Posted on 10/20/2021 6:39:55 AM PDT by Rebelbase
2:18 video scene here. Lonesome Dove is the best western ever made. This is my favorite scene with Gus. Enjoy!
*HISTORICAL CONTEXT - The Western author Louis L'Amour was a maniac for historical accuracy. He wrote a series of fictional short stories about Chick Bowdrie, a late 19th century Texas Ranger. I have summarized his author's notes to describe this stage of Texas history: **Texas Rangers had wide discretionary power enforcing the law due to the great distances and bad weather. If jailing a "criminal" meant a family or others might suffer a Ranger would make a judgement based on the welfare of all involved. The Texas country was dangerous & pitiless and The Rangers were fiercely independent & proud men, as were the men & women settling Texas.
Many were adventurers and others running from previous lives (or the law) and they came from all over the world. You never asked a person their business or even their name, yet hospitality to strangers was a way of life and respectful behavior towards women was strictly enforced. This "pride" culture did not tolerate even the slightest perceived insult and most sober men spoke carefully around strangers because one indiscreet word might result in violence, especially in saloons. A casual insult towards General Lee while standing at the bar could spark a drunk Rebel veteran into a murderous rage. Drunken arguments that turned into gunplay was the main reason most towns started prohibiting firearms within town limits.
Concur.
Honorable Mention:
~Tombstone
~True Grit
~Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns, Josie Wales
~The Searchers
"Well we don't rent pigs and I figure its better to say it right up front cause a man that does like to rent pigs is… he's hard to stop.".
~ Captain Augustus McCrae
Add to the list
OPEN RANGE
SECONDHAND LIONS
Robert Duvall is an excellent actor
No country for old men.
‘Unforgiven’ is the best western.
Not even close. It was just alright.
a. Not a western.
And 2, Creepiest movie ever made. I refuse to watch it again.
Laurie: “Gus you cheated”
Gus: “Well I won’t say I did and I won’t say I didn’t. But I will say that any man who don’t cheat to get a poke, don’t want one bad enough. Let’s go darling”
True - it had it’s moments, but a lot of it was pretty ham-fisted moralizing.
Now I don’t disagree in a general sense. But, being a Cooper aficionado, I like the Westerner and High Noon. The true west was a dirty, smelly, hardscrabble and bad times place. A lot of the known pistoleros were on one side of the badge and some time later on the other.
We pays our money and makes our choices. Lonesome Dove fits well. I have an affinity for it. My Grandpa said, “If he picks up a stick, you pick up a rock. You ain’t here to start fights, you’re here to finish ‘em.”
I always liked Silverado
Once Upon a Time in the West - best spaghetti opera
There are really too many great Westerns to just pick one, or three or ten even. I really love Monty Walsh and Will Penny and Ride the High Country.
pretty ham-fisted moralizing
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Not here to argue, but I am curious about the moments in the film that led you to your criticism. Never heard that kind of comment about Unforgiven before.
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