Spaghetti Westerns

[GSyren]

Whenever I watch a spaghetti western I get the feeling that it takes place in some mythical location rather than in America. I realize, of course, that they're supposed to take place in America, but there is something about them that just makes it seem that it's someplace else.

Maybe it's the fact that Italian westerns have a special look that few - if any - Hollywood westerns have. Maybe it's the fact that the locations look different. I'm not quite sure.

Anyone else feel like this?

[DSig]

For me it isn't the locations as such but i think it is the 'style' of the filming.  Or so it seems

[Najemikon]

They were all shot in Spain by Italians, so both aspects play a part. David is right about the style; in some ways Sergio Leone epitomised Italian Realism, so they do feel different to Hollywood bred movies, but the locations aren't quite American, which adds to the extraordinary feel. In some ways, Realism is about not trying to hide that it's a movie, so they have that operatic and, as you say, mythical quality.

[GSyren]

They were all shot in Spain by Italians

No, I don't think that's correct. While it's true that some directors, like Leone, liked to shoot in Spain, I'm quite sure that far from all were shot there. I don't have any statistics, but I'm convinced that most of them were in fact shot entirely in Italy.

[Najemikon]

Well yeah, I was wrong to say "all". Italy, Germany even, were used too, but Almeria is generally regarded as the key location for the most famous movies. But either way, it hardly changes the point.

[Achim]

I don't have a broad knowledge of spaghetti westerns, but Leone's films are most certainly among my favorite westerns, if not films.


Germany did a few western in the day, which I believe we're mostly filmed in Yugoslavia. The light-grey rocks and green colors surely gave them a non-America feel as well.

[DJ Doena]

Yes, most of the west-german Westerns (mostly about Winnetou) were shot in former Yugoslavia. But the east-german Westerns (mostly starring Gojko Mitić in different Indian roles) were also shot there.