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Western’s influence on Hollywood can’t be overstated, a genre that once comprised a quarter of studio output back during its heyday from the ’40s to the mid-60s. While they no longer possess the stranglehold on the medium they once did, Westerns are still alive and kicking, often disguising themselves by mixing with other genres. One of the most prominent additions to this genre in recent years has been Taylor Sheridan’sYellowstone, currently one of the biggest shows out there.
Being an avid enjoyer of the genre since his teenage days, which went on to shape his filmography, it’s unsurprising that one of his biggest inspirations involves Clint Eastwood’s acclaimed classic.
Also read:“This feels like a step backwards”: Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone Might Have Had a Premature Death if HBO’s Deal Wouldn’t Have Fallen Apart
Clint Eastwood’s Most Notable Contribution to Westerns Heavily Influenced Taylor Sheridan
Speaking withVariety, the mastermind behind modern gems such asSicarioandHell or High Water, opened up about his inspirations behind reinventing the Western on the small screen. While writers like Cormac McCarthy, Larry McMurtry, and Toni Morrison, whose works profusely involved the American Frontier, heavily influenced Costner, it wasUnforgiven,which left a huge impact on him. Often considered Hollywood IconClint Eastwood‘s most important contribution to the genre, which set a gold standard for revisionist Westerns, it’s no surprise why Sheridan holdsUnforgivenso high.
“I was very influenced by writers like Cormac McCarthy, Larry McMurtry, and Toni Morrison, who wrote about the time around the Civil War, which is obviously very similar themes. There’s a lot of Westerns about it. And in terms of the movies that influenced me, it was watching ‘Unforgiven’ when I was in my late teens or very early 20s”
But this isn’t the lone film that influenced the writer greatly, as he named another iconic Western, starringYellowstoneStar Kevin Costner, which too had a big influence on him.
Also read:Zoe Saldaña Recalls Gruesome Filming Conditions For ‘Lioness’ Under Machine-Like Director Taylor Sheridan, Claimed Actors “have to keep up”
Dances With WolvesHelped Taylor Sheridan to Look at the Genre With a New Lens
WhileTaylor SheridanandKevin Costnerare set to part ways as Yellowstone approaches its final stretch next year, Sheridan still holds Costner the actor on a very high pedestal. And per the Sicario writer, it was Costner’s Dances With Wolves that helped him to see Westerns through a new lens, which wasn’t explored before. He said,
“The same with ‘Dances With Wolves,’ where you’re looking at the Western genre through a whole new lens that had never been explored before.”
Also read:“It’s in my blood”: Yellowstone Invited Native-American Wrath after Kelsey Asbille’s Ill-Timed Confession
BothUnforgivenandDances With Wolves‘ contribution to Westerns can’t be overstated, more prominentlyUnforgiven‘s creator Clint Eastwood, whose works also inspired the great Martin Scorsese.
UnforgivenandDances With Wolvesare available for rent on Apple TV.
Santanu Roy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2539
Santanu Roy is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 2,000 articles under his belt. He has been pursuing a degree in Animation and possesses a deep love for the medium of animation. Having spent the better part of the last two years pumping out articles for FW, Santanu excels at covering movie analysis and news surrounding Pixar, DCU, DreamWorks, and Batman’s cinematic legacy.With psychological thrillers and intimate slice-of-life dramas ranking among his favorite genres, Santanu is a big admirer of Luca Guadagnino, Shane Black, Park Chan-wook, and Brad Bird.
