm sure Cox wrote or talked about his love for this one at length, so I'm kind of curious.
Could you tell us a little more about this project? A large research project on the term "acid western"?Mr. Ned wrote:I am in the midst of a large research project on Jonathon Rosenbaum's term "acid western" and have had to watch quite a few Spaghetti Westerns for reference
Last edited by Camera Obscura on Mon Aug 03, 2009 3:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
- Skritek
- Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 9:59 am
- Location: Switzerland
Re: European Westerns
I also quite enjoy some other Corbucci Westerns such as The Mercenary and its own remake Vamos a matar, Companeros. Some inclusions baffle me, for example And God said to Cain was one of the worst of its kind I've ever come across. On a side note, for those who don't know Pier Paolo Pasolini acts in Requiescant, have yet to watch the film however. Recommendations to this genre are, next to the mentioned Sollima, also the Sartana series, a kind of James Bond in the West.
If I'm not mistaken the Soviets also made a few Westerns back in the days.
If I'm not mistaken the Soviets also made a few Westerns back in the days.
- colinr0380
- Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
- Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK
Re: European Westerns
It is perhaps worth noting as well that Cox introduced premieres of Requiescant, Django and The Great Silence during his Moviedrome seasons for the BBC (along with Django, Kill! in a later season), so he did a lot to widen the range of films shown on British television beyond the Leones.
I'm with you too. Yojimbo/Fistful of Dollars are kind of the ur-texts from which the other films developed but I also found Sanjuro and the later Leone films far more compelling and 'entertaining'.aox wrote:And this isn't some strange beef with the superior Kurosawa film Yojimbo which I find inferior to Sanjuro (Yes, I know I am the only one). I find a Fistful of Dollars merely practice for the next three Leone westerns (FAFDM, TGTB&TU, and OUATINW).
- Camera Obscura
- Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:27 pm
- Location: The Netherlands
Re: European Westerns
Alex Cox certainly widened my film horizon with Moviedrome!
An interesting film in this respect, well worth seeking out, is Deadlock (1970), a modern psychedelic variation on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly by German director Roland Klick. And music by CAN, for those who love their krautrockers.
The German DVD has the original German language track (I think it was shot with original sound in German) and an English dub, but no subtitles. Here's some general info about Roland Klick in English.
An interesting film in this respect, well worth seeking out, is Deadlock (1970), a modern psychedelic variation on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly by German director Roland Klick. And music by CAN, for those who love their krautrockers.
The German DVD has the original German language track (I think it was shot with original sound in German) and an English dub, but no subtitles. Here's some general info about Roland Klick in English.
Last edited by Camera Obscura on Sat Dec 26, 2009 12:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
- Tommaso
- Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 10:09 am
Re: European Westerns
And I'm with you as well! While "Yojimbo" works perfectly as a (grim) parody of the genre, it has little of the usual Kurosawa humanity. "Sanjuro" might be less funny, but it is more subtle, and the characters are far better developed. "Sanjuro" , however, seems to need repeated watching before it really clicks. I first watched it directly after "Yojimbo", and at that time it felt like a letdown because of its much slower pace. But it's a real grower for sure.colinr0380 wrote:I'm with you too. Yojimbo/Fistful of Dollars are kind of the ur-texts from which the other films developed but I also found Sanjuro and the later Leone films far more compelling and 'entertaining'.
-
- Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 6:58 pm
Re: European Westerns
Well, "large" should have an asterisk next to it since it's large compared to things I've researched before. My college (I am still in school) gave me a hefty amount of money to do some independent research this summer with the expectation I'll write and present a paper on the topic I chose--the possibility of a film essay is there too. As far as I know, seventy pages is the minimum length so this project overshadows the other film papers I've written (ranging anywhere between 5 and 25 pages). I helped a professor out with on US Film and Radio from roughly 1930-1945 this winter and in preparation for that I decided to research/write a paper on at least one recently viewed film before the study began.Camera Obscura wrote:Could you tell us a little more about this project? A large research project on the term "acid western"?
I picked Jarmusch's Dead Man and stumbled upon Rosenbaum's term in both his early review of the film for the Chicago Reader and the Modern Classics book he wrote for BFI. "Acid Western" didn't make a lot of sense to me, and most of them films he listed as earlier examples appeared to be Revisionist Westerns a little more "out there" than the others. Rosenbaum's ideas also didn't appear to be too different from those films either--society is more of a nightmare than a dream, the travel westward is not towards progress fulfillment but violence and deadly truths. Even his incorporation of counter-culture and alternative modes of exchange is too trying. It's common knowledge Rosenbaum and Jarmusch are good friends, and the Reader review is desperate to validate Dead Man in the midst of a (from his perspective) disinterested general viewing public.
