5 Quentin Tarantino's Favorite Westerns That Secretly Shaped His Movies, Ranked by IMDb
Here are masterpieces that were so good that they influenced Tarantino's works.
Quentin Tarantino is famous not only for his own great movies, but also for his passion for discussing other films. Here you will find the best Western movies according to the master, traces of which can easily be found in Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight.
5. 'Navajo Joe', 1966
IMDb Score: 6.3/10
Navajo Joe is a cult spaghetti western directed by Sergio Corbucci. Burt Reynolds plays a Native American who seeks revenge against the bandits who massacred his tribe.
Corbucci initially wanted Marlon Brando to play the lead role, while Reynolds believed that Sergio Leone would direct.
Quentin Tarantino praised Navajo Joe, including it among his favorite Italian westerns. Tarantino also used Morricone's music from this movie – specifically, the tracks "A Silhouette of Doom" and "The Demise of Barbara/The Return of Joe" – in his own film Kill Bill.
4. 'One-Eyed Jacks', 1961
IMDb Score: 7.1/10
One-Eyed Jacks, Marlon Brando's directorial debut based on the novel The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones by Charles Neider, is also one of Quentin Tarantino's favorite Westerns. Brando replaced Stanley Kubrick as director because they could not agree on how to develop the characters.
In 1880, Rio and Dad rob a bank in Mexico but must escape on one horse. Realizing they can't both escape, Rio sends Dad to find a second horse.
However, Dad runs away with the loot. Rio is sent to prison, where he suffers brutal treatment for five years. Eventually, he escapes and meets Dad again. He's still a dangerous man, but now he's the sheriff of a small town.
3. 'Django', 1966
IMDb Score: 7.2/10
Django is not only the movie that inspired Quentin Tarantino while filming Django Unchained, it is also a recognized classic of cinema and a cult spaghetti western.
The film tells the story of a charismatic gunslinger and Civil War veteran who drags a coffin behind him and helps those in need. Upon arriving in a Texas town, Django finds himself at war with both the American army and Mexican revolutionaries.
Neither side knows that the coffin contains a machine gun, which Django uses to take care of his enemies.
2. 'Rio Bravo', 1959
IMDb Score: 8.0/10
Howard Hawks' Western, which depicts the clash between law enforcement officers and a gang intent on freeing their friend, was made in defiance of Fred Zinnemann's acclaimed High Noon, which focuses on the efforts of a lone man.
Both movies have long since become undisputed classics. However, Rio Bravo has consistently outperformed High Noon in various best-of lists. Among Rio Bravo's fans is Tarantino, who invariably mentions the Western as one of his favorites.
1. 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly', 1966
IMDb Score: 8.8/10
Today, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is considered an absolute masterpiece that changed the history of Westerns, but immediately after its release, it was dismissed as nothing more than a parody of noble stories about the Wild West.
In the movie, everything was excessive: colors, violence, and close-ups. So it's no surprise that The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is one of Quentin Tarantino's most revered Westerns.
