Back to the Future Part III (1990)

Stranded in 1955, Marty McFly learns about the premature death of Doc Brown in 1885 and must travel back in time to save him. However, with no more fuel readily available for the DeLorean after his arrival, the two must figure out how to escape the Old West before Emmett is murdered. Part III is probably the most unique entry in this trilogy as it takes us on an escapade to the Wild West. It was an unusual choice but a genius one, that delivers the most fun adventure of all the outings. I always thoroughly enjoyed this movie as a kid but it has now grown far higher in my estimations in the trilogy (though I adore each tremendously). Filmed back to back with Part II allowed for far more cohesiveness between these later two instalments. It can best be seen through the plenty of foreshadowing details hinting at the Western setting in Part II that become more noticeable after a rewatch. Continuing directly from the events of Back to the Future Part II (1989), Marty is now stuck in the past, after both the Doc and DeLorean were accidentally sent to 1885. Naturally, the only person that can help him now is the Doc from 1955. I love that Marty catches him just moments after he sends back the other Marty during the events of Back to the Future (1985), which as you'd expect, shocks him. Using the letter left to Marty from 1885, the pair uncover the DeLorean in an abandoned mineshaft and repair it well enough so Marty can rescue his friend from his death at the hands of Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen. Unbeknownst to Marty, he would encounter plenty of trouble on his arrival, from jumping straight into the middle of a United States Cavalry pursuit of Indians, bumping into a bear to even mistakenly running afoul Buford and his gang. Thankfully Doc Brown is close at hand to save Marty from almost dying himself. I found this film delved further into the bond between Marty and Emmett, displaying more of that duty of care they share so strongly. They equally go through great character growth and development as they alter their futures throughout the adventure. It was pleasing to watch Marty have some heart-to-heart with his great-great-grandparents, learning more about his family he never knew. Although, I liked that this particular entry spends more time with Doc Brown, introducing him a love interest in the form of Clara Clayton, a lady whom he saves. When they each fall deeply for the other it causes Emmett to become torn with leaving, raising the stakes higher with the still impending shooting. I was delighted with the inclusion of newcomer Clara into the trio and relished in the relationship between her and Emmett. It was equally exciting seeing familiar faces of the previous films return as new characters as relatives of current-time people of Hill Valley. The most impressive was our villain of the story, Buford 'Mad Dog' Tannen, ancestor to Biff Tannen. He easily stole the show with his exceptional performance that was both hilarious and terrifying, like some of the other variants we've seen. Of course, being a Western there are plenty of references to other such films scattered throughout for fans of the genre to catch. I found this final piece to hold some of the best cinematography, with gorgeous landscape shots ever-present. My favourite, and the most visually iconic, is the shot of the horses towing the DeLorean across the desert. It is simply a phenomenal spectacle. Where this film truly shines is during the climax as the pair commandeer a train to use in their escape plan. The whole segment is pumped full of adrenaline and elevated with the heroic score of Alan Silvestri, which is so enthralling, you cannot sit still. Finally, the ending sure pulls at the heartstrings with some heartwarming moments to wrap up the stories in a neat bow. Overall, Part III is a fantastic conclusion to an outstanding trilogy. It manages to deliver an unparalleled adventure to its predecessors, filled with lighthearted comedy and bustling action. This trilogy is undeniably my all-time favourite comfort viewing, and I know many share in the sentiment. You won't find entertainment as imaginative and creative as this. For the closest thing to a fourth entry, check out Back to the Future: The Game (Video Game 2010-2015).

