A Note on Spaghetti Westerns

In the mid sixties, it became popular to shoot westerns in Italy. Filming was much cheaper, and the deserts of Spain resembled the American Southwest. Being shot by Italians, these films were called spaghetti westerns. Spaghetti westerns have some characteristics that are often emulated even outside of their genre. Most spaghetti westerns have a quiet anti-hero, one who is quick on the draw, and a little bit rugged. They typically lack a well done dialogue, opting for silence from the characters to be filled with what is usually a provacative score, exemplified best by the music of Ennio Morricone. There are usually sun drenched shots and gritty characters. Most spaghetti westerns end in a Mexican standoff, a situation in which three characters simultaneously draw guns on each other, note ending standoff in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. With a lot of action, and paper thin plots, these films became popular as grindhouse films. Quentin Tarantino's most recent film, Inglourious Basterds, was shot to be a spaghetti western set in World War Two. Other directors such as Robert Rodriguez, and Takashi Miike have also been influenced by spaghetti westerns. The wonderful cinematography, and famous standoffs are enough to make anyone a fan of these fantastic films.