Ever since the western genre was invented, Hollywood has had the largest share of the market supply. After all, the majority of stories are set on the American frontier — mainly covering the period between the start of the California Gold Rush to the conclusion of the 19th Century. Still, there are several other westerns made outside America. In fact, the first-ever western narrative film, Kidnapping by the Indians, was made in Blackburn, England back in 1899.
A good number of international westerns incorporate American costume choices, motifs, traditions, and settings into their storylines, while others introduce gunslingers and outlaws to their respective societies, hence presenting fresh perspectives. A few of them are also soft remakes of American western classics, but they never come off as cheap imitations. As they pay homage and sprinkle in pastiche elements, these films still offer several distinct takes, leaving genre fans appreciative.
10 Let the Bullets Fly (2010)
Let the Bullets Fly
- Release Date
- December 20, 2010
- Cast
- Chow Yun-Fat , Xiaogang Feng , Wen Jiang , Carina Lau , Kun Chen , You Ge
- Runtime
- 132
Movie gangsters are often easy to fool if their intended victim is bold enough to lie. That’s what Ma Bange does inLet the Bullets Fly. Events take place in the 1920s, during China’s Warlord Era, and as Bange is on his way to a new town to take up the position of Governor, his train gets hijacked and all his "well-trained" bodyguards and subordinates are killed. To avoid being subjected to a similar fate, Bange lies that his dead right-hand man was the Governor and that he is the right-hand man. He then promises to help the bandit leader impersonate the Governor and steal all the town’s money if he spares his life.
The Second-Highest-Grossing Chinese Movie of All Time
Let the Bullets Fly is the second-highest-grossing Chinese movie of all time, and this didn’t happen by accident. Director Jiang Wen gives a masterclass in filmmaking, right from the shot-reverse-shot that gets used during the first conversation between the Governor and the bandit leader, to close-up views of fearful facial expressions.
The plot keeps getting fascinating, too, with the bandit leader soon realizing he bit off more than he could chew. Upon taking up the governorship post, it dawns on him that having total control of the town will be difficult because things are run by a local mafia boss. This paves the way for numerous comical scenes, notably one where the henchmen of both criminal leaders get confused while fighting each other because they are wearing the same masks. Stream on MUBI
9 El Topo (1970)
El topo
- Release Date
- December 18, 1970
- Runtime
- 125
Alejandro Jodorowsky’s El Topo is one of the most notable acid western movies, as it is defined by surreal occurrences, the use of maimed characters, and the incorporation of Eastern philosophy and Judeo-Christian symbolism. In the film’s first part, El Topo (portrayed by Jodorowsky himself) embarks on a quest to become the best gunslinger, and as he is in the desert, he befriends a woman who happens to be the leader of a tribe of deformed people. In the film’s second, El Topo leaves violence behind and becomes a monk.
An Overabundance of Shocking Scenes
Nothing is normal in the Mexican-made western. It’s bonkers, and it’s almost as if Jodorowsky's goal was to subvert every trope there is. Audiences will see no sheriff or Mexican standoff. What they will see instead is a man riding on a horse with his naked son, a swarm of bees covering a dead body, and a biblical Moses moment where water flows out of a rock after El Topo prays and shoots at it.
Every single scene is designed to shock, but nothing ever feels unnecessary. Each moment is attached to a particular theme, and given its complexity, it's not surprising that filmmakers like David Lynch and Samuel Fuller cited it as a major source of inspiration. Rent on Prime Video
8 Lemonade Joe (1964)
Beverages and alcohol are things audiences would least expect a gunslinger and outlaw to feud over, but such is the case in Lemonade Joe (Limonádový Joe). In the Czechoslovak film, Joe is a gunslinger who doubles as a lemonade sales agent. He arrives in a whiskey-loving town and tries to convince the local drunkards to adopt teetotalism so that he can sell them his product. Soon, they buy into his idea, mainly because they believe his soberness has made him better with weapons. This irks the criminal brother of the Trigger Whisky Saloon’s owner, so he vows to stop Joe.
Sobriety Equals Efficiency
Lemonade Joe’s primary objective is to entertain, but it also exists for advocacy purposes. Its message is clear: sobriety equals efficiency, so drinking should only be done sparingly or avoided completely. Joe, therefore, keeps hitting targets while the drunkards keep wasting bullets in cartoonish fashion. The villain, Hogofogo, is even more of a buffoon and a symbol of incompetence. So popular was the film in the Soviet Union that when Mikhail Gorbachev introduced measures to curb excessive alcohol consumption, people nicknamed him "Lemonade Joe." Rent on AppleTV
7 Sukiyaki Western Django (2007)
Sukiyaki Western Django
- Release Date
- September 15, 2007
- Director
- Takashi Miike
- Cast
- Hideaki Ito , Masanobu Ando , Koichi Sato , Kaori Momoi , Yusuke Iseya , Renji Ishibashi
- Runtime
- 121
Westerns are full of valiant characters who walk majestically into new towns like they own the land and then proceed to dictate terms. Well, a mysterious “Man with no Name,” inspired by the Clint Eastwood character, does that in Sukiyaki Western Django. The town has two feuding groups (the white-clothed Genji and the red-clothed Kiyomori), and the stranger insists he will join whoever gives him a bigger paycheck. His actual mission is to get revenge on behalf of an escort.
A Surprise Cameo
Sukiyaki Western Django has a cameo by Quentin Tarantino, which is surprising considering that this is a Japanese production. In what seems like a deliberate move to boost revenue in the West, the characters speak English. Still, this is very much an Asian film at its core, so it digs deep into ancient inter-clan practices and conflicts like the Genpei War. For genre fans who prefer action, there are plenty of standout moments, notably one where a man pulls out a Gatling gun from a coffin and goes all Rambo. Stream on Peacock
6 The Coyote (1955)
Based on the El Coyote pulp novellas by José Mallorquí y Figuerola. The Coyote follows Cesar de Echague, who is summoned from Europe back to 1848 California by his father after the United States annexes the territory. Cesar’s father hopes the young man will save the Latin people from Yankee oppression, but everyone scoffs at the idea because the man doesn’t look like a hero at all. What they don’t know is that he is like Don Diego de la Vega, aka, Zorro. During the day, he is a gentleman, but at night, he goes into Batman mode.
No Room for Greed
Amazing montage scenes, endless action, and neat camera close-ups help make the movie entertaining throughout its running time. With Americans being portrayed as greedy right from the start, there is no confusion regarding who to root for. An army general even tries to grab all the haciendas for himself, yet there is already enough free land that he can take. Cesar thus gets into action. He is content with being seen as a loser in the day, but at night, he makes great strides in whipping this society into shape. Stream on YouTube
5 The Good, the Bad, and the Weird (2008)
The Good, the Bad, and the Weird is the South Korean version of the greatest western of all time, Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The mayhem unfolds in 1939 Manchuria, where a bounty hunter, a hitman, and a thief are all trying to get their hands on a map that will lead them to a treasure. However, they aren’t the only parties interested. A group of relentless Manchurian bandits also wants the map so that they can sell it on the black market.
A Clever Remake
If judged by its title alone, The Good, the Bad, and the Weird could easily be dismissed as a rip-off of the original film, but it’s far from that. The endings aren’t the same. Here, the final Mexican standoff evolves into mindless, bloody mayhem, proving that none of the three characters ever liked each other. Additionally, the types of treasures that the characters are seeking are different. The ultraviolence is also far more inventive. After all, it's not every day that you see a gunslinger swinging from one rope to the next as he sends bullets to the abdomens of random individuals. Stream on AMC+
4 Dynamite Jack (1961)
Out of the vaults of French cinema is Dynamite Jack, a fun and action-packed movie about the American dream. In it, the protagonist, Antoine Esperandieu, finds himself out of coins in France, so he heads to America to make big bucks like his buddy, Jules. When he arrives, he finds his buddy dead, with his seven widows shedding tears. He sure was quite the playboy.
