I used to throw westerns on if I’d had one too many drinks and going to bed was not recommended. I was trying to turn off my mind, but also not get into watching something, and a boring ass old spaghetti westerns was it. Lots of silences, strange noises to keep me from really falling asleep, it was perfect.
Ended up really getting into the genre because of it. Fistful of Dollars trilogy is fantastic. Once Upon a Time in the West is amazing. The Shooting is a lesser known acid western starring a young Jack Nicholson that was just weird.
I think a reason I like them now is a lot of them are really well directed with these sprawling desert shots juxtaposed with in-your-face views of the characters. The movies don’t tell you what’s going on, you just watch.
I love the way the long, ultra-wide shots of empty landscape give you the sense of isolation, the notion that if that guy looking for that lost gold feels like he needs to shoot you dead in your own home, he probably can get away with it. Who’s coming to save you or seek your justice? There’s no one around for miles. There’s a mule outside grinding flour you could beckon, maybe.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
also Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
I used to throw westerns on if I’d had one too many drinks and going to bed was not recommended. I was trying to turn off my mind, but also not get into watching something, and a boring ass old spaghetti westerns was it. Lots of silences, strange noises to keep me from really falling asleep, it was perfect.
Ended up really getting into the genre because of it. Fistful of Dollars trilogy is fantastic. Once Upon a Time in the West is amazing. The Shooting is a lesser known acid western starring a young Jack Nicholson that was just weird.
I think a reason I like them now is a lot of them are really well directed with these sprawling desert shots juxtaposed with in-your-face views of the characters. The movies don’t tell you what’s going on, you just watch.
I love the way the long, ultra-wide shots of empty landscape give you the sense of isolation, the notion that if that guy looking for that lost gold feels like he needs to shoot you dead in your own home, he probably can get away with it. Who’s coming to save you or seek your justice? There’s no one around for miles. There’s a mule outside grinding flour you could beckon, maybe.