Runtime: 1h 58m

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Genre: Adventure / Comedy / Sci-fi / Western

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3 Godfathers (1948)

Fugitive bank robbers Robert Hightower, William Kearney and Pedro Roca Fuerte stand at a desert grave. Caring for the newborn infant of the woman they just buried will ruin any chance of escape. But they won't go back on their promise to her. They won't abandon little Robert William Pedro but can they deliver him to safety? Director John Ford's Western retelling of the Biblical Three Wise Men tale remains a scenic and thematic masterpiece. This is certainly one of the more unusual western movies made that tells a story quite different to anything done before in the genre. Little would you know but this is technically a Christmas movie. Set during the festive season, there are plenty of references to Christmas, from the mentions of a Christmas tree to people talking of Feliz Navidad. Also as previously mentioned, the movie takes a Biblical approach in its story and imagery with our trio mirroring the Three Wise Men. There are plenty of moments where our characters refer to the Bible and read from it frequently, as they take the infant child to New Jerusalem. When our story begins, we follow our trio on a bank heist in a town, which had greeted them so kindly. Having made their escape, with the youngest, William, being shot in the arm and injured, they are quickly pursued by the marshal. He makes it his personal vendetta to hunt them down, making it impossible for them to escape. As the blockades around water sources grow, the three move onto one last location where they come across a dying woman and her infant. They promise to take care of the child as their Godfathers and so begins their quest. Ford asserts to us through the story that even men of dissolute character can follow that inner star of Bethlehem to their own redemption. It is here we are shown the hard natures of the wild west. From the harsh, dusty winds to the scorching sun, the cinematography is used superbly in making us feel like we, the audience, are on that journey too in those conditions. Despite their past actions, we now see this group in a new light as they do everything in their being to protect this infant. But with the marshal hot on their trails we start to see him, a man completely in his right to take vengeance on these men, as a villain in some sense. If you haven't seen the film skip past the red to avoid me ruining the end. *Spoilers* As they keep travelling, they are overcome by the treacherous conditions of the desert and become weaker, unlikely to make it. It is here that William, whose gunshot wound had not been treated, sadly dies of exhaustion, doing everything in his might to carry the child as far as possible. The two remaining read him the Bible as he dies then move on, so as not to be caught by the marshal. Later Pedro breaks his leg after falling and can't go on. He asks for Robert's pistol to warn off any coyotes but as Robert moves on we hear a single gunshot. After climbing the last mountain, Robert feels he can't go any further. He starts to hallucinate, imagining his two friends walking alongside him, encouraging him not to give up, which was a very emotional moment. Finally making it to the town, he is confronted by the marshal who then realises what has transpired. In the end, the baby is delivered safely and Robert is only sent to 1 year and 1 day of prison time instead of the 20 years, remaining as the child's Godfather. Overall, this is an emotional drama set in the western genre that features some amazing acting and cinematography as well as an interesting story. I love that it holds many similarities to Biblical stories and makes for some unique Christmas viewing. This is definitely worthy viewing and should be experienced at least once by everyone, especially western and John Wayne fans.

Runtime: 1h 46m

Director: John Ford

Genre: Drama / Western

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Rawhide (1951)

