Throughout the history of American cinema, historical accuracy has certainly not been one of Hollywood’s strong points. Most Hollywood films distort the truth, using their right to artistic license to add drama to their stories. High-profile films such as JFK, ArgoAnd Selma have generated significant controversy due to their deviations from historical facts.
The Western, a genre whose foundations lie in Wild West mythology, is one of the most historically inaccurate Hollywood genres. Although no film will ever be one hundred percent historically accurate, some westerns have attempted to be more faithful to reality than others. Westerns like The covered wagon And The great path opted for realistic approaches in their depictions of westward expansion. The assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford And Flower Moon Killers have done their best to correctly depict real historical events. John Ford’s westerns Fort Apache And The man who killed Liberty Valance This is perhaps the best way to approach the relationship between cinema and historical accuracy, as both works examine the subjective nature of history.
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13 Cimarron was the first western to win the Academy Award for Best Picture (1931)
Cimarron
A newspaper editor moves to a boom town in Oklahoma with his reluctant wife in the late 19th century.
- Director
- Wesley Ruggles
- Release date
- February 9, 1931
- Cast
- Richard Dix, Irene Dunne, Estelle Taylor, Nance O’Neil
- Writers
- Edna Ferber, Howard Estabrook, Louis Sarecky
- Runtime
- 123 minutes
RKO’s most expensive film to date, Cimarron was an unprecedented epic western that helped elevate the genre to new heights. Directed by Wesley Ruggles, Cimarron stars Richard Dix and Irene Dunne as a married couple who moved West during the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. The film follows 40 years of their lives, from 1889 to 1929, as they manage the end of the Wild West and the birth of industrialization.
RKO Members Cimarron’s huge budget to accurately recreate life in a boom town in Oklahoma. More than 5,000 extras appeared in the film. For Cimarron’s main setting, a fictionalized version of Osage Town, RKO built one of the greatest western cities in cinema. One of Cimarron’s the defining aspects are its depiction of the late 1800s and early 1900s. This is a rare film that depicts the rapid change that the United States experienced economically and culturally during this era.
12 Wagon Master is an underrated masterpiece by John Ford (1950)
This film depicts a group of Mormon settlers traveling to Utah. Led by two horse traders, the settlers face many challenges, including difficult terrain, weather conditions, and clashes with outlaws and Native American tribes.
- Director
- John Ford
- Release date
- April 22, 1950
- Cast
- Ben Johnson, Joanne Dru, Harry Carey, jr. , Ward Bond, Charles Kemper, Alan Mowbray, Jane Darwell, Ruth Clifford
- Writers
- John Ford, Patrick Ford, Frank S. Nugent
- Runtime
- 86 minutes
John Ford films like Diligence, My Darling ClementineAnd The researchers consistently ranks among the greatest films of all time. However, an often overlooked masterpiece in Ford’s filmography is Chariot Master. The film centers on two horse traders who guide a Mormon wagon train through the Utah Territory. Along the way, the wagon train encounters outlaws, Indians, and geographic challenges.
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The Hole in the Rock expedition, in which Mormon settlers established a colony in southeastern Utah, inspired Wagon Master narrative. Even though the characters in the film are fictional, Ford gave Chariot Master a loose narrative that more faithfully reflects the ebbs and flows of life rather than the contrived nature of a three-act structure. Westerns are known for their violence, especially the final shootout. Ford deconstructs this Western cliché by depicting violence as something the characters want to avoid. When the protagonists are forced to defend themselves, they feel angry because the violence is taking place. Chariot Master is one of Ford’s most accurate depictions of its trademark theme, the birth of community and civilization.
11 The Covered Wagon is one of the first Western epics (1923)
Based on the novel of the same name by Emerson Hough, The covered wagon was one of Hollywood’s first Western epics. Directed by James Cruze, The covered wagon tells the story of two wagon caravans that combine for a westward journey from Kansas to Oregon. Desert heat, mountain snow, hunger, Indian attacks and a love triangle complicate the journey West.
A new production for the western genre, The covered wagon used thousands of extras and animals to accurately depict what it was like for settlers moving West during the 1800s. The costume department meticulously researched the settlers’ clothing to ensure a selection of guard- historically accurate dress for actors. The production team also collected authentic wagons, rather than using replicas, that real settlers had used on their journeys West.
10 The Iron Horse shows the construction of the transcontinental railroad (1924)
The iron horse
After witnessing his father’s murder by a renegade as a child, an adult Brandon helps realize his father’s dream of a transcontinental railroad.
