I wouldn’t go so far as to say that westerns are now the most controversial genre of film but they are certainly a genre that nearly everyone has a definite opinion about. You won’t find many film fans who are neutral about them.
I was raised on the Sam Elliott/Louis L’Amour/Hopalong Cassidy/James Garner side of westerns (as opposed to the John Wayne side) and I also love a good spaghetti western. Or a Yugoslavian western. Or a Soviet Ostern. Big fan of foreign productions putting their stamp on the west. Big fan of western comedies. Big fan of melancholy examinations of masculinity and violence. Very much not a fan of the jingoistic side of the genre.
Westerns were among the most popular genres in the silent era and their appeal was international, both in viewing and producing. Of course, a major reason for the genres popularity in North America was how easy it was to make such films: rodeo riders were there for the hiring, the great western landscape was a train or automobile ride away. (Seeing how foreign filmmakers compensated for not having these resources is always interesting.)
This month, I will be reviewing a selection of westerns from across the silent era and, naturally, not all of them will be made in the USA. Even if you are not a western fan yourself, I hope you will come along for the ride because I promise that I will be going off the beaten path and reviewing some more unexpected titles. My qualification as a reviewer of westerns is that I live in a town with “no horses” signs at the fast food drive-thru. Yeehaw!
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