10 Greatest Westerns Of The 21st Century
6. No Country For Old Men
You need only watch No Country for Old Men to understand that the contemporary West has not lost its sense of ‘wildness’. Though the horses may have been replaced by trucks, the landscape of The Coen Brothers’ bleak crime adaptation is no less dangerous than the ranches and saloons of old.
In what was already a banner year for Westerns, No Country for Old Men rose above considerable competition to win four Oscars in 2007, including a Best Supporting Actress gong for Javier Bardem’s portrayal of sadistic hitman Anton Chirgurh.
Although it calls backs to themes touched upon in previous Coen works, No Country For Old Men stands apart from its slightly more humorous brethren. What it lacks in Fargo’s dry humour and pep, though, it makes up for in white knuckle tension and an overwhelming sense of dread.
Many have called it the Coen Brothers best work, and while that’s a point that could be debated until the end of time, it is undoubtedly their most brutal piece of filmmaking.