- A History of the Western Genre (YouTube)
For the first fifty years or so of cinema’s life span, the Western was a major genre, dominating the industry up until the 1970s. But as cinema entered into a new era, it left the Western behind, with modern filmmaking rendering the frontier setting stale when compared to alien worlds or alternate dimensions. This video tracks the life cycle of the Western, from its humble beginnings to its end, looking at how it represents America as a country, and why we might benefit from its return.
- What Makes Westerns so Cool? (YouTube)
The Western genre is one of the most recognisable genres out there, with many classics such as ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ and ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.’ When people think of classic films, no doubt Westerns spring to mind. But why are they so memorable? And why have they had such a lasting impact on popular culture and cinema as a whole? This video aims to answer this question by examining what makes them so cool, by focussing on Sergio Leone’s western filmography.