As a love story and a character drama on the western frontier, few movies match, in my opinion, The Virginian (2000), starring Bill Pullman and Diane Lane. They are the billing stars, but there are lots of other star-filled performances. All the performances are quite good. The script is smart. And the setting, filmed in Canada but supposed to be Wyoming, is stunning. I liked it when I saw it. It was beautiful.
Perhaps my favorite western is Outlaw Josey Wales, (1976), starring Clint Eastwood.
Gary North writes my favorite commentary on westerns.
Ryan McMaken writes an excellent survey of how western movies actually killed capitalism in a book titled, Commie Cowboy.
And who can forget the movie Shane, (1953), starring Alan Ladd? I almost cry for those days. It is such a beautiful story. The story still holds up for its drama and grit.
The Cattle Wars of Wyoming provided the background for Shane and The Virginian.
The speaker in this interview is Patrick T. Holscher, author of On This Day in Wyoming History, 2014. One of the reasons I was compelled to visit the plains of Colorado was due to Willa Cather novels, like My Antonia, O Pioneers!, and others. Though the obvious difference is that she wrote about Nebraska and not Colorado; however, they’re not too different in terrain.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, 1962, is a timeless classic.
I loved John Wayne in The Cowboys, 1972, a movie that was made for my era.
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