I hate John Wayne. As much as I love the genre itself. His movies are so old-fashioned. Being heroic, killing Indians and getting the blonde heroine. I'm with the Indians.
Not to mention he's fat like a tenor.
I like when a western is dirty, bloody and disillusioned. Wild Bunch is a perfect example. One of my all-time-favourites. That walk and the Bloody Porch scene is priceless.
Peckinpah knew something.
Pike: "Let's go."
Lyle: "Why not?"
And I like a lot of rare Italian westerns, but also all works of Sergio Leone. That man was a genius. And he knew how to find badass heroes plus fantastic "faces" for the supporting cast.
And I like High Noon and The Magnificent Seven. It's not as great as The Seven Samurai, of course, but it's a good western. And Butch Cassidy is adorable. RIP Paul Newman.