One of the pioneering figures of the New Hollywood era and the most commercially successful filmmaker in history,Steven Spielberghas made many critically acclaimed, genre-defining films throughout his long career. One genre he has yet to give his magic touch, however, is the Western genre. Interestingly, aside from producing a Western miniseries for TNT entitledInto the West, the self-proclaimed lover of Western films has never climbed into the director’s saddle for one of his own.
With his recent hitsWest Side StoryandThe Fabelmanscrossing two types of movies off his filmmaking bucket list – those types being musical and deeply personal autobiography, respectively – the time has come for Spielberg to take a crack at the Western genre. It would only be right for one of (if notthe) most iconic filmmakers of the West to tacklethemost western of western film genres. Taking it a step further, Spielberg, with his great ability to craft big stories with massive scopes, should make anepicWestern film. Here’s why Spielberg needs to direct an epic Western in the grand tradition ofThe SearchersandHow the West Was Won.
He Loves Westerns
Spielberg has a well-documented love for the Western film genre, his obsession with the genre even inspiring one of his first ever shorts: the 1958 8mm filmThe Last Gunfight, which earned him a photography merit badge in the Boy Scouts.According to No Film School, one of Spielberg’s all-time favorite films is John Ford’s epic westernThe Searchers. The reverence that Spielberg has for both that movie and its director is clear, especially given the momentous meeting with John Ford depicted inThe Fabelmans.In fact,according to The Take, Spielberg is known for watchingThe Searchers“every time he’s getting ready to make a new film.” With the John Wayne-starring classic continuing to captivate and inspire Spielberg, perhaps it is only a matter of time until it prompts him to direct something similar.
Related:These Are Some of Steven Spielberg’s Favorite Movies of All Time
It’s One of a Few Genres He Hasn’t Yet Tapped Into
Time and time again, Spielberg has proved to be a highly versatile filmmaker.He’s tapped into many genres, including action, adventure, romance, and science fiction. While nearly all of his films, regardless of their genre, have most likely benefited from his love of Westerns, it’s high time that he tackled the genre head-on. Though the filmmaker did have a hand in producing the Western miniseriesInto the Westfor TNT, he didn’t direct any of it, and thus it lacked his signature style, which is so befitting of the Western genre. The high adventure ofIndiana Jones, the romance ofAlways, and the period settings ofEmpire of the SunandWar Horseall exemplify the director’s predilection for the elements that make up a good Western. Combining the elements and working off a solid gun-slinging script, Spielberg could easily make one of the most memorable Westerns of the 21st century.
Related:The Best Performances in Steven Spielberg’s Movies, Ranked
The Western Revival Is in Full Swing
As with all film genres, there is an ebb and flow to the Western’s popularity as time goes on. The Western genre’s popularity was at an all-time high in the late ‘50s and on through to the early ‘70s, but it died out by the time the ‘80s rolled around. In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, a small revival of the genre occurred before it quickly fell off again in the 2000s. Since the 2010s, however, the Western genre has been experiencinga huge mainstream revival, with many critically acclaimed and highly popular additions to the genre being released in the last decade. Given the sudden surge in interest in the Western genre, the timing could not be more choice for Spielberg to announce his involvement in a Western film.According to Screen Rant, Spielberg has been developing a number of Western scripts for years now, though he hasn’t settled on one that he’s ready to move forward with.
He’s Done Historical Epics Before, and It’s Time to Go West
Many of the highlights of Spielberg’s incredible career have been historical epics. One ofSpielberg’s best ever filmsis the war epicSaving Private Ryan, which shows that the director is more than capable of telling big stories about comradery and honor – two themes often explored by the Western genre – and can do so in a historical setting. Additionally, with his Oscar-winning filmSchindler’s Listbeing heralded as one of thegreatest historical dramas ever made, it is clear that Spielberg has both a love and a knack for historical filmmaking. This, combined with his flair for adventure stories and portraits of larger-than-life characters such as Indiana Jones, makes the prospect of Spielberg directing an epic Western very enticing. Hopefully one day soon the legendary director will dazzle us with a Western of epic proportions and Spielbergian charm. In the immortal words of Ethan Edwards fromThe Searchers, “that’ll be the day!”