- Director
- John Ford
- Release date
- August 28, 1924
- Cast
- Charles Edward Bull, Madge Bellamy, George O’Brien
- Runtime
- 2 hours 30 minutes
Fox Film Corporation’s response to The covered wagonthat of John Ford The iron horse was Ford’s first major film. The iron horse stars George O’Brien as Dave Brandon, who as a young boy witnesses his father’s murder. As an adult, Brandon attempts to fulfill his father’s dream of building the first transcontinental railroad in the United States.
Similar to The covered wagon, The iron horse was a mammoth production that required the use of over 6,000 extras. Although the story is a work of fiction, Ford has gone to great lengths to ensure period authenticity. Rather than shoot in a studio, Ford built an entire town in the Sierra Nevada. Ford also had exact replicas of the locomotives used in the construction of the transcontinental railroad made. Adding another layer of authenticity, some of the film’s extras were actual railroad workers.
9 The Great Trail was one of cinema’s first big screen films (1930)
The great path
Breck Coleman leads hundreds of settlers in covered wagons from the Mississippi River to their destination in the West.
- Director
- Raoul Walsh, Louis R. Loeffler
- Release date
- November 1, 1930
- Cast
- John Wayne, Marguerite Churchill, El Brendel, Tully Marshall, Tyrone Power Sr., David Rollins, Frederick Burton, Ian Keith
- Writers
- Hal G. Evarts, Marie Boyle, Jack Peabody, Florence Postal, Raoul Walsh
- Runtime
- 125 minutes
- Character(s)
- Breck Coleman, Ruth Cameron, Gus, Zeke, Red Flack, Dave Cameron, Pa Bascom, Bill Thorpe, Lopez, Gus’ Stepmother, Wagon Train Man (uncredited), Indian (uncredited), Pioneer (uncredited) -credited), Wrangler (uncredited), Marshal (uncredited), Mrs Riggs (uncredited), Pioneer Girl (uncredited), Boat Captain Hollister (uncredited), Mildred Riggs (uncredited)
Shot on 70mm Film Size, Raoul Walsh’s The great path was one of cinema’s first big screen films. Starring John Wayne in his first starring role, The great path focuses on the journey of hundreds of settlers who traveled from the Mississippi River to Oregon. Wayne plays Breck Coleman, who along the way competes to win the affections of Ruth Cameron, while plotting revenge on the men who previously murdered his friend.
Walsh took an obsessive approach to maintaining historical accuracy while creating The great path. The film employed 293 principal actors, 20,000 extras, 1,800 cattle, 1,400 horses, 500 buffalo, 725 Native American extras, and 185 wagons. While almost all westerns show horse-drawn wagons, The great path chose to have carts pulled by oxen, which was more historically accurate. The great path also described how settlers used rope to lower their wagons down dangerous mountain sides.
8 Michael Mann brings his propensity for realism to the western genre with The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
The Last of the Mohicans
Three trappers protect the daughters of a British colonel in the middle of the French and Indian War.
- Director
- Michael Mann
- Release date
- September 25, 1992
- Cast
- Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Russell Means, Eric Schweig, Jodhi May, Steven Waddington
- Writers
- James Fenimore Cooper, John L. Balderston, Paul Perez, Michael Mann, Christopher Crowe
- Runtime
- 1 hour 52 minutes
- Production company
- Morgan Creek Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox
Filmmaker Michael Mann is well known for his propensity for realism in his work. Notable examples throughout his career include the use of real equipment for heist scenes in Thief and using live gunfire sound effects for the famous shootout of Heat. In 1992, Mann brought his realistic approach to the western genre with The Last of the Mohicansa film based on James Fenimore Cooper’s 1826 novel of the same name. The Last of the Mohicans follows three Mohican trappers who agree to protect the daughters of a British colonel during the French and Indian War.
Joyce Appleby, professor of American history at UCLA, noted that although The Last of the Mohicans has its fair share of inaccuracies, overall the film does an impressive job of recreating 18th century America. Appleby pointed out The Last of the Mohicans the costumes, sets and use of French and Indian languages are some of the highlights of the film. Although he called the film’s romantic plot far-fetched, Appleby said The Last of the Mohicans came closer to “achieving verisimilitude” with American colonial history than any previous Hollywood generation.
7 The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is the most accurate Western about Jesse James (2007)
The assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford
Western folk heroes such as Jesse James, Billy the Kid, and Wyatt Earp are staple figures in Western pop culture whose real-life stories have become more mythology than fact. Jesse James alone has been the subject of more than two dozen Western films, most of which make little effort to accurately depict his life. Andrew Dominique The assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford is considered by many to be the most historically accurate depiction of the life of Jesse James.
