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The Spaghetti Western

fol. 1r1 min read

A watchlist · 10 films · 19h 9m

The Wild West as Depicted by Europe

A rundown of western titles made by European directors and production studios during the 1960s. Often dubbed "Spaghetti Westerns" for the number of Italian-created features, these titles left an indelible mark on the cinematic tropes of the Western and pop culture more broadly.

Short of time? Watch the 3 marked essential (6h 32m).

  1. Gunfight at Red Sands

    1963 · Directed by Ricardo Blasco · 1h 37m · Romance, Western, Action

    Set in 1861 · Texas, American Frontier · made 102 years later

    3.1/5

  2. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

    1966 · Directed by Sergio Leone · 2h 41m · Western

    Set in 1862 · New Mexico Territory · made 104 years later

    4.5/5

    Essential

  3. The Last Gun

    1964 · Directed by Sergio Bergonzelli · 1h 38m · Western

    Set in 1866 · Arizona Territory · made 98 years later

    1.9/5

  4. Face to Face

    1967 · Directed by Sergio Sollima · 1h 52m · Western

    Set across 1870–1890 · Texas, American Frontier · made 97 years later

    3.8/5

  5. The Implacable Three

    1963 · Directed by Joaquín Romero Marchent · 1h 26m · Mystery, Western

    Set across 1865–1885 · American Frontier · made 98 years later

    2.0/5

  6. For a Few Dollars More

    1965 · Directed by Sergio Leone · 2h 12m · Western

    Set in 1872 · New Mexico Territory · made 93 years later

    4.3/5

    Essential

  7. A Fistful of Dollars

    1964 · Directed by Sergio Leone · 1h 39m · Western

    Set in 1873 · American Frontier · made 91 years later

    4.0/5

    Essential

  8. Once Upon a Time in the West

    1968 · Directed by Sergio Leone · 2h 46m · Drama, Western

    Set across 1870–1890 · American Frontier · made 98 years later

    4.4/5

  9. Apache Gold

    1963 · Directed by Harald Reinl · 1h 41m · Western, Adventure

    Set across 1865–1890 · American Frontier · made 98 years later

    3.5/5

  10. The Pitiless Three

    1964 · Directed by Joaquín Romero Marchent · 1h 37m · Western

    Set across 1880–1890 · American Frontier · made 84 years later

    2.5/5

The Old West has long been the muse of filmmakers from around the world, since before the Wild West even technically ended. Of course, what exactly the "Wild West" is is just as much a cinematic invention as it is historical inspiration. The European productions of the 1960s, often dubbed "Spaghetti Westerns," exemplify this practice historical myth-making with a whole host of genre-defining tropes. Take some time to watch through these cinematic icons and come back to compare just how well their history stacks up to the real story of the West.