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[KharBevNor]

I just bought High Plains Drifter, one of my favourite westerns, on DVD and I'm in the mood for some decent, unusual westerns. Not obvious stuff like The Good the Bad and the Ugly or The Magnificent Seven. Also, you're probably going to want to avoid most things made before 1965. I'm thinking maybe some more obscure stuff in the style of Leone, or some Australian westerns or something. I hear The Proposition is good? I'm wanting something heavy on the anti-heroes and grit and nihilism, with hopefully some sort of awesome twist of genre or plot or something to it. I dunno.

Also, how just how good is High Plains Drifter? It's a very heavy contender for my favourite Western ever.

[tomselleck69]

-the proposition

-dead man

-el topo

-deadwood (not a film, but amazing nonetheless. i am completely nonbiased, as evidenced by my avatar.)

[Johnny C]

I'm wanting something heavy on the anti-heroes and grit and nihilism, with hopefully some sort of awesome twist of genre or plot or something to it. I dunno.

Then you want everything done by Sam Peckinpah in the genre, but The Wild Bunch especially. It's not only my favourite western, it's one of my favourite movies period. The film, set in 1913, centres around a gang of outlaws in a dying Old West, losing their relevance, their careers and their lives to a changing world. What is supposed to be their last work as a gang turns into their final, desperate bid for redemption. It's beautifully shot, masterfully written and expertly balanced. In fact I cannot recommend it enough.

[guywithoutsocks]

-the proposition

I would second this, having seen it in the theater last year.  Nick Cave is brilliant, though fucked-up.

[KharBevNor]

Then you want everything done by Sam Peckinpah in the genre, but The Wild Bunch especially. It's not only my favourite western, it's one of my favourite movies period. The film, set in 1913, centres around a gang of outlaws in a dying Old West, losing their relevance, their careers and their lives to a changing world. What is supposed to be their last work as a gang turns into their final, desperate bid for redemption. It's beautifully shot, masterfully written and expertly balanced. In fact I cannot recommend it enough.

Seen it unfortunately.

Or maybe I should say fortunately, it's very good. I like Peckinpah's work a lot. My favourite film of his is probably Straw Dogs. Definitely on the right track though.

[Ozymandias]

Paint Your Wagon is unexpectedly fun and hilarious.

Eastwood can sing, man.

[Peet]

Serenity.

A cowboy film at heart.

[Utopian]

Also, you're probably going to want to avoid most things made before 1965.

That's mean. I love nearly every western I've ever seen, particularly older ones. Dunno why it's my favourite genre, probably the escapist nature of it as a middle class Brit. How can you not love John Wayne films, like Stagecoach and The Searchers? I also recently saw The Big Trail, his first big role, it was quite impressive.

James Stewart Westerns are often a bit different, and it helps that he's an oustanding actor. There's one called Broken Arrow about an ex-soldier developing respect for and gaining the respect of the Apache tribe - it's based on historical figures.

I do love Leone. Once Upon a Time in the West used to be my favourite western but these days I think it's Winchester '73 (James Stewart again) which a very classic western in terms of appearance, but similar to Leone in terms of story (revenge, revenge, revenge,) - I fail to see what makes spaghetti westerns so different. Another favourite, Day of the Outlaw, is visually outstanding and a thrilling story.

And High Plains Drifter is a lot of fun - very interesting. Dunno about "great" though.

The one that best fits your description is probably  Day of the Outlaw. It's so bleak and really blurs the lines between goody and baddie a great deal. I think Robert Ryan makes an ace anti-hero. Only problems are it's black and white and made in 1959. But watch it anyway, please

[onewheelwizzard]

"The Man Without A Star" with Kirk Douglas is an interesting one.  It's full of moral ambiguities, has very few genuinely likable characters, and there's a good bit of violence, and manages to pass itself off as a comedy the whole time.  Unfortunately Douglas's costar is a painfully bad actor, but overall it's worthwhile.