Vinnie Holt, a single woman travelling with her baby niece, becomes stranded at Rawhide, a desert stagecoach stop managed by stationmaster Sam Todd and his assistant Tom Owens. Meanwhile, Jim Zimmerman, a fugitive murderer disguises as a Deputy, and along with three other ruthless escapees, takes over the station. They're intent on robbing the next day's gold shipment. After murdering Sam, Zimmerman knows they must keep Tom alive to complete their plans. Zim assumes that Vinnie is Owen's wife, and choosing not to correct him, Owen and Vinnie pretend, sensing that the misconception might be the key to her survival as well. They must work together to find a way to escape or warn the stagecoach before it's too late. Rawhide has to be one of my all-time favourite westerns, easily making one of my top 10 for this particular genre. It is packed full of tension, action, drama and romance. As well as being just an overall thrilling movie, it is also educational as it taught me some interesting aspects of the old west, like the features and inner workings of a stagecoach stop. It acts as a pit stop for stagecoaches so that the driver and passengers can eat, rest and wash whilst new mules get hitched to the stage. It is a very clever and effective method for such long travelling and very fascinating to learn about, even see how it could have looked and operated. One of my favourite aspects of the film had to be the leading protagonist captives: Owen and Vinnie. They don't quite get along in the first place. They bicker and dispute, not getting on with one another, however, as the film progresses and they are imprisoned, they begin to work together to escape. They even start to treat one another respectfully and even show signs of a possible romance whilst pretending to be married, in order to stay alive. Also, considering Vinnie has her baby niece to take care of and protect, it adds some apprehension to the story with a young innocent child thrown into the mix. I also found the fugitives to be very entertaining and intriguing. The leader, Zim, although ruthless and hot-tempered, is also respectful enough at times toward the prisoners if they behave and cooperate that is. He constantly keeps the other men in line since he devised the plan for the robbery and makes sure the others do what is right to succeed. Members: Yancy and Gratz are very loyal to Zim and do everything he commands, however, Tevis is wild and doesn't like Zim, who constantly has to put him right for trying to get with Vinnie and his constant desire to kill the prisoners. Tevis is extremely creepy and has some very chilling scenes, even some shockingly unexpected sequences that genuinely had me in disbelief, it came out of nowhere. Despite hinting at such an eventual outcome, I wasn't expecting it to actually come true, although, considering how he had been acting the whole film, his mannerism surely insinuated his rouge tendencies. All the attempts made by Owen and Vinnie to escape and alert the passing wagons of the danger they are in were certainly some of the best sequences of the whole film. Their desperation to be helped and freed drove the thriller aspect to its fullest. From trying to steal guns, digging a hole in the wall and handing a note to the drivers passing, each attempt has you sitting at the edge of your seat, hoping for them to escape the danger, almost as if we ourselves were with them in this dire situation. Whilst some attempts proved worthwhile, sometimes they would later go awry or come dangerously close to being uncovered. But by far the most exciting part was the climactic shoot-out that had all dangers, twists and heart-pumping action that makes for a fantastic finale. Overall, although a lesser-known flick (and Western at that), Rawhide is a true cult classic that should be more widely known. The whole feature is available for free on YouTube and should, without a doubt, be sought out by all Western fans. Even if you are a simple avid moviegoer, then this is undoubtedly worth your time for its abundance of exciting qualities.  

Runtime: 1h 29m

Director: Henry Hathaway

Genre: Drama / Romance / Western

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Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

The true story of fast draws and wild rides, battles with posses, train and bank robberies. Butch and Sundance are the two leaders of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. Butch is all ideas, Sundance is all action and skill. The west is becoming civilized, and when Butch and Sundance rob a train once too often, a special posse begins trailing them no matter where they run. Over rocks, through towns, and across rivers, the group is always just behind them. When they finally escape through sheer luck, Butch has another idea, "Let's go to Bolivia". Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is one of the best and a must-see western with one of the greatest friendship duos in movie history. Butch and Sundance have some of the best chemistry I've ever witnessed in all the films I have viewed. With their comedic jokes, trust and willingness to help one another, the two have such a bond and are incredibly charming when together. This movie undoubtedly stands the test of time, even going as far as to feel like it could have come out today. It's just so good. I like how the opening segment of the film is shown in a sepia colour much like in old westerns. Here we get to see Sundance perform some skilled shooting proving his unbelievable skills before transitioning into colour for the rest of the story. I have so many favourite scenes in this film but if I had to choose one out of them all, it would have to be the knife fight scene. It perfectly illustrates the friendship between our two main leads and how clever Butch is with his quick plan with the 'rules of a knife fight'. No matter how many times I see it I can't help but laugh, I love it so much. Definitely the funniest sequence in the movie that you have at least got to watch, even if you don't watch the whole film. Another favourite scene of mine, that comes very close, is when they blow one of the carriages of a train during a robbery, which has an extremely big explosion. I remember how shocked I was when I first saw it because they were standing so close to it, yet somehow managed to sustain no injuries, which amazed me. The scene is made even better when they brush it off with a joke from Sundance: "Think ya used enough dynamite there, Butch?" Phenomenal scene. However, after having robbed multiple trains, our duo and their gang are hunted down by a special posse who manages to kill some of the gang. It leads to quite an intense feeling of dread as our protagonists ride on and on to evade these followers, however, they are always still visible in the distance, never stopping in their hunt. We share in Butch and Sundance's constant sense of worry as they close in since neither they nor we, want them to get killed. If these two skilled men who have been on a very lucky robbery streak are worried then we too feel that worry. The ending of this film is also very iconic but very sad, especially since this film was based on real people and occurrences. For those who haven't seen the ending, best skip past the red to avoid spoilers. *Spoilers* Butch and Sundance have a great friendship from start to finish, even to the point of their deaths. Their deaths are extremely tragic since they are quite oblivious to being surrounded by an army, ready to gun them down. After having fended off what they thought was only a small group with some impressive shots and tricks, they make a final charge with their guns in hand. The two are gunned down. Though we don't see it happen, the picture freezes as they charge out, whilst playing the sounds of multiple guns firing. It's a very emotional scene and an unfortunate end to the duo, although very iconic. Overall, this is such a classic film and a western at that. It has some amazing characters who have so much chemistry, comedic lines and moments, some incredible effects and set pieces to match. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is without a doubt, one of the finest in the western subgenre and one certainly worth viewing.

