Is The Outlaw Josey Wales Clint Eastwood's Best Western? 

Yes, yes it is.

That last scene, that exhale, perfect. What a film.

For me, TOJW is not just Eastwoods best western, it's THