Never again westerns. That could have been the attitude of many Hollywood producers in the 80s. Anyone who had any status and name avoided the genre at that time. Because a megalomaniacal director had burned it for years with an unbelievable mega-flop. At least until Clint Eastwood came along with the revenge epic Pale Rider proved that there was still an audience for Colts and cowboy hats.
Why was the Western dead in the 1980s?
The American Western reached its peak in the 1940s and 1950s with works like Red River: films in which the myth of the Old West and white society remained untouched. But with the Vietnam War and the counterculture of the 60s, the genre had to constantly reinvent itself in order to remain successful.
This also explains the international success of cynical Spaghetti Westerns such as Two Glorious Scoundrels or the production of subversive “anti-Westerns” such as McCabe & Mrs. Miller. Ultimately, the time-honored genre was also taken up by the young filmmakers of New Hollywood, to whom the studios gave virtually every freedom after mega-hits like French Connection, The Godfather or Jaws. The Western Heaven’s Gate – The gate to heaven should end all of this forever.
The gigantic western project by acclaimed newcomer Michael Cimino (The Ones Who Go Through Hell) was bursting at the seams from the start. The director left an old train transport across the country for $150,000, Built an entire western town and a camp for the shoot where 1,200 extras learned to ride. According to a BBC report, he sometimes forbade breaks and put his actors in danger through lax security precautions.
The critics have already sharpened their knives on reports of such megalomania. When Cimino’s film was finally released, it had consumed four times its original budget and was 220 minutes long. The Reactions were so damning and the costs so high that many blame the film for the demise of its studio, United Artists.
Clint Eastwood saved the western with Pale Rider
After the disaster, Western investors and producers were seen as a red flag in Hollywood. The genre was also missing one of its biggest stars, Clint Eastwood: after The Texan in 1976 turned his back on serious western material and turned to action films like The Man Who Never Gives Up or Firefox. But he apparently missed his cowboy hat. And the fans him.
In 1985 he brought Pale Rider to the cinema: the story of a nameless man who dresses like a preacher and supports settlers against a brutal mining baron. A classic western story with mystical elements, tough shootouts and Eastwood in his old role. The audience loved it. According to Screen Rant, it made Pale Rider the most successful western of the ’80s.
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It was more than just a brief ray of hope for the genre: The success showed backers that they could still count on the Western. Without Pale Rider, Dances With Wolves might never have existed, which sparked a revival of the genre in the ’90s.
But Eastwood himself must have felt that the Western’s former heights would never be reached again. In 1992 he finally said goodbye to the genre that had accompanied him for over 30 years. And with Merciless, he formulated an epilogue with such impact that no one has really been able to add anything to it for 32 years.
Where to stream Pale Rider?
If you’re interested in watching Pale Rider now, you can stream the film with a subscription on Apple TV+ or Maxdome. There is a version available to buy or rent on Amazon.