Legends of Western Cinema Week 2024 | Kick-Off + Tag
Another Legends of Western Cinema Week has come around the mountain, y'all! Today marks the beginning of a rollicking summer tradition hosted by Heidi, Rachel, and myself, during which we celebrate all things Western. We invite you to join in the fun by contributing your own Western-themed posts over the next several days: reviews, lists, analyses, games, etc. — you name it!
As always, we're starting things off with a fresh set of tag questions — or, in this case, tag prompts. Following last year's lead, we're providing you all with a list of adjectives to fit to the Western of your choice. Want to see what I mean? Read on for my own answers.
2024 Tag Prompts
Cozy
Gritty
Serious
Comedic
Romantic
Lively
Unpredictable
Hopeful
Joyful
Adventurous
My Tag Answers
Does it get any cozier than the outrageous Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)? Not in a conversation about Westerns, at any rate. Romanticized pioneer lifestyle, boisterous dance breaks, problematic romances — what's not to love?
Gritty
Hostiles (2017) is difficult to watch at times, but very, very worth it. You can read my review, with more detailed thoughts, here.
Serious
It's not necessarily a dark or heavy show, but Stagecoach (1939) does produce an overall impression of gravity, both through its somber plot and its noirish cinematography.
Comedic
Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969) was pitched to me as a hilarious time, and it lived up to its reputation. My co-host Rachel can attest that I spent my entire first viewing of the film wheezing with laughter.
Romantic
Can Far and Away (1992) be classified as a Western? Technically, only a smallish percentage of it actually takes place in the American West, but the whole film builds to that smallish percentage as the protagonists dream their way across the continent, so I'm going to count it. And Romantic — both in the lowercase lovey-dovey sense and in the uppercase nineteenth-century artistic movement sense — it could most certainly be called.
Lively
Quigley Down Under (1990) fits several of these prompts, but one of the foremost characteristics that stands out in my mind when thinking about it is indeed its liveliness. As I've said before, it juggles genuinely weighty subject matter and a deliciously rollicking tone without diminishing either. Sublime stuff.
Unpredictable
While I couldn't necessarily call Broken Trail (2006) a surprising show, some of the details of the conclusion pan out in unexpected or unorthodox ways.
Hopeful
I'm not exactly sure why, but The Magnificent Seven (1960) always leaves me feeling very soft and comforted and hopeful. Maybe it's the quiet heroism of the characters or the way the narrative highlights and values simple domesticity, but whatever it is, I appreciate it.
Joyful
This may be an unusual choice, but I think I'll go with The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975). "Joy" may be an exaggerated term to use to describe the happiness that this movie produces, but we shan't quibble. The film is fun and lighthearted and humorous, and it features a number of really cute relationship dynamics, so we're rolling with it.
Adventurous
It's been several years since I watched it, but I remember The War Wagon (1967) as being a jaunty little caper of an old-fashioned Western. Perhaps I can use this year's party as motivation to revisit it and find out whether my recollections are accurate.
Link-Up
As you publish your own contributions to this week's party, don't forget to come back and leave links to them in the widget below, either in this post or in either of my co-hosts' kick-off posts. That way, everyone can enjoy all of the festivities!
P.S. Also, be sure to check out Heidi's and Rachel's blogs for a couple of fun giveaways!
Hats off, fellas!
Haha! "Problematic romances" do indeed abound in 7B47B. And yet, so fun.
ReplyDeleteI love Stagecoach, and it is definitely a serious one!
I hereby attest that we laughed so hard, we had to wipe our eyes and blow our noses while watching Support Your Local Sheriff together. Ahhhh, good memories.
I am counting Far and Away as a western in tomorrow's post, so you are not alone in considering it such.
Quigley is such a genius blend of gravitas and levity.
Magnificent Seven absolutely has a hopeful feel to the ending! You get the sense that the village is going to prosper and grow stronger, and that Vin and Chris and Chico have all found a new sense of contentment.
I'm 100% with you on Apple Dumpling Gang being joyful. Full of joy, really.
And yeah, War Wagon is totally a western heist film, and has lots of adventure!
So, it appears that I heartily approve of all your picks that are movies I have seen ;-) And maybe this will finally be the year where I watch Broken Trail.
And so it begins... yay! 🎉
ReplyDeleteLoved reading your sparkling tag answers and second your choices on the films I've seen. Clearly need to put Far and Away on my TBW list and promptly off to check if War Wagon is available to stream this week.
Looking forward to the further festivities!
That one "Stagecoach" screencap goes so unnecessarily hard. Gotta respect the commitment.
ReplyDeleteSeven Brides for Seven Brothers is an absolute classic! And I grew up on The Apple Dumpling Gang.
ReplyDelete