The Spaghetti Western genre arose in Italy during the 1960s, exploring moral complexities and featuring European directors. The term "Spaghetti Western" stemmed from the fact that most of these low-budget, gritty, and violent Westerns were produced in Italy. Spaghetti Westerns, marked by antiheroes and graphic violence, became a dominant film style in Italy and around the globe, influencing modern filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino. Regarding film, genres don't come much more versatile than the Western . Sure, it's not quite as popular as it once was in its heyday, but the genre has captivated millions of fans with stories of cowboys, outlaws, and all-around renegades trying to survive the American frontier. So much so that most filmgoers and movie fans have heard the phrase "Spaghetti Western" before, even if they don't exactly know what it means. The 1960s saw the rise of what became known as the Spaghetti Western. Carrying on the popularity of the Golden Age that directly preceded it, this new breed of Western was far more interested in exploring the moral complexities of the genre that other filmmakers had glossed over in the past. At the same time, these films were (primarily) made by European (mainly Italian) directors and, as such, had to stand out from the pack to set themselves apart from their American counterparts. What Is the History of the Spaghetti Western? It Arrived at a Time When the Genre Needed it the Most John Wayne in Red River Image via Monterey Productions The first Western shot outside of America in Spain. Often cited as one of the first Spaghetti Westerns A Fistful of Dollars - The Man with No Name stands ready for action in San Miguel. Of course, the Western is an American-made genre. Inspired by stories emerging from the American frontier of the 1800s, it became a wildly popular film genre in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. But by the time the 1960s came around, the genre (inexpensive as it was to make) was relegated to the world of television, where series like Rawhide (starring a young Clint Eastwood) became gigantic hits. Meanwhile, across the pond in Italy, a genre known as Italian Neorealism was taking the film industry by storm. Spearheaded in the 1940s and '50s by acclaimed directors like Federico Fellini and Roberto Rossellini, this genre eventually gave way in popularity to its cinematic opposite, swords-and-sandal epics. Eventually, some of those young Italian filmmakers began experimenting with Westerns next. While the origins of the Spaghetti Western are disputed, people often point to a few specific movies for its genesis. The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw became the first American-British Western shot in Europe, specifically Spain. This marked the beginning of Spain's use as a suitable shooting location to recreate the world of the American frontier. Afterward, European film studios would begin creating their own Westerns. In 1964, Sergio Leone shot and released his breakthrough hit, A Fistful of Dollars , starring Clint Eastwood in the role that would turn him into a household name (ironic, since the character himself was nameless). Even though A Fistful of Dollars technically hit theaters first, Bruno Bozzetto's animated Western parody, West and Soda, was in development for a year before Leone's movie began production. As such, it is sometimes credited as being the first "Spaghetti Western," especially by Bozzetto. No one disputes that it was Leone's film that put the genre of Spaghetti Western on the map and turned it into a wildly viable filmmaking venture. Sooner rather than later, nearly half of every Italian film in production was a Western . Where Did the Term "Spaghetti Western" Come From? It's Surprisingly a Bit of a Misnomer The threeway standoff at the end of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966) Generally speaking, Spaghetti Western refers to the circumstances and location of the genre's filming. In other words, it was coined to refer to the primary creative minds involved with this new subgenre, the many Italian filmmakers who picked up Sergio Leone's stylistic sensibilities and ran with them. Leone's trilogy, comprised of A Fistful of Dollars , For a Few Dollars More , and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly , all became so wildly successful that an unreasonably large percentage of other Italian filmmakers wanted to get in on the action. Throughout the 1960s and well into the 1970s, Spaghetti Westerns, or, as they are otherwise (more respectfully) referred to, "Western All'Italiana" (Italian-Style Western), became the dominant film style of the country. Most of these films were often Italian-made, and since spaghetti was such a well-known worldwide Italian export, the name stuck . But "Spaghetti Westerns weren't always made in Italy. Suggesting as much trivializes other distinct qualities that made this genre so popular and memorable. For instance, Spaghetti Westerns are almost all uniformly shot on a limited budget and feature narrative tropes such as antihero protagonists, wildly treacherous villains, epic deserted landscapes, non-traditional music, and, most significantly, a willingness to get very violent. There's no denying that "Spaghetti Western" sounds better than "Non-Traditional Western" or even "Super-Violent Western." As such, the name became a simple short of hand to refer to this new breed of movie. What Are the Common Traits of a Spaghetti Western?

