I was thinking the other day about the films that influenced this great genre. I was hoping to find how exactly did the american westerns of the 50’s and 60’s influence this genre. I know that Vera Cruz was a big influence in creatingthe anti hero and betrayal aspects. Forty Guns added the excess to the genre. Johnny Guitar also helped with that aspect. Also, The Singer Not the Song was full of excess and one of the first westerns to be filmed in Spain but Raoul Walsh’s The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw has the title of being the first filmed in Spain. And finall,y One Eyed Jacks propboly influenced the italians with it’s portrayal of heroes as anti heroes. Anybody know any other influences? Can you point out what aspects of these films influenced spaghettis?
I dont think any specific films really had anything to do with it in the long run. Im sure each filmmaker had their favorites and used that in their films but in the end I think it was simply the genre as a whole and the mythology of the old west itself.
Certain Italian(euro) filmmakers were fans of westerns and/or interested in the American west(or simply saw a chance for profit) and that inspired them to make westerns. Over time they simply devloped their own style. Just like any genre that as notable elements.
Of course Sergio Leone was a big fan of westerns in general and the mythology of the frontier era.
When the genre really took off Leone himself was probably the main influence to other Italian SW directors.