Western

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Genre of films based loosely on the history of the American West and evolved from the written Western. As a genre, the Western is virtually as old as the cinema. Perhaps the foremost director of Westerns has been John Ford. Classic examples of the Western include The Great Train Robbery (1903) and Stagecoach (1939).

The silent era produced such epics as The Iron Horse (1924), and the genre remained popular into the coming of sound. The 1930s saw many epics, such as Union Pacific (1939), whereas the films of the 1940s often dwelt on specific historical events (including Custer's last stand in They Died with Their Boots On (1941)). The 1950s brought more realism and serious issues, such as the treatment of the American Indians. The Westerns of the 1960s, such as The Wild Bunch (1969), contained an increased amount of violence, partly owing to the influence of the ‘spaghetti Westerns’ (often directed by Sergio Leone). Later successful Westerns include Pale Rider (1985) and Unforgiven (1992).

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