Many critics have praised The assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford for remaining faithful to its source material, Ron Hansen’s 1983 book of the same name. Hansen’s book earned its positive reputation in part through his meticulous research into one of America’s most famous outlaws. Western history. The assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford the production design, costumes and set were also praised for their historical accuracy.
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6 Bad Company is one of the greatest acid westerns (1972)
- Director
- Robert Benton
- Release date
- October 8, 1972
- Cast
- Jeff Bridges, Barry Brown, David Huddleston, Jerry Houser, Geoffrey Lewis, Ed Lauter, John Savage, Jim Davis, Damon Douglas, Joshua Hill Lewis, John Quade, Jean Allison, Ned Wertimer, Raymond Guth, Monika Henreid
- Writers
- Robert Benton, David Newman
- Runtime
- 93 minutes
- Character(s)
- Jake Rumsey, Drew Dixon, Big Joe, Arthur Simms, Hobbs, Orin, Loney, Marshal, Jim Bob Logan, Boog Bookin, Nolan, Mrs. Dixon, Mr. Dixon, Jackson, Min
Often overlooked Western, that of Robert Benton Bad company is one of the great acid westerns of all time in cinema. Barry Brown stars in Bad company as Drew Dixon, an honest young man whose religious family sends him West to avoid fighting in the American Civil War. Dixon eventually finds himself involved with a group of young drifters, led by Jake Rumsey, played by Jeff Bridges.
Bad company took a revisionist approach to the Western genre by exposing the flaws in the romantic mythology of the West. The film focuses on the horrors of war and deconstructs notions about the outlaw lifestyle. Many critics praise Bad company for its authentic acting, sound design, cinematography, production design and dialogue. Rotten Tomatoes’ critical consensus for the film states: “Well-acted and enjoyably realistic, Bad company is one of the most authentic Westerns of its era – and an auspicious debut for director Robert Benton. »
5 McCabe and Mrs. Miller are Cinema’s Ultimate Anti-Western (1971)
McCabe and Mrs. Miller
A gambler and a prostitute become business partners in a remote Old West mining town, and their business prospers until a big corporation arrives on the scene.
- Director
- Robert Altman
- Release date
- July 8, 1971
- Cast
- Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, René Auberjonois, William Devane
- Writers
- Edmund Naughton, Robert Altman, Brian McKay, Robert Towne, Joseph Calvelli
- Runtime
- 120 minutes
Frequently described as anti-Western by its director Robert Altman, McCabe and Mrs. Miller is a historical revisionist western and one of the greatest westerns of the New Hollywood movement. The film stars Warren Beatty and Julie Christie as a gambler and a prostitute who become business partners in a remote mining town. Their business prospers until a big company comes into the picture.
McCabe and Mrs. Miller challenges many conventions of the Western genre, giving the film a more realistic approach to the Western genre compared to the contrived dramas of most Westerns. Aspects of McCabe and Mrs. Miller which add to the film’s authenticity include its depiction of a city being built over time, the use of a real steam engine, its realistic weather, and Altman’s characteristic layered dialogue. Slant Magazine Ed Gonzalez wrote of the film: “If it’s not the greatest western ever made, McCabe and Mrs. Miller might be the most authentic depiction of wildlife ever put on screen. »
4 The Rider is neorealism at its best (2017)
After suffering a near-fatal head injury, a young cowboy begins a search for a new identity and what it means to be a man in America’s heartland.
- Director
- Chloe Zhao
- Release date
- April 13, 2018
- Cast
- Brady Jandreau, Tim Jandreau, Lilly Jandreau, Cat Clifford, Terri Dawn Pourier, Lane Scott, Tanner Langdeau, James Calhoon, Derrick Janis, Greg Barber, Steven DeWolfe, Leroy Pourier, Frank Steele, Allen Reddy, Jordon Slick Phelps, Donnie Whirlwind Horse , Marshall Byrne
- Writers
- Chloe Zhao
- Runtime
- 103 minutes
- Characters by
- Producer
- Production company
- Character(s)
- Brady Blackburn, Wayne Blackburn, Lilly Blackburn, Cat Clifford, Terri Dawn Pourier, Lane Scott, Tanner Langdeau, James Calhoon, Victor Chasing Hawk, bar owner, Fourth Rodeo Cowboy, Frank, Miles, Bill, Rodeo Cowboy #2, Rodeo Cowboy #3, owner of bar no.2
Chloé Zhao’s The rider is a modern example of neorealism at its best. A contemporary western, The rider tells the story of Brady, a promising rodeo star whose career is cut short by brain damage suffered in an accident. Struggling to come to terms with his life-altering accident, Brady must search for a new identity while trying to discover what it means to be a man in the modern American West.