Runtime: 1h 50m

Director: George Roy Hill

Genre: Biography / Crime / Drama / Western

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Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

In 1850, in the Oregon Territory, Adam was the eldest of seven brothers who went to town to find a wife. He convinces Milly to marry him that same day. They return to his backwoods home. Only then does she discover he has six brothers all living in his cabin. Milly sets out to reform the uncouth siblings, who are anxious to get wives of their own. She promptly begins teaching the brothers proper behaviour, and most importantly, how to court a woman. The six brothers go to a party where each of the brothers falls in love with a girl and from there, their new teachings come into play. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is such a charming film. It is bright, colourful and has great musical numbers with large beautiful sets and landscapes. I adore the western genre especially when it comes to all the older films. Westerns were very popular during the 1930s-1960s, which has given us so many amazing gun-slinging action that makes you want to be a cowboy. This film, however, isn't like most westerns with its quick draw guns fight showdowns and is a bit of a breath of fresh air with a more light-hearted, happy mood kind of film with dancing, sing-along songs and colourful, bright outfits. I adore the music for many reasons. I like how there are songs for each kind of mood with there being upbeat happy songs, tender and reflective songs, calm and romantic, this film has them all. What makes them each so good is the singers who do some magnificent vocal work which, undoubtedly, is the reason for their enjoyment. Another highlight is witnessing the many seasons change throughout the film which leads to new songs, challenges and key plot points. Both the weather and season we see are presented magnificently, from the winter snow to bright sunny spring, they manage to make them all look so alive and real. Each of the seven brothers are equally my favourite individuals in the film as they work very efficiently together, have each other's backs no matter what and partake in plenty of banter. They even manage to frequently get into fights, which leads me promptly to my favourite scene. The barn-raising scene is arguably the finest part of this movie in which loads of town members (in groups of four) have to help build a barn as quickly as they can. The first to finish their side wins a prize cow; however, when the other members start abusing the brothers they fight back and it turns into an all-out brawl. It is so much fun with great stunts and set pieces. The music is so invigorating in this sequence that has some hilarious scenes mixed with dangerous feats, especially with some of them fighting on wooden beams atop the building. Things are just as dangerous later when the whole structure starts falling and breaking around them during the fight. The choreography in this film is simply incredibly done with some amazing dancing and stunts that are very impressive to watch, again accompanied by some very energetic music. These awe-inspiring stunts must have taken so much time to perfect and the end result is nothing short of fantastic. The dancing is just as impressive whilst matching the stunts in being just as fast passed and energetic. Despite taking a somewhat shaky start to their marriage, the romance between Adam and Milly develops throughout the course of the film to the point where, by the end, they truly love one another. To solidify her contentedness, the film ends with Milly's dream coming true of all the brothers getting happily married so they can set up homes nearby. Seeing all of her hard work to sort out the brothers by helping them with their manners and learning to dance, all worked out was a really great payoff, especially with them all living merrily at the end. Overall this is a feel-good movie with lots to offer from beautiful bright sets, costumes and musical dance numbers. I saw this many times growing up thanks to my mother's love for it and it is a film I return to again and again.

