5 Westerns That Capture the Essence of the American Wild West

Robert Redford, like Clint Eastwood, just looks supremely rugged and suited to portraying characters of the American west. What the hat-and-poncho, stubble-bearded Eastwood is to the high plains desert, Redford is to the mega-bearded, fur-capped, deep-snow, hunter-trappers of the Colorado Rockies.

Here are five Westerns that capture the essence of the American Wild West of the 1800s—two humorous, two serious, one comedic-dramatic, all top-notch, all good watchin'.

‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’

PG | 1h 50min | Biography, Crime, Drama | 24 September 1969 (USA)

In 1969, this Western won four Oscars, was a massive hit, but got critically trounced. It’s stood the test of time. Why? Four words: Robert Redford, Paul Newman.