The Western genre has long been iconic, giving audiences classics like Rio Bravo, Stagecoach, and A Fistful of Dollars, building up their impression of the American frontier. Having been defined by creators like Sergio Leone and John Ford, the genre never ceases to intrigue viewers with its exploration of the human spirit. At its most ambitious, the genre embraces the epic side of the West, telling stories across the vast expanse of the frontier.
Epic Westerns have always been tough to pull off, requiring ensemble casts, long run times, and huge sets to really do justice to the frontier. Where some of these films follow true stories of real-life outlaws and frontiersmen, others use fiction to explore the themes that made the West so fascinating. Not every film gets it right, but these old-school classics show the epic side of the American West in tales that are pure brilliance.