WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE MOVIE:
Only that it's a Western.
LET ME EXPLAIN...
This was only the second western I had ever seen (the other one being Unforgiven), and if there was ever a movie that encapsuled EVERYTHING I thought a Western film would be, this was it. Take, for instance, the following: it was set in a wide open range with cowboys and homesteaders; it had quick-draws, spurs rattling, a saloon fight, a guy falling from a balcony after being shot, another guy get up from his chair and leave the saloon before the guns started firing, etc. It even had a tumbleweed blowing across the screen! I think the only thing it didn't have was John Wayne, but it did have a young Jack Palance for all you City Slickers fans.
In fact, some of my favorite movies that spoof on the Western cliches include Three Amigos! and Back to the Future III. It was cool to see a serious Western utilizing (and perhaps introducing?) things these films and plenty of others have copied and spoofed.
What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
I already mentioned how this movie is an all-around classic Western. I don't know what other films are out there that carry as many elements of the Western genre that this one carries. On top of that, it's about something that I think is ingrained and timeless in America: the right to own property. Much like The Grapes of Wrath, this film grips you with the anger/sadness/hopelessness of watching people lose their home which they've put so much effort into building for their families. Furthermore, there was great acting, and it was overall a very well-done movie (it won an Oscar for Best Cinematography: Color, and was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and two Best Supporting Actor awards)
Complaints:
About two-thirds of the way through the movie up until about the last 10 minutes, it seemed to slow down a bit. The story was progressing well up until that point, but then scenes seemed to drag on a little longer than necessary. Not a big complaint, but something I noticed.
LET ME SUM UP...
As someone who has only seen two Westerns in my life, this is what I'd consider to be a classic Western. It had a ton of recognizable Western elements (making it seem like one giant cliche, except that this may be where most of those cliches came from), but it also had a good story that gets the audience invested in what's going on and caring about what happens to the characters. It's well acted and a well done movie overall.
MY RATING: 7/10
TOTAL # OF FILMS WATCHED: 71
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