Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) - ★★★★

Director: Sergio Leone
Writers: Sergio Leone, Sergio Donati (Screenplay), Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci, Mickey Knox
Stars: Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, Claudia Cardinale, Gabriele Ferzetti

It took me a while to warm up to this film, but in the end I really liked Once Upon a Time in the West. It has a rating of 8.7/10 on the International Movie Data Base (IMDB), making it one of the highest rated movies of all time. I wouldn't give it that title, not until I at least watch it again. The first hour of the film was flat to me. My energy levels depleted slowly but surely until I actually turned off the movie (a sin against cinema, I know). I decided that I should finish it today. Let's just say that the last hour and a half slowly built up this film in my esteem, until it reached a stunning climax that had my excitement and film fanaticism going wild. There were a couple of other big problems I had with it, but the ending was so masterful that it almost redeemed any fault I found with the movie.

The Searchers (1956) – ★★★★½

Director: John Ford
Writers: Alan Le May (novel), Frank S. Nugent (screenplay)
Stars: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Natalie Wood, Ward Bond

Now this is a true Western. Made 10 years before The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, The Searchers really sets the benchmark for western cinema. It’s funny, sad, beautiful, and above all, thrilling. Many have called it the greatest role John Wayne ever played, and I agree that it is one of his best. For a movie 2 hours long, the time flew by. It’s an extremely entertaining masterpiece that can be viewed over and over.

High Noon (1952) – ★★★★★

Director: Fred Zinnemann
Writers: Carl Foreman (screenplay), John W. Cunningham (story)
Stars: Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Katy Jurado, Lloyd Bridges, Thomas Mitchell

High Noon is the Citizen Kane of Western cinema. It is, simply put, a masterpiece. Every aspect of the film screams precision. The acting, the music, the set, the dialogue, the camerawork, is all perfection. Gary Cooper is flawless in this film, and it will always go down as the greatest role he ever played.