Epic Western

The "Epic Western" is a sub-genre of the Western movie.

An archetypical example is "Once Upon a Time in the West", a lengthy revenge epic directed by Sergio Leone and starring Charles Bronson. Other moves that may be considered archetypes of the sub-genre include "The Searchers" with John Wayne and Leone's "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly".

Epic Westerns draw from the Norse Saga technique. They tend to be long, sweeping, and complex, with often-shifting s. Characters are more deeply drawn than cheap shoot 'em up Westerns, sometimes acting as forces for good, sometimes evil. Men are often caught in situations not of their own choosing, and must surmount fantastic difficulties. A common technique is the portrayal of someone who never wants to resort to violence, but is forced to do so due to circumstances beyond his control.

Many critics have also drawn comparisons with Greek mythology, with Martin M. Winkler comparing "The Searchers" to Homer's "Iliad", and specifically the character of Ethan Edwards to Achilles.

ee also

*Winchester '73

External links

* [http://wc05.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=24:D|||602 Epic Westerns] at Allmovie