Unfortunately, he was murdered by the notorious outlaw, Dynamite Jack. Antoine soon gets a job as a tax collector and realizes the townsfolk respect him a little too much. When he tries to find out why, he discovers it’s because he looks exactly like Dynamite Jack, and they think it’s him.
Cleverly Written Dialogue
There are many things to love about Dynamite Jack, but the dialogue is the western flick’s strongest baluster. The most memorable exchange? “He was such a good husband,” one of the widows says as she watches Jules’ grave. “Oh Yes!” the other six widows affirm in a chorus. Away from that, the poise demonstrated by the protagonist is almost Clint Eastwood-like. Even when faced with the most dangerous situations, he never panics. He relaxes and mostly communicates using actions while letting the supporting characters do most of the talking. Stream on YouTube
3 The Salvation (2014)
The quest for peace sometimes ends in more pain. Take Jon (Mads Mikkelsen) from The Salvation, who moves to America to avoid the economic hardships brought about by the Second Schleswig War, aka, the Dano-Prussian War. Shortly after the relocation, his wife and son get murdered by an outlaw, and as expected, he makes the culprit pay. Most revenge-themed movies and shows would be expected to end there, but here, it’s only the beginning. The outlaw’s brother, Delarue (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) — a former Union Soldier and land baron — begins hunting down Jon.
There Will Be Blood… With Way More Action
Cinephiles who need a clear picture of what they’ll be getting when they click the "play" button can think of the movie as something like There Will Be Blood, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, only with way more action. At the heart of the revenge story is a land piracy and capitalism plot. Delarue is shown to be in bed with the executives of an oil company who want to grab all the land. He isn’t just a bloodthirsty villain — he is a businessperson whose body count happens to be as high as his net worth. Stream on Hulu
2 Welcome to Blood City (1977)
The Anglo-Canadian production, Welcome to Blood City, offers something extra by merging science fiction with the Old West. In it, five strangers wake up in a strange town, with no memory of what happened before. They are then informed that they have to play a bloody game in which they will be required to kill 20 town residents, under the deranged Sheriff’s watchful eye, or they will be subjected to slavery for the remainder of their lives.
One of the First Movies About Virtual Reality
Welcome to Blood City might have been intended to be just another fun sci-fi western riding on the success of the Westworld feature film, but it ended up becoming one of the first movies about VR, way before the public had grasped the concept. In the movie’s twist ending, it is revealed that Blood City was a simulation meant as a testing ground for people who would make the toughest law enforcement officers.
Today, its appeal lies in its groundbreaking nature, and its relevance, but those who watched it first must have enjoyed the performance by legendary actor Jack Palance. Having appeared in countless action-packed films before, he shines again here, making fans forget that he is far away from his usual Hollywood playground. Stream on YouTube
1 Eagle’s Wing (1979)
Eagle’s Wing is a British western gem that most genre fans might not have heard of, and that’s because it’s quite a slow burn. It’s more suited for drama lovers, and even though not having plenty of shootouts, it’s a powerful film. There are three plot filaments, one involving a rich widow traveling to her family’s ranch via a stagecoach, another involving Native Americans returning to their village, and another involving two fur traders. At some point, all the subplots converge.
Powerful Performances and Crisp Cinematography
Despite it not being a Hollywood production, Eagle’s Wing has Harvey Keitel and Martin Sheen in lead roles, hence the performances are first-rate. There are several extended scenes with no dialogue at all, and through them, the actor’s skills shine bright. A scene where Sheen’s character trains a horse for several minutes is especially enchanting. Besides that, the cinematography is the kind that fans wish their favorite westerns would have. Images are arranged with Van Gogh-like artistic precision and the color schemes capture every location perfectly. Stream on Tubi
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