It Has More to Do With Style Than Shooting Location In its broadest definition, a Spaghetti Western is a low-budget film produced and shot in Europe (typically Italy) and unconstrained by Hollywood's prior moral standards for the genre . Having unshackled themselves from Hollywood's Hays Code regulations, which restricted mature content, these films are far more cynical and violent than their American contemporaries. Whereas a Hollywood Western typically glorified (and romanticized) the Old West, Spaghetti Westerns refused to acquiesce to such ideologies. Instead, they focused on the corruption, violence, and desperation well documented during this era. From a technical perspective, Spaghetti Westerns weren't just cheap and shot locally; they also emulated CinemaScope without using anamorphic lenses. To do so, these movies utilized what's known as the Techniscope technique, which involved shooting with a spherical lens while using a smaller but broader frame within 35mm film strips. The result was an image that generated plenty of film grain, now considered an essential part of the genre's overall aesthetic. In short, the Spaghetti Western was rougher than its American counterpart. It typically followed the story of antiheroes and other dark characters while never shirking from displays of graphic violence. It also seldom pulled punches regarding controversial topics like U.S. colonialism and the Civil War . All the while, the filmmakers behind the camera found innovative and cost-effective ways to make their films stand out just as much as the genre's classics. What is the Legacy of Spaghetti Westerns? Violence, Style, and Influence A popular Spaghetti Western An extremely popular Spaghetti Western William Munney (Clint Eastwood) is glaring into the distance while standing in front of a prairie in Unforgiven. Image via Malpaso Company Uma Thurman as The Bride in Kill Bill is holding a samurai sword in a bloody, yellow outfit. Image via Miramax Today, many Spaghetti Westerns have eclipsed the popularity of the genre that gave birth to them. It can even be argued that today's filmmakers are far more inspired by tropes that started with this version of the genre than the classical form it originated from . When the odd Western finds its way to modern-day theaters, odds are it is far more likely to concern itself with tense, dramatic close-ups of antiheroes wrestling with complex moral themes than focusing on the black-and-white world of good versus evil. Historically speaking, however, the Spaghetti Western fell out of style in the 1970s. By that point, far fewer films were being made, and the ones that were made turned into light-hearted comedies, like They Call Me Trinity and its follow-up, Trinity Is Still My Name . That latter film became the most financially successful Italian Western of all time, suggesting that fans still loved the genre. Still, the overall quality of the films (with so many being made) was slipping precipitously. By the late 1970s, the Spaghetti Western had more or less died out, but it never totally disappeared. Meanwhile, back in America, Clint Eastwood brought many of the genre's sensibilities back to where it all started and melded them into American-made Westerns such as The Outlaw Josey Wales, culminating in his Oscar-winning Best Picture, Unforgiven in 1993. Over in America, this new breed of Western was referred to not as a Spaghetti Western but as part of the "Revisionist Western" subgenre, also sometimes referred to as an "Anti-Western" and "Post-Western." Another result of the Spaghetti Western's popularity was its influence on a new generation of filmmakers, including directors like Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. Tarantino has especially alchemized traditional Spaghetti Western tropes and aesthetics into his unique brand of filmmaking, as seen in everything from Reservoir Dogs to Kill Bill to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood . What Are Some Examples of Spaghetti Westerns? The Good, the Bad, and the (Not So) Ugly The Man With No Name begins a duel in Sergio Leone's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Django and Broomhilda in Django Unchained There are hundreds of Spaghetti Westerns for prospective fans to choose from, but let's hone in on three of the best to give anyone who's never seen one the best chance to find something that speaks to them. Let's start with the grandpappy of them all: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly . As the final part in Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy , this story about a trio of bounty hunters desperately trying to outmaneuver one another in pursuit of buried stolen treasure is a fantastic capper. Filled with revenge, signature close-ups, and an Ennio Morricone score that absolutely slaps, there's a reason why this entry is considered the best of the trilogy. That being said, it might not be Leone's best. If you're searching out Sergio Leone's best Spaghetti Western , there's an argument to be made that it's Once Upon a Time in the West . Produced after Sergio had already "retired" from directing Westerns, Paramount Pictures persuaded him to do it one last time, and it's a good thing they did because the result was one of the most epic Westerns ever made, regardless of subgenre. Starring Henry Fonda in a rare villainous turn filled with political and economic corruption, not to mention a few spectacular gunfights, Once Upon a Time in the West might be considerably slower than any other Western Leone made, but it's also far more thoughtful. Outside of Leone were a few other notable directors of Spaghetti Westerns, one of whom was Sergio Corbucci, who directed the very first Django, which follows a Union soldier wrapped up in a conflict between revolutionaries and Confederate Red Shirts. Somehow even more violent than Leone's films, Django initially earned itself a negative reputation but gradually became more recognized and developed a cult following, likely inspired by Quentin Tarantino's love for the film. (Where do you think the idea for Django Unchained came from?) And those are just three examples. Needless to say, the legacy of Spaghetti Westerns is secure and, hopefully, will only grow further from here .