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Hi there, welcome to my penultimate Library film blog of the year. As Autumn begins to turn into winter, the leaves have fallen, and the temperature drops, we all need something to warm us up as we watch TV. How about the powerful glow of the sun in a western film? Well, this month I bring you four westerns, some new, some old, all great and all have the ability to transport you back into time to the days of Stetsons, outlaws and saloons.

We begin with the second most contemporary entry, 3:10 to Yuma (2007). Directed by James Mangold (Walk the Line, Logan), it is a remake of a 1957 film that was in turn an adaptation of a 1953 short-story by Elmore Leonard. It stars Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind) and Christian Bale (The Dark Knight Trilogy, American Hustle) as its main men, with strong supporting turns from actors such as the late Peter Fonda (Easy Rider) and the severely underrated Alan Tudyk (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). Taking place in 1884 Arizona, it sees one-legged rancher and Civil War vet Dan Evans (Bale), who is in debt to the wealthy Glen Hollander fighting to provide for and protect his family.

One night, Hollander’s men burn down Dan’s barn and scatter his cattle as a warning to pay what he owes. The next morning while searching for their cattle, Evans & his sons stumble upon Ben Wade (Crowe) and his gang in the middle of robbing a Pinkerton (private detectives of the time) staffed stagecoach, neither group makes a move. Evans helps the surviving Pinkerton to safety and medical attention in Bisbee, bumping into Wade once again in a saloon. After Wade is arrested Evans is hired as part of a crew to transport him to Contention and put him on the 3:10 afternoon train to Yuma Territorial Prison. You’ll be forgiven for believing it will be an easy ride, however.

3:10 to Yuma received highly positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for the performances of leading stars Bale and Crowe. It was seen as a vast improvement on the original version and something of a reignition for westerns in general, as Andrew Sarris of The New York Observer calls it, “a resurrection of both the film and its now unfashionable genre.” Available only e-stream you can watch it anytime you like, but I suggest the sooner the better. Click the link below to watch a clip of Ben Wade trying to escape his captors after his arrest:

Now we travel 40 years into the past to the heyday of the Western genre, with Hombre (1967). Starring the legendary Paul Newman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Towering Inferno) and directed by Martin Ritt (in what was their sixth and final collaboration together), its premise focuses on the perceived prejudice towards those of Native American origin. Interestingly, like its predecessor in this blog Hombre was also based on a novel by Elmore Leonard released in 1961. In the movie, Newman plays an Apache-raised white man named John Russell in late 19th Century Arizona, who faces prejudice when he returns to the white man’s world to collect his inheritance on his father’s death (a boarding house and a gold watch). He ultimately decides to sell the house for a herd horses a decision which doesn’t go down to well with those tied to the house.

Russell then unwittingly ends up riding a stagecoach out of town with Jesse (the caretaker of the house) and Doris & Billy Lee Blake (two married boarders who were staying at the house), three others ride with them – an Indian agent Professor Favor (an emissary to the Native American community), his wife and Cicero Grimes (a criminal). When Grimes’ gang hijacks the stagecoach, robs its passengers and kidnaps Mrs. Favor, Russell is forced to intervene. The rest of the passengers look to him to save them and Mrs. Favour, however their animosity towards his Apache upbringing causes friction and difficulty in his fight to do what they ask. Surprisingly throughout, Newman’s dialogue is quite minimal with much of the role being conveyed through mannerisms and actions alone, in effect representing his upbringing. Despite this his performance and the director drew high praise as did the film as whole. View the trailer now in the link below:

For our third entry, its back to the future we go with the incredible Django Unchained (2012). Renowned director Quentin Tarantino’s (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction) seventh film (though technically eight release), is a stylized tribute to Spaghetti Westerns of the past and features an impressive ensemble cast including: Jamie Foxx (Ray, Baby Driver), Christoph Waltz (Spectre), Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, The Wolf of Wall Street), Kerry Washington (Fantastic Four), and Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Marvel Cinematic Universe). Jamie Foxx portrays the lead title character, a black slave with the main goals of gaining his freedom and finding his long-lost wife.

In 1858 Texas, the twin Speck brothers drive a group of shackled black slaves on foot, with Django among them (having been sold off and separated from his wife Broomhilda von Shaft (Washington), a house slave). The brothers are stopped by Dr. King Schultz (Waltz), a German bounty hunter who seeks to buy Django for his knowledge of some criminals affiliated with the plantation of his previous owner, who Schultz in turn has a warrant for. When Ace (one of the brothers) refuses to sell and draws his gun, Schultz kills him and traps Dicky (the other twin). Schultz pays a fair price for Django and leaves Dicky to the mercy of the other slaves. He gives Django $75 dollars (worth a lot more in those days) and his freedom in exchange for his help in tracking the outlaws. Once they have dealt with both the outlaws and Django’s former owner who comes after them for revenge, they decide to part ways. However, Schultz agrees to help Django rescue his wife from the revolting Calvin J. Candie (DiCaprio) first, but it will be an extremely treacherous task.

This epic dramedy was highly acclaimed by critics, especially Waltz’s performance and the directing. But its depiction of violence brought a little controversy, as did its perceived lack of accuracy in portraying slavery and Blaxploitation. It was nominated for and received numerous accolades, with Waltz winning Best Supporting Actor and Tarantino Best Screenplay respectively at the 85th Academy Awards, from five nominations at those particular awards. In addition, it was seen by the majority as one of the best films of that year, if not the decade. Grab the DVD now on loan only in the library! Enjoy a snippet of the action that even features a cameo from Tarantino himself by clicking the link below:

We finish up this month with perhaps the most classic of them all, a film with a slightly different vibe to the rest in this blog, the timeless western musical Calamity Jane (1953). Directed by David Butler it stars the trailblazing Doris Day (Pillow Talk) as the titular character and Howard Keel (Annie Get Your Gun, The Day of the Triffids). Calamity Jane herself was in actual fact a real-life wild west heroine, and this musical chronicles her life and alleged romance with Wild Bill Hickock (a real-life old west folk hero portrayed by Keel), though no evidence has ever substantiated the claims.

Set in 1870s Dakota Territory (before it was separated into the states of North & South respectively), it begins with Jane risking her life to single-handedly save her crush, 2nd Lieutenant Gilmartin from an Indian war party, subsequently gaining some popularity in her home of Deadwood. When Deadwood’s saloon owner sends for beautiful women entertainers to go on stage one night for a show, a man is hired by mistake. Despite putting on drag wear, his identity is revealed to the crowds, who in turn threaten to destroy the saloon. Feeling optimistic after her previous exploits, Jane vows to go to Chicago and bring a renowned singer called Adelaid Adams back to deadwood to perform on another night. The majority of the townsfolk scoff at the idea including Wild Bill, but Jane remains resolute in her mission. Unsurprisingly however, her journey is far from straight forward, as she encounters several hilarious obstacles, particularly her own love life.

Even though it is not recognised as being that historically accurate, this feature was and still is universally loved for its charm and humour and subversion to the western genres’ norms. Viewed as an absolutely classic, it even inspired a hit stage musical that premiered in 1961 and is still being performed around the world to this day. Calamity Jane was a landmark film for two reasons, for in addition to having a strong female protagonist (highly uncommon for the cinema of the time), it was also quite possibly one of the first films with lesbian connotations to be shown on screen through Janes relationships with her fellow females. Watch a scene which features one of the best musical numbers of the film by clicking the link below:

With plenty to keep you occupied, why not get down on to e-stream (on which all four films are available, with 3 of them solely online) now and get watching before you dive right into the festive films craze! Spoilers for next month…