 

Runtime: 1h 42m

Director: Stanley Donen

Genre: Comedy / Drama / Musical / Romance / Western

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High Noon (1952)

Marshal Will Kane is getting married to his lovely bride, Amy, and hangs up his badge as they prepare to leave their small town of Hadleyville, in New Mexico. However, he learns that a local criminal who he put behind bars, Frank Miller, has been set free and is coming to seek his revenge. Having initially decided to leave with his newly wedded bride, Will feels compelled to go back and face Miller. Will asks for the aid of the townspeople he had protected for so long but they turn their backs on him, leaving him to face Miller and his gang alone. Miller's gang awaits his arrival at the train station and with every minute that passes, the closer they get to their revenge. Rushed for time and with little help, Will is left to protect the cowardly townsfolk one against four. This is one of the most thrilling westerns I have ever seen, which has some great cinematography. I love how the director displays this impending doom for our protagonist Will Kane. The use of the clocks ticking away, growing ever closer as all the townsfolk look and wait with bated breath for the train's arrival is also fabulously shot. Everyone stares at their clocks as each minute passes knowing full well what will happen and yet offer no help. Shots like the train in the distance on the tracks are also ominous and leave us in a constant state of worry for the inevitable arrival of Miller, whilst Will searches desperately for aid. The train slowly edges closer and closer emerging from the distant horizon spelling certain doom, as it nears its destination. With frequent shots of the clocks and train getting closer and closer, it is displayed both by the time of the arrival etching nearer but also through the camera getting closer to the objects, which also switches to close-ups of the townfolk's faces. Having Will alone in the fight definitely ups the tension and has us rooting for him to make it out alive and to be reunited with his wife. Amy is understandably very upset about his choice to return putting his life on the line and constantly threatens to leave on the very train carrying his deadly opponent. You can sympathise with her frustration but hope for her to come back and help her husband rather than leave, abandoning him at his most desperate hour. We share Will's sense of panic and desperation as he searches everywhere for any help, only to be denied and pushed away. It leaves us wanting to help him out ourselves because we feel as helpless as Will and are left to observe, as the final confrontation takes place. Once Miller arrives and is joined by his gang it leads to the action, which is very thrilling and carries many iconic tropes in westerns, which I love. The gunfight showdown has a great setting with the deserted-like town making for a chilling atmosphere. During the shoot out there is a clever use of Will's tactics in the horse stables where he can smartly take one out. We even get to see Amy come to the rescue, managing to help take one of the two pinning Will down with gunfire. I am personally such a big fan of the western genre, especially all the old ones with the gunslinging action we have all come to know so well. I am a fan of western music too and it most definitely applied to this film with the dramatic soundtrack used during the final battle. Overall, High Noon is a fantastic movie and a western one at that. From its superb cinematography, characters, acting and climactic action to the overall story. Honestly, I thoroughly enjoyed this film and it's one all western fans should check out at least once. Even if you are just a regular moviegoer, this is still an outstanding one to check on out. It will get the blood pumping as it slowly creeps up to the climactic showdown. So draw your gun from your holster and blast your way into the thriller that is High Noon.

Runtime: 1h 25m

Director: Fred Zinnemann

Genre: Drama / Thriller / Western

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