Damsel and 3 Other Best Westerns of the 21st Century That Changed the Genre
Not all prominent Western movies were made in the last century.
We recall four of the best Westerns of the last twenty years: the most famous directors, from Andrew Dominik to the Coen brothers, take up guns, axes and revolvers.
1. Bone Tomahawk, 2015
In the centuries-long history of the genre, almost no one has succeeded in weaving horror into movies about the Wild West. And only S. Craig Zahler has shown that it is possible.
Bone Tomahawk takes the typical scheme of a cowboy movie – a long journey of the characters from point A to point B. And then, after a long and leisurely preparation, it suddenly strikes from above with uncompromising violence and cruelty, sparing neither the viewer nor the characters.
2. Damsel, 2018
The classic Western always revolved around a man for whom a woman was just an excuse for a heroic deed. The feminine principle was a symbol of harmony, family, and patriarchal order to be protected.
Guided by these same principles, Robert Pattinson's character sets out to rescue his "damsel" from the clutches of villains. But when he arrives at his destination, he is surprised to find that she does not need saving. It is he who needs saving.
3. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, 2007
Director Andrew Dominik has made the most evocative and beautiful Western of the 21st century. Through the strange and sometimes painful relationship between the legendary outlaw Jesse James and his henchman Robert Ford, the director explores the boundaries of myth in popular culture.
Jesse James became the hero of oral histories and songs during his lifetime, and his fame continued to grow after his death. And in the movie, the bandit is burdened by his fame: he is hardly the Robin Hood of the Wild West, but rather a man tired of running and violence.
Robert Ford is puzzled why his idol does not behave like a hero and decides to write his biography.
4. True Grit, 2010
The original True Grit, released in 1969, was something of a swan song for the classic Western. John Wayne won his last Oscar for his role in it, and the movie itself was built around his character, the aging Marshall Rooster Cogburn.
In their adaptation of Charles Portis' novel of the same name, the Coen brothers presented a female perspective on events. The main character was a young girl played by Haley Stanfield, and the directors tell the story through her experiences and perseverance.