The Classical, The Revisionist, and The Spaghetti Western | Stagecoach, Winchester '73, & Once Up...

In this very special episode, Amartya, Aryan, and Dhruv discuss the different styles of the Hollywood Western from its "birth" in 1939 to its "death" in 1968.
We begin by discussing John Ford's 1939 film, "Stagecoach," singlehandedly responsible for resuscitating the A-Movie Western for the talkies in Hollywood's Pre-War Era. It provides us with a broad template for archetypes and narratives that -- through repetition -- became movie conventions for reasons both good and bad. Fast forward to the Golden Era of the Hollywood Westerns, particularly the Post-War period -- and you see filmmakers like Anthony Mann beginning to question these conventions while still largely adhering to them in his 1950 film, "Winchester '73." The fondly remembered Spaghetti Westerns of the '60s push even further in this direction, with Sergio Leone's 1968 film, "Once Upon a Time in the West," simultaneously homaging the West and deflating America's constructed myths.
Listen to the full episode for our deep dive into each film and the historical context that defined their varied narratives and aesthetic styles!
TIME CODES
The Western and its Mythology - Archetypes, Narratives, and Aesthetics: [01:16 - 35:09]
"Stagecoach" (1939) : [35:09 - 58:11]
"Winchester '73" (1950) : [58:11 - 01:22:40]
"Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968) : [01:22:40 - 02:01:04]
The Western's Contemporary Manifestations: [02:01:04 - 02:19:40]
NOTE: The episode is in no way a complete summation of the countless films and directors whose works continue to influence Westerns today. It's intended as a (hopefully) informative celebration of a genre we love!
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