One of the most classic forms of storytelling is the Western — typically defined as the genre set in the American Frontier, with the aesthetic background of barren deserts, tall mountains, cacti, horses, and the clink of spurs. Remove the atmosphere of a western, and they all similarly follow a pattern in which a new and mysterious character arrives in a town and shakes up the status quo. Westerns are everywhere, not just in the gun-slinging period pieces, and that means there have been many stories that have graced the screen over the years of moving pictures. This genre has harbored and grown many famous actors that we know and love. Most notably, names likeactor/director Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Gary Cooper, and so many more.
Over the years, westerns have been a staple at theOscars, gaining nomination after nomination in multiple categories. According to IMDb, there have been 129 Westerns nominated for Best Picture over the years. Even at the most recent ceremony, earlier this year, Jane Campion’sThePower of the Dogwas nominated for Best Picture, and Campion took home theOscar for Best Director. So, over the years what other westerns have been nominated? Here is a list of some.
1High Noon (1952)
Set in 1898 in New Mexico, the beloved western,High Noon,centers around Marshal Will Kane and his new wife, Amy Fowler, as they journey to their new home. The only problem is that Miller, a man Kane sent to prison has just been released, and awaits their inbound train at noon. This film gained seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and ended the night winning four of them: Best Actor (for Gary Cooper), Best Editing, Best Score, and Best Song.
Related:The Best Performances in Westerns, Ranked
2Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidis a tale of two best friends: Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) who is the savvy leader of gang, and the dead-shot Sundance Kid (Robert Redford). They are the gun-toting, outlaws of the wild, wild west, and intend to keep it that way. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and took home four of those as wins in Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Song, and Best Score.
3Dances With Wolves (1990)
Kevin Costner’s directorial debut,Dances With Wolvesfollows a young Union Army lieutenant and his quest to discover where he comes from, and how to bring two opposing sides to peace. Set in the hills of the west, and bringing the Native American Sioux tribe to life on-screen, it is a dearly beloved movie in the film community.Dances With Wolveswas nominated in 12 different categories at the Academy Awards, and won the Oscar in seven of those, including Best Picture.
4Unforgiven (1992)
Western icon Clint Eastwood stars and directs this classic.Unforgivenfollows a retired gunslinger as he takes one last job with his old partner. With a stunning 96% onRotten tomatoes, this western is one of the best. Nominated for nine Academy Awards, with four Oscar wins, including Best Picture and Best Director, it remains one of the most celebrated Westerns of modern times.
5True Grit (2010)
Directed by the Coen brothers, the 2010 filmTrue Gritwas a smash hit when it came out. Starring Jeff Bridges andHailee Steinfeld in her breakoutrole, with Matt Damon and Josh Brolin as supporting roles, the story follows Mattie Ross, a 14-year-old girl (Steinfeld) who hires a lawman named Cogburn (Bridges) to go after the outlaw who killed her father.True Gritwas nominated for 10 Academy Awards, but did not take home any Oscar wins.
Related:Best Neo Western Movies, Ranked
6Django Unchained
Jamie Foxx (Ray), Samuel L. Jackson (The Avengers), and Leonardo DiCaprio(Inception) star in the Quentin Tarantino spaghetti westernDjango Unchained. It follows the story of Django, a once enslaved man who trains with a German bounty hunter to gain skills to help him reunite with his wife.Django Unchainedwas nominated for five Academy Awards, and took home two Oscars for both Best Supporting Actor (for Christoph Waltz) andBest Screenplay (for Tarantino).
7The Power of the Dog
The only Western on this list directed by a woman,The Power of the Dogwas Jane Campion’s 2021 hit that explored the psychology of its character against the archetypal backdrop of the genre. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee,The Power of the Dogtraced the drama that unfolded on a family-owned ranch when George (Plemons) marries Rose (Dunst) and moves both her and her son Peter (Smit-McPhee) to live with him and his domineering brother Phil (Cumberbatch). Nominated for 11 Oscars, including Best Picture and acting nods for its cast, the film ultimately only walked away with Best Director (for Campion).
8No Country for Old Men
The Coen Brothers classicNo Country for Old Menis a modern spin on the Western genre. Set in recent times, the filmfollows a hunter who accidently gets mixed up in a drug trade, and the trickle of events that ensue are those born from chaos and bloodshed. Nominated for eight Academy Awards, this Western won the Oscar for four of them, including Best Supporting Actor for Javier Bardem and, of course, Best Picture.
