Netflix produced one of the bestwesternfilms of the modern era, but it didn’t get the attention that it deserved when it debuted. The western was one of the most popular genres as soon as narrative filmmaking arrived at the beginning of the 20th century, and it continued to produce blockbusters for decades. With its sweeping grandeur and idealized view of the American West, the genre deftly blends action and drama in a mixture that is the pure essence of cinema. Sights, sounds, and emotions collide to make westerns the definition of the moviegoing experience.
Westerns began to fall out of favor in the 1970s, and the outings from that decade were particularly critical of the politics of the genre itself.The best westerns from the ‘70store down the illusions of the idealized West, in favor of a more realistic and violent depiction of American westward expansion. The 1990s would see an uptick in more conventional westerns, but the genre has yet to find its footing in the new millennium. Occasionally, a western will perform well with modern audiences, but Netflix’s addition to the genre went criminally underseen at the beginning of the 2020s.
The Harder They Fall Has Everything You Could Want In A Western
The Netflix Original Is A Textbook Example Of A Great Western
Though many movies have sought to stretch the definition of a western to its absolute breaking point, 2021’sThe Harder They Falladds something new without taking away the best aspects of the genre. The story concerns an outlaw named Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) who is given a chance at revenge against the dastardly Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) who killed his parents when he was a boy. What follows is a wild ride featuring a host of classic western tropes but with an anachronistic tone. The film features an almost all-Black cast, and a soundtrack by modern artists.
Edi Gathegi
Bill Pickett
Despite its anachronistic approach,the movie is jam-packed with exciting western action that follows in the footsteps of older films. It also features a wide array of ensemble cast members who each bring their own unique takes to the genre. The story ofThe Harder They Fallis loosely based on real-lifefigures, and ithonors the legacy of Black cowboys and outlaws from American historywho are often overlooked by more conventional westerns. Its simple revenge plot is merely the backdrop for those characters to perform against, and it’s as character-driven as it is plot-motivated.
The Harder They Fallis a feast for the eyes, and it draws from classic western visuals for some inspiration, while also utilizing more modern film imagery
This combination of well-worn western concepts and historical Black culture is the movie’s strongest aspect, but it succeeds at every level of technical execution as well.The Harder They Fallis a feast for the eyes, and it draws from classic western visuals for some inspiration, while also utilizing more modern film imagery, especially in more dramatic scenes.
There Are So Many Homages To Classic Westerns In The Harder They Fall
The Harder They Fall Is Original But It Pays Homage To Western History
Perhaps one of the reasons thatThe Harder They Falldidn’t do very well was that it was perceived as being too different from the established norm to appeal to conventional western fans. However, this idea couldn’t be further from the truth. When looking past its anachronistic elements and stylized execution,The Harder They Fallis still a love letter to many of the great movies that came before. The most obvious reference is to Sergio Leone’sThe Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, a film that arguably changed westerns more than any other.
The Good, The Bad, and The Uglyis the third in a trilogy of films starring Eastwood and directed by Leone.
Like in the classic spaghetti western,The Harder They Fallfeatures an iconic final shot in which the heroes ride off into the distance. Though that ending may be as cliché as many other tropes in the western genre, its inclusion inThe Harder They Fallis a direct nod to the Clint Eastwood hit. The title of the film itself is also likely a reference to the 1972 film,The Harder They Come, which is something of a neo-western mixed with conventional crime elements.
Netflix’s bombastic original film deserves more esteem for keeping the genre alive.
Regardless of the film’s direct influences,The Harder They Fallis more of a classic western than it isn’t, and it has enough to appeal to the hardcore fans of the genre. Outlaws and criminal gangs, deadly shootouts and classic lawmen are just some of the elements that the movie uses to perfection, and it outshines many other modern examples of the western. With westerns struggling as the years wear on, Netflix’s bombastic original film deserves more esteem for keeping the genre alive.
