Western films defined Hollywood in the early 20th century. While the popularity of Westerns waned toward the end of the century, the films are becoming popular again.
The Hollywood Reporter estimates that before 1960, 40 percent of all films were Westerns. Many of these films explored good versus evil storylines, often involving cowboys traveling across dangerous territory while fending off hostile communities. The films Stagecoach, released in 1939, and The Searchers, released in 1956, are two of the most popular Westerns of that period.
The popularity of Westerns fell in the 1970s and 1980s as America came to terms with some of the unsavory elements of its history. The Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War protests turned Americans’ sentiments against traditional Westerns and their one-sided storylines. In addition, the censorial Hays Code ended in 1968, allowing film producers to explore previously prohibited topics. From then, anti-Westerns and revisionist Westerns became popular.
Things changed in the early 1990s with Clint Eastwood’s epic film Unforgiven and Kevin Costner’s Dances with Wolves. The two films revitalized Westerns.
Going into the new century, Hollywood producers began making more Westerns. The Wall Street Journal found that Hollywood released 23 Westerns from 2000 to 2009 and 49 from 2010 to 2019. Many respected directors in Hollywood have directed Westerns, including Quentin Tarantino, Kelly Reichardt, and the Coen brothers. As of 2023, more directors are producing Westerns, and one of the highest-rated television series, Yellowstone, is a Western.
