For years, starting in the late 1970s until the early 1990s, the Western seemed to fall out of favor with the movie-going public and people who finance the films. Movies like "Dances With Wolves," "Silverado," and "Tombstone" helped give the genre a jolt off life support.
Although Westerns still don't appear in theaters like they did during the early and mid-20th century, there are some made every year, and some of those have been as good or better than those made during that bygone era.
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Here is a review of some of the top modern Western movies, as noted by the film website Rotten Tomatoes:
1. "True Grit" (2010)
In many cases, a remake of a popular movie pales in comparison to the original and, in this case, an iconic original, to boot. The original "True Grit," made in 1969, featured John Wayne playing aging U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn, starring alongside Glen Campbell, and Robert Duvall. The remake stars Jeff Bridges as Cogburn and features Matt Damon and James Brolin.
Many reviewers felt that the newer version played closer to the book of the same name by Charles Portis, making it slightly better. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, but did not win a single Oscar.
2. "Unforgiven" (1992)
When it comes to Westerns, few people know the genre better than Clint Eastwood. Eastwood starred and directed "Unforgiven," which tells the tale of an infamous retired gunslinger who takes on one more job. The film also stars Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman, and won four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.
3. "Django Unchained" (2012)
"Django Unchained" represented director Quentin Tarantino's first foray into the Western theme, something he picked up again with the 2015 release of "The Hateful Eight." With "Django Unchained," Tarantino explored the slavery-era West and South against a backdrop of revenge and mayhem, typical of many Tarantino films.
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This film stars Jaime Foxx as the title character, along with Christoph Waltz (who won his second Oscar from working in a Tarantino film following his work in "Inglourious Basterds), and Leonardo DiCaprio.
4. "3:10 to Yuma" (2007)
The film was another remake, this time of a 1957 Western starring Glenn Ford and Van Heflin. The 2007 version of "3:10 to Yuma" stars Russell Crowe as outlaw Ben Wade, who is being taken by posse to a train headed to Yuma, where he is due to be hanged. Christian Bale plays a rancher, Dan Evans, who joins the posse and ends up battling it out with members of Wade's gang to bring the outlaw to justice.
5. "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (2007)
A film with one of the longest titles in recent history, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" pretty much lays out what the story in the film is about. Brad Pitt stars as Jesse James, and Casey Affleck portrays Robert Ford. The film delivers unique insight into the infamous outlaw and the happenings that lead to James' murder.
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