One of the most authentic contemporary westerns in cinema, The rider features a cast of non-professional actors who all play versions of themselves. Watching Brady Jandreau act as a version of himself makes the film’s theme of masculine identity even more realistic and powerful. Kate Erbland of IndieWire wrote about The rider“Using a cast of non-actors – most of whom are tasked with playing versions of themselves, in a story drawn from their lives – Zhao’s film draws its power from the truth that motivates and inspires it, and the end result is a very unique slice-of-life drama.”
3 Killers of the Flower Moon tells the story of the Osage Indian murders (2023)
When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma, on the lands of the Osage Nation, Osage residents are murdered one by one – until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.
- Release date
- October 20, 2023
- Runtime
- 3 hours 26 minutes
- Production company
- Apple Studios, Imperative Entertainment, Sikelia Productions, Appian Way
An epic Western crime drama from Martin Scorsese Flower Moon Killers tells the dark story of the murders of the Osage Indians. Based on the nonfiction book of the same name by David Grann, Flower Moon Killers stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro as Ernest Burkart and William Hale, two men who conspire to murder members of the Osage Nation once oil is discovered on their land.
For his book Flower Moon KillersGrann extracted information from more than 3,000 documents he found at the National Archives Museum in Fort Worth. Scorsese’s film does its best to be as accurate as possible in honoring all the lives lost to the heinous systemic crimes committed against the Osage Nation. Even Killers of the Flower Moon The radio show’s inventive conclusion was inspired by actual radio dramatizations of the Osage Indian murders that were broadcast in 1932 and 1935. Killers of the Flower Moon such a brilliant ending is how it recognizes the limitations of cinema in capturing truth and historical accuracy.
2 Fort Apache Challenges Historical Accuracy of American Heroes (1948)
At Fort Apache, an honorable, veteran war captain finds himself in conflict when his regime is placed under the command of a young, glory-hungry lieutenant colonel with no respect for the local Indian tribe.
- Director
- John Ford
- Release date
- March 27, 1948
- Cast
- John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple, John Agar, Ward Bond, Irene Rich, Anna Lee, George O’Brien
- Writers
- Frank S. Nugent
- Runtime
- 125 minutes
- Budget
- $2.1 million
- Studio(s)
- Photos of Argosy
- Distributor(s)
- RKO Radio Photos
The first film in John Ford’s “Cavalry Trilogy”. Fort Apache stars John Wayne as an honorable veteran of the American Civil War who finds his regime placed under the command of a glory-hungry lieutenant colonel, played by Henry Fonda. Having no respect for the local Indian tribe, Fonda’s Owen Thursday selfishly leads his men into a battle that will result in their demise.
Fort Apache is one of the most historically accurate cinematic Westerns, as the film understands the distorted nature of history. The film, partially inspired by George Custer Armstrong, examines the biased nature of history and how, over time, truth becomes distorted in favor of mythology. Owen Thursday, despite causing countless unnecessary deaths, is celebrated as a great war hero. Fort Apache The relevance has only grown over time, as in recent years the legacies of many of history’s heroes have been called into question.
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1 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance explores the relationship between fact and legend (1962)
A senator returns to a Western city for the funeral of an old friend and tells the story of his origins.
- Director
- John Ford
- Release date
- April 22, 1962
- Cast
- James Stewart, John Wayne, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin, Edmond O’Brien, Andy Devine, Ken Murray, John Carradine
- Writers
- James Warner Bellah, Willis Goldbeck, Dorothy M. Johnson
- Runtime
- 123 minutes
John Ford’s last Western masterpiece, The man who killed Liberty Valance stars James Stewart as Ransom Stoddard, a senator who returns to a Western city for the funeral of an old friend. He then tells the story of his friend, Tom Doniphon, played by John Wayne, who saved Stoddard’s life from the notorious outlaw Liberty Valance. Doniphon and Stoddard attempt to rid the city of Valance and bring civilization to the West.
The man who killed Liberty Valance accurately describes how politics, education, law, community, and a free press all contributed to the taming of the Wild West, leading to the birth of modern civilization. The film also explores the relationship between fact and legend, and how the idea of objective historical accuracy is a fallacy. The man who killed Liberty Valance The most famous quote sums up the film’s central theme in a few words: “This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”