I kept at it, however, and began to find quite a few links between some of the movies Rosenbaum listed. While the themes and motifs of the film didn't match up much on paper, it became obvious many of the aforementioned films were made by filmmakers and writers in the same group of friends--and what a motley crew this bunch was. The major and most obvious connection is Rudy Wurlitzer, a screenwriter and fiction author, who wrote the screenplays to: Jim McBride's Glen and Randa, Peckinpah's Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Monte Hellman's Two-Lane Blacktop, Alex Cox's Walker and his own co-directed Candy Mountain. He even wrote an unproduced screenplay called Zebulon (that I am still desperate to track down) Jarmusch used as inspiration/influence for Dead Man. That screenplay has since been rewritten as a novel called The Drop Edge of Yonder, which was published last year.
Even with that, though, I am still convinced Rosenbaum coined the phrase with Jarmusch's success in mind instead of academic integrity. His analysis (or lack thereof) of "Acid Westerns" that are NOT Dead Man is shaky at best and in dire need of an unbiased critical eye. There are many themes going on in these films--the hankering obsession with adolescence, death (be it of a person, youth, the American dream), journeys "on the road," '60s counter-culture, rock 'n roll, substance abuse, political influence and western expansion, and the death of the Western as a genre--that all have similar directions, but there has yet to be a concrete statement on what that direction is. This project is meant to find out if "Acid Western" can be considered a valid "film term," and if not, then either give it more of a polished scope or disregard it altogether.
I can supply a film list on here if you want to see it and, of course, recommendations are always welcome. It will be a long time before I start writing anything so I'm always ready for more movies.
Oh, and my first post had an error: Comancheros is meant to be Companeros; The Comancheros is a early '60s John Wayne film and by no means an Acid Western.
- whaleallright
- Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 12:56 am
Re: European Westerns
n/a
Last edited by whaleallright on Thu Oct 22, 2020 7:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
- Tommaso
- Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 10:09 am
Re: European Westerns
In my view, and as far as I've seen them, they are indeed pure kitsch, though even Siodmak directed a few of those Karl May films and his are generally seen as the best of the bunch. These films have a little bit of a cult following in Germany, though I believe that is basically because they conjure up pleasant childhood memories for many.jonah.77 wrote:
Anyone know much about the "Indian Westerns" produced in Germany (since the silent period, I believe)? From the few descriptions I've read these films, many of which derive from the novels of Karl May, they sound like they could be pure kitsch -- but I'm still curious.
- Camera Obscura
- Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:27 pm
- Location: The Netherlands
Re: European Westerns
You never read the Adventures of Winnetou and Old Shatterhand?jonah.77 wrote:Thanks for the recommendations, links, etc.
Anyone know much about the "Indian Westerns" produced in Germany (since the silent period, I believe)? From the few descriptions I've read these films, many of which derive from the novels of Karl May, they sound like they could be pure kitsch -- but I'm still curious.
The films are beautifully shot, with quite large production values and of course the now legendary soundtrack by Martin Böttcher. I like the films a lot actually, still pretty solid entertainment, even if it's a little out of fashion. Here's a little clip.
And the Karl May Films might be kitschy, but they're still pretty popular in Germany, and I think there were still one and a half million Karl May books sold in Germany alone last year, and Der Schatz im Silbersee (1963) came up as 6th (I think) most popular German film off all time in a poll in Germany a few years ago. There are Karl May computer games, mp3's, Karl May fests with re-enactions of the most famous scenes, there was a recent satire Der Schuh des Manitu / Manitou's Shoe in 2001 - lots of things, just to give some idea of Karl May's enduring popularity in Germany. And ten years back, there was even an extremely popular weekly satire on Dutch television on the Karl May films, that nobody had trouble recognizing, attracting over a million viewers (that's quite a lot, by Dutch standards). I don't know a lot of people over thirty who haven't seen Der Schatz im Silbersee at some point in their youth during a matinee in cinema or on television, and for 3 or 4 generations (in The Netherlands as well), the whole image of The American West or Frontier largely came through the books of Karl May, so when the films came out in the early '60s, they had a pretty solid base to build on. I'm pretty young - not really of the 'Karl May generation', but I still own most of the books in different editions from my parents, my grandfather and even my great-grandfather, who all read them, as did every young boy back then. They're certainly not as popular as they were until the 70s, but I think the films even sold millions of copies on DVD in Germany, so I guess there's still a pretty large fan base over there.
