The West is a cardinal point.
West is the cardinal point where the sun usually sets. The term comes from the French ouest which, in turn, derived from the English word west .
The west, which can be named as the west (because of the mention of the sun), is also the place located to the west (another synonym of the term) with respect to another place. For example: “The refuge is three kilometers to the west,” “Our country is located west of Uruguay,” “If we walk west, we will reach the river.”
The area that is located to the west within a nation or a certain territory is known simply as the west: “I am fascinated by movies that take place in the American West,” “The richest neighborhoods are in the west of the city,” “ "I'm going to tour West Africa for the next three months."
The Old West
The notion of West is usually associated with a certain territorial extension of the United States . Named the Old West or Far West , it is the region into which the North American country expanded during the 19th century , conquering territories towards the Pacific Ocean .
The West, in this sense, includes various popular symbols and characters that became part of a film genre , with cowboys, native aboriginal settlers and bandits who lived outside the law . In this way, one can talk about “Western movies” , “Western stories” , etc.: “My aunt is a fan of Western films” , “Yesterday I saw a Western movie in which a sheriff managed to catch dozens of thieves with a single revolver .
The idea of the Old West refers to what was happening in a certain region of the United States during the 19th century.
Some iconic movies
Below we present 3 extremely popular films that belong to this genre :
The diligence
This film was filmed in 1939 and was directed by John Ford . The lead actor was John Wayne and among other performers, Thomas Mitchell also collaborated, who received an Oscar for best supporting actor.
In a town in Arizona they expel two individuals who they consider a bad example for the good governance of the citizens. They are the prostitute Dallas and Dr. Josiah Boone , who has long turned to drink. They will leave the town on a stagecoach bound for Mexico in which a banker, a pregnant woman who is going to meet her husband - captain of the cavalry army - and a couple of other characters are also traveling, forming a diverse and not very homogeneous group. Throughout the trip, a series of events typical of this type of film will take place: chases, shootouts, laughter and romance. A proposal that, without a doubt, represents in itself the archetype of a Western film.
Alone in the face of danger
Another iconic Western film that features the stellar performances of Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly , a couple who have just gotten married and are going to live in the city; For that, he leaves his position as sheriff in the town where he lived. In this context, there is a group of outlaws looking for him to kill him, since he has captured them several times. However, his love of justice prevails over his safety and he finally decides to stay to face his pursuers. This is another film in which there is a little bit of everything: shootings, violence , love, drama and very good music.
The impenetrable face
It was filmed in 1961 and is one of the films in which Marlon Brando demonstrated his skills not only as an actor but also as a director. However, it was the first film he directed and also the only one.
Dad y River (Karl Malden y el mencionado Brando) son dos amigos que van por la vida haciendo fechorías. En uno de sus atracos que no sale como esperaban, Dad consigue escapar pero a River lo arrestan. En lugar de volver a buscar su amigo, Dad se fuga con el dinero. Algo más tarde River se fuga y comienza a buscar a su amigo; su objetivo es vengarse por su betrayal, pero al encontrarle resulta que él es el sheriff de un pueblo y el padre de una preciosa joven de la cual River se enamora. Hay, pues, traición, venganza, peleas y amor. Cabe señalar que fue muy bien recibida por la crítica y que se la considera como una de las movies identitarias del género del Oeste.