Day 4: Western

I had a nice WhatsApp conversation with my daughter S-sh- (I'm using code to protect her privacy).  She is in Colombia studying shamanic use of fire (probably a slight simplification).

I was then going to do my whole blog about her, but decided to keep that for the 12 of June (hopefully I'll still be blogging).

I went to see a new western tonight "Hostiles".  One of these modern slow western where the implacable ennemies (a soldier and an indian chief) ending up understanding each other.  The slowness and the photography of their long trek from New Mexico to Montana is what makes the film.  It's nice to see that my favourite movie genre hasn't quite become part of history yet. Surely, it should be clear to all that westerns have it all:

• stunning photography: they are set in amazing empty landscapes; 
• hightened tension: it's always life and death;
• great music: who can beat Ennio Morriccone 
• ethical dilemas: who is the goody and who is the baddy; 
• philosophical questions: nature versus civilisation; 
• great dialogue:  "I saw three of these dusters a short time ago. They were waiting for a train. Inside the dusters there were three men. Inside the men there were three bullets."  (Bonus points to the first one who can tell me the film)
• romance: ok I'll admit they fall a bit short there.

For those of you who are not yet aficionados, but are keen to fill this aching gap in your lives here is my top ten westerns of all time. Some people may disagree just like some people may vote for Brexit, take hot showers or eat chocolate that is less than 95% ...errare humanun est.

1. Once upon a time in the west - Sergio Leone - 1968
2. Unforgiven - Clint Eastwood - 1992
3. My name is nobody - Tonino Valerii - 1973
4. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - George Roy Hill -1969
5. The magnificent seven - John Sturges - 1960
6. High Noon - Fred Zinnemann - 1952
7. The wild bunch - Sam Peckinpah - 1969
8. The man who shot Liberty Valance - John Ford - 1962
9. Django unchained - Quentin Tarantino - 2012
10. The good, the bad and the ugly - Segio Leone - 1966