Right after the success of the Karl May films, the East German DEFA also made some 20 odd 'Westerns' or 'Indianerfilme' as well. I've never seen any of these, but if I'm not mistaken, many of them should be available on DVD in Germany, but I'm not sure if they have any English options.
- MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
- Location: Worthing
- Contact:
Re: European Westerns
The Soviet Union made a handful of quasi-Westerns set at around the time of the early 1920s civil war - my favourite is Ali Khamraev's Uzbek-set The Seventh Bullet (1972), but I don't think that's out on DVD. However, Nikita Mikhalkov's directorial debut At Home Among Strangers, A Stranger Among His Own is out on Ruscico with multiple subtitle options including English.
They're not often described as Westerns, but it's well worth checking out the Hungarian films of Miklos Jancso and his contemporaries - particularly The Round-Up (1965), whose magnificent opening shot alone would make most Western fans salivate.
They're not often described as Westerns, but it's well worth checking out the Hungarian films of Miklos Jancso and his contemporaries - particularly The Round-Up (1965), whose magnificent opening shot alone would make most Western fans salivate.
- jsteffe
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 9:00 am
- Location: Atlanta, GA
Re: European Westerns
Another, phenomenally popular example of the Soviet "Eastern" is Vladimir Motyl's The White Sun of the Desert (1970), which is available from the Russian Cinema Council with English subtitles. Every Russian knows dialogue from the film, especially: "Vostok - delo tonkoe." ("The East is a delicate matter.")
Alla Surikova's A Man from the Boulevard des Capucines (1987) is a true Soviet "Western," though it's not available with subtitles.
I just received The Seventh Bullet (1972) and am looking forward to seeing it soon! It's available on DVD, but only as a Russian import.
Alla Surikova's A Man from the Boulevard des Capucines (1987) is a true Soviet "Western," though it's not available with subtitles.
I just received The Seventh Bullet (1972) and am looking forward to seeing it soon! It's available on DVD, but only as a Russian import.
- Yojimbo
- Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:06 am
- Location: Ireland
Re: European Westerns
I've seen one German Western, recorded off UK station FilmFour, "Winnetou und Shatterhand im Tal der Toten" , or 'In The Valley Of Death' and I might have taped another: I recall it as being entertaining and quite fun with good landscape details.Camera Obscura wrote:You never read the Adventures of Winnetou and Old Shatterhand?jonah.77 wrote:Thanks for the recommendations, links, etc.
Anyone know much about the "Indian Westerns" produced in Germany (since the silent period, I believe)? From the few descriptions I've read these films, many of which derive from the novels of Karl May, they sound like they could be pure kitsch -- but I'm still curious.
The films are beautifully shot, with quite large production values and of course the now legendary soundtrack by Martin Böttcher. I like the films a lot actually, still pretty solid entertainment, even if it's a little out of fashion. Here's a little clip.
And the Karl May Films might be kitschy, but they're still pretty popular in Germany, and I think there were still one and a half million Karl May books sold in Germany alone last year, and Der Schatz im Silbersee (1963) came up as 6th (I think) most popular German film off all time in a poll in Germany a few years ago. There are Karl May computer games, mp3's, Karl May fests with re-enactions of the most famous scenes, there was a recent satire Der Schuh des Manitu / Manitou's Shoe in 2001 - lots of things, just to give some idea of Karl May's enduring popularity in Germany. And ten years back, there was even an extremely popular weekly satire on Dutch television on the Karl May films, that nobody had trouble recognizing, attracting over a million viewers (that's quite a lot, by Dutch standards). I don't know a lot of people over thirty who haven't seen Der Schatz im Silbersee at some point in their youth during a matinee in cinema or on television, and for 3 or 4 generations (in The Netherlands as well), the whole image of The American West or Frontier largely came through the books of Karl May, so when the films came out in the early '60s, they had a pretty solid base to build on. I'm pretty young - not really of the 'Karl May generation', but I still own most of the books in different editions from my parents, my grandfather and even my great-grandfather, who all read them, as did every young boy back then. They're certainly not as popular as they were until the 70s, but I think the films even sold millions of copies on DVD in Germany, so I guess there's still a pretty large fan base over there.
Right after the success of the Karl May films, the East German DEFA also made some 20 odd 'Westerns' or 'Indianerfilme' as well. I've never seen any of these, but if I'm not mistaken, many of them should be available on DVD in Germany, but I'm not sure if they have any English options.
I think it was made round about the late 60's: I wouldn't rank it with the best Spaghettis, by such as Leone, Corbucci, Sollima, etc but its passed the 'tape-over' test
- Yojimbo
- Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:06 am
- Location: Ireland
Re: European Westerns
The settings for Kozintsev's version of 'Don Quixote' looked remarkably like Almeria, Spain, the settings for most of the great spaghettisMichaelB wrote:The Soviet Union made a handful of quasi-Westerns set at around the time of the early 1920s civil war - my favourite is Ali Khamraev's Uzbek-set The Seventh Bullet (1972), but I don't think that's out on DVD. However, Nikita Mikhalkov's directorial debut At Home Among Strangers, A Stranger Among His Own is out on Ruscico with multiple subtitle options including English.
They're not often described as Westerns, but it's well worth checking out the Hungarian films of Miklos Jancso and his contemporaries - particularly The Round-Up (1965), whose magnificent opening shot alone would make most Western fans salivate.
(although I think it was somewhere in Georgia, in the then USSR)
- aox
- Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:02 pm
- Location: nYc
Re: European Westerns
Netflix is failing this thread terribly..
- Yojimbo
- Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:06 am
- Location: Ireland
Re: European Westerns
I thought most people seem to believe 'Sanjuro' superior to 'Yojimbo': you are certainly not alone, anyhow.aox wrote: And this isn't some strange beef with the superior Kurosawa film Yojimbo which I find inferior to Sanjuro (Yes, I know I am the only one). I find a Fistful of Dollars merely practice for the next three Leone westerns (FAFDM, TGTB&TU, and OUATINW).
And its not because its my user name but I consider 'Yojimbo' vastly superior to 'Sanjuro'
I would go further and say that Sergio Leone, and by extension his Italian spaghetti contemporaries, owe a huge debt to Kurosawa for making 'Yojimbo', because it really did set the blueprint, and in more ways than Ford set for Kurosawa, IMO
- Dr Amicus
- Joined: Thu Feb 15, 2007 10:20 am
- Location: Guernsey
Re: European Westerns
Don't forget Carry on Cowboy - a genuine British Western actually set in the West.
And since a few others have mentioned non-Western Westerns, I'll include Michael Reeves's Witchfinder General which, in its use of landscape, seems to explicitly echo the genre (and also Reeves was an admirer of Siegel).
And since a few others have mentioned non-Western Westerns, I'll include Michael Reeves's Witchfinder General which, in its use of landscape, seems to explicitly echo the genre (and also Reeves was an admirer of Siegel).
- Camera Obscura
- Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:27 pm
- Location: The Netherlands
Re: European Westerns
Just wanted to thank you for your elaborate answer, Mr. Ned - this all sounds very interesting! I'm probably not the one to talk to, but I'm sure there are people here who can tell you a whole lot more about some of the films and directors that might be relevant to look into, or add some useful thoughts about this in general. Perhaps it's better to discuss this in a separate topic altogether, but that's up to you (or the mods) of course.Mr. Ned wrote:Well, "large" should have an asterisk next to it since it's large compared to things I've researched before. My college (I am still in school) gave me a hefty amount of money to do some independent research this summer with the expectation I'll write and present a paper on the topic I chose--the possibility of a film essay is there too. As far as I know, seventy pages is the minimum length so this project overshadows the other film papers I've written (ranging anywhere between 5 and 25 pages). I helped a professor out with on US Film and Radio from roughly 1930-1945 this winter and in preparation for that I decided to research/write a paper on at least one recently viewed film before the study began.Camera Obscura wrote:Could you tell us a little more about this project? A large research project on the term "acid western"?
I picked Jarmusch's Dead Man and stumbled upon Rosenbaum's term in both his early review of the film for the Chicago Reader and the Modern Classics book he wrote for BFI. "Acid Western" didn't make a lot of sense to me, and most of them films he listed as earlier examples appeared to be Revisionist Westerns a little more "out there" than the others. Rosenbaum's ideas also didn't appear to be too different from those films either--society is more of a nightmare than a dream, the travel westward is not towards progress fulfillment but violence and deadly truths. Even his incorporation of counter-culture and alternative modes of exchange is too trying. It's common knowledge Rosenbaum and Jarmusch are good friends, and the Reader review is desperate to validate Dead Man in the midst of a (from his perspective) disinterested general viewing public.
I kept at it, however, and began to find quite a few links between some of the movies Rosenbaum listed. While the themes and motifs of the film didn't match up much on paper, it became obvious many of the aforementioned films were made by filmmakers and writers in the same group of friends--and what a motley crew this bunch was. The major and most obvious connection is Rudy Wurlitzer, a screenwriter and fiction author, who wrote the screenplays to: Jim McBride's Glen and Randa, Peckinpah's Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Monte Hellman's Two-Lane Blacktop, Alex Cox's Walker and his own co-directed Candy Mountain. He even wrote an unproduced screenplay called Zebulon (that I am still desperate to track down) Jarmusch used as inspiration/influence for Dead Man. That screenplay has since been rewritten as a novel called The Drop Edge of Yonder, which was published last year.
Even with that, though, I am still convinced Rosenbaum coined the phrase with Jarmusch's success in mind instead of academic integrity. His analysis (or lack thereof) of "Acid Westerns" that are NOT Dead Man is shaky at best and in dire need of an unbiased critical eye. There are many themes going on in these films--the hankering obsession with adolescence, death (be it of a person, youth, the American dream), journeys "on the road," '60s counter-culture, rock 'n roll, substance abuse, political influence and western expansion, and the death of the Western as a genre--that all have similar directions, but there has yet to be a concrete statement on what that direction is. This project is meant to find out if "Acid Western" can be considered a valid "film term," and if not, then either give it more of a polished scope or disregard it altogether.
I can supply a film list on here if you want to see it and, of course, recommendations are always welcome. It will be a long time before I start writing anything so I'm always ready for more movies.
Oh, and my first post had an error: Comancheros is meant to be Companeros; The Comancheros is a early '60s John Wayne film and by no means an Acid Western.
- Yojimbo
- Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:06 am
- Location: Ireland
Re: European Westerns
The 'Carry Ons' were an essential part of my staple cinematic diet as a teenager, along with Hammer horror movies, and films starring Clint EastwoodDr Amicus wrote:Don't forget Carry on Cowboy - a genuine British Western actually set in the West.
And since a few others have mentioned non-Western Westerns, I'll include Michael Reeves's Witchfinder General which, in its use of landscape, seems to explicitly echo the genre (and also Reeves was an admirer of Siegel).
(and 'Play Misty For Me' which he also directed)
I'd be reluctant to proclaim any of them great movies now, and I'd probably cringe at a lot of the double entendre jokes, although the 'infamy' joke is a cinematic immortal, but the had a great ensemble cast
- MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
- Location: Worthing
- Contact:
Re: European Westerns
For obvious reasons, there haven't been too many British westerns, but Diamond City (1949) is clearly part of the same genre (even though it's technically a "southern", as it's about a diamond rush in southern Africa), and I've heard good things about Edgar 'Shaun of the Dead' Wright's feature debut, the microbudget spoof A Fistful of Fingers (1995).Dr Amicus wrote:Don't forget Carry on Cowboy - a genuine British Western actually set in the West.
I've only seen it once, and many years ago, but I distinctly recall it being a mix of rip-roaring action (I remember commenting at the time that Uzbek audiences clearly had very short attention spans, or at least producers thought they did) and an unusually interesting philosophical premise.jsteffe wrote:I just received The Seventh Bullet (1972) and am looking forward to seeing it soon! It's available on DVD, but only as a Russian import.
If I remember rightly, it's about the commander of a Red Army unit who has to travel to the south of the country to persuade them not to convert to Islam. You won't be surprised to hear that Marx beats Mohammed in the final argument, but I remember being surprisingly impressed at the way Khamraev and his screenwriters (who included Andrei Konchalovsky) gave both sides a fair hearing. I also remember a blatantly cod-Morricone score, but that only added to the considerable entertainment value.
Does this DVD have English subtitles, and where did you get it from?
- colinr0380
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Re: European Westerns
I love Carry on Cowboy, from the mid-period of the series when the sets were as good as those of any non-comic film! I think my favourite line comes from unlikely sex goddess Joan Sims: "The name's Belle, but you can call me 'ding dong'!"
The only other British produced western that comes to mind, though it has been a very long time since I last saw it, is Eagle's Wing directed by Anthony Harvey (The Lion In Winter; They Might Be Giants) and featuring Martin Sheen, Harvey Keitel, Sam Waterston, Stéphane Audran and Simon of the Desert himself, Claudio Brook!
The only other British produced western that comes to mind, though it has been a very long time since I last saw it, is Eagle's Wing directed by Anthony Harvey (The Lion In Winter; They Might Be Giants) and featuring Martin Sheen, Harvey Keitel, Sam Waterston, Stéphane Audran and Simon of the Desert himself, Claudio Brook!