Topic: Westerns
Each time after watching a film, reading a book or passing a game that affects an interesting setting, a thought arises in my head-“What else to study on the topic”. I propose to think together this – steep westerns.
Cinema can boast of one of the best representatives of westerns, which is not surprising, because the cowboy adventures are 100% cinema junk. And here, of course, the palm of the championship at the “dollar trilogy” Sergio Leone. Contrary to common opinion, “good, bad, evil” is not a Standalone film, this is a tricel “for a handful of dollars” and “a few dollars more”. And although everything that connects the ribbon with the previous “spaghetti westers” is stingy on phrases, but not stingy on the Clint Eastwood bullets. In all three films, a single cast, soundtrack, and all of them systematically affect all cowboy topics.
The first film – “For a handful of dollars” (1964) is a retelling of the film “Bodyguard” Akira Kurosawa: Samurai (Clint Eastwood) is in a city captured by two gangs at once. A person without a name decides to “swing” the situation, provoking the conflict between the gangster families: Roho and Bacters. A certain number of events take place in the film, as a result of which the hero of Eastwood goes to a duel with a group of bandits in body armor.
In the second film, “A few dollars more” (1965), the main characters are already two – the former colonel of the army, Douglas Mortimer, who tried on the role of a bustle hunter is violated by the benefit of the nameless hero. The characters Lee Van Clif and Clint Eastwood announce a hunt for a crazy coder for the nickname “Indio”. The reward for his capture is “alive or dead” – 10 thousand dollars and even more for his entire gang. After clarifying the relationship and betrayal of each other several times, the heroes are still united in order to end the antagonist and his accomplices. Colonel Mortimer, as it turns out, for the sake of blood revenge, and the hero of the grandfather Westerns for the sake of profit … or not?
And, of course, “good, bad, evil” (1966). Do you need to say anything here? Someone does not know that here the role of the antagonist is trying on Lee Van Cliff, whose image served as the basis for a villain from another brick series-Metal Gear Solid? That there are already three heroes: in addition to the “blonde” (Eastwood) and the “angelic eye” the narrative is also conducted on behalf of the fat man Tuko performed by Ilai Walllac? That in the final the hero of Clint Eastwood selects the very poncho that he wore over the past two films, hinting that this is a prequel for stories? Is it necessary to clarify that the film departs from simple showdowns between cowboys, affecting the theme of the stupidity of the war and the lack of right -wing on it? It is enough to watch this movie once, be amazed at, listen to the soundtrack Annio Morricone to the holes and love the work until the end of life.
However, the “dollar trilogy” is not Western in the classical sense: it has even more shooting and action and less conversations. For this “Trilogia del Dollaro” and was highlighted in a separate genre of “spaghetti-westers”. An example of a classic picture about cowboys is “exactly noon” (1952). The film starts from a place in the quarry – the main character, Will Kane, marries his lover and refuses the position of Sheriff. The character of Gary Cooper sits in a wagon and is ready to leave with his beloved at a black and white sunset, as an unexpected. It turns out that at exactly noon a thug will arrive at the city, Frank Miller, recognized by the judge innocent, before that he was caught by a former sheriff. The feeling for a long time does not allow Kane to leave Headliville, which Miller’s members are already beginning to be in, and he fits the token for the last time. In order to shit the chances, Will seeks help to citizens, friends and former associates – they are all too scared by an impending threat and refuse to help the main character. And now, in 12.00 is heard the howl of the arrivative train, Kane prepares a will, takes with him his only friend – the old shabby Colt and goes to the city square. One against four thugs.
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But, if you think that the Western genre remained in the twentieth century, then here is an example of a great cowboy adventure of our time. Ruben Kogbern, of course, is a little like the hero of Turgenev’s play, but he is the best that the Wild West can offer: harsh, ruthless, taciturn and extremely well -aimed. “Iron Snow” (2010) of the Cohen brothers is not trying to surprise you with anything: the girls are killing a family, she hires a drunken-to-convoy broken by life to take revenge. The simple preamble in the end turns into one of the most interesting cowboy plots, and the “iron grip”-into one of the best westerns in history.
Everything is clear with games. Red Dead Redemption is the best, most exciting and most comprehensive western in the history of video games. Having taken as a basis an absolutely brushing period of time-the beginning of the twentieth century, Rockstar San-Diego created the most cowboy game. America has been conquered, there is no wilderly Wild West, however, there is John Marston – one of his last apologists. As accepted in literature: a conflict between the hero and society in all fields. 30 hours of races on prairies, Mexican duels, cowboy entertainment, robberies of diligenes and trains, dialogs with crazy characters and shootings are attached. But you are playing PC ..
In this case, you have two chairs: on one Gun vigged, on the other Call of Juarez shooter. In fact, the developers from NEVERSOFT in 2005 released their RDR with understanding what and what. Open World-Checked, a million side and main missions-Checked, cowboy entertainment-mini-games-Checked. However, despite excellent sales and criticism, the game did not become a cult statement in the genre, unlike Rockstar. Yes, and playing it is now strange-10 years old.
The best example of the Polish game design, Call of Juarez, will break through the decade only next year. However, now, playing it, you feel strange. The main character, Billy, returns to the city after a two -year absence. What does our protagonist decide to do first? Right! Smell on a neighbor’s farm, steal an old rusted revolver and begin an execution of bottles. Having made, of course, the old man to watch. Upon arrival in the city, the hero does not calm down: Hamit the sheriff, who has taken the weapon from the marginal, visits the brothel, falls into the room to the familiar prostitute and takes her Colt. The game is full of conventions and oddities, but this does not cancel the fact that it is at least worth playing in it. The second part, although the majority of ideas are borrined in the original, is not a lot, but surpasses it. And the third part … And the third part is just. The last head of the Polish cowboy adventures was released in 2013, the game perfectly conveys the spirit of all the best “spaghetti-westers”. A lot of fun shooting, cowboy duels, a lot of shooting, a charismatic main character and a lot of shooting. Outwardly, the game looks very strange. Drawn graphics, holes from bullets on the screen, inscriptions above the heads of bandits, “+50” to some henna, enemies hiding behind the door toilets. Returned in 2 seconds, released 200 rounds in the boss – dodge the bullet, click “A”, get a boost 3000. A very strange game.
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Do you know the best gamer? BIOSHOCK Infinite, and no, no need to scribble in the comments that the author is a bad person. Later, first we will figure out why the 3rd Bioshok is really western. At the beginning of the game, we find Boker Devitt – a person without the past and future. Member of the very conquest of the Wild West, whose end was marked by the massacre on the Wunded-no River. In this world, he is a stranger, like Marston, an old regime apologist. He lives only by the work of the past and future, drowning in the whiskey in between. The main way to earn money for the protagonist is the murder of others, and above all of all for Devitt not laws, but a code of honor and his own moral compass. Private detective – just the name of the profession of a bonder hunter in a new way. Another journey leads a booker to a distant city of Columbia on the outskirts of the world, which in fact turns out to be the other Wild West. Without realizing it himself, he enters into war with all its population, silently Versh justice, which no one actually asked for-everything for the sake of saving a lady in trouble. All attributes of your favorite westerns.
(There was a Flash player, but since 2020, Flash has not been supported by browsers)
Before starting to reason, we take the statement for an axiom – great literary westerns do not exist. The list of 100 best books of all time compiled by Time magazine has not a single work dedicated to the adventures of cowboys. Why so? Literature is an original descriptive genre: the action is not put at the forefront, it is more likely to be a background. The circumstances, the disposition, internal experiences and the development of heroes are much more important. Traditionally cinema western this is weak, although it does not mean that there is no place in the inner world of the characters in them. Example: Colonel Mortimer is a “several dollars more” hero (there is another one – a film telling about two cowboys and mountain, but we will not). The accents are shifted towards other things and the narrative is built on the basis of other principles. Agree that your beloved Mexican duel is quite difficult to imagine on paper.
It is also based on all the best cinema westerships that is a very simple plot: a positive hero punishes the negative and his entire gang, saves the girl and leaves for (possibly black and white) sunset. In this simplicity lies the main reason for the popularity of the genre in the cinema, in the same simplicity lies the reason for its unpopularity in the literature. All of the above boils down to the fact that the only work that can be offered is “Horseman without a head”. But you understand.
In order to demonstrate what is the current state of affairs. Amazon top sales in the corresponding category:
That’s all I have to tell you about the topic of westerns. The list turned out to be subjective and one -sided, offer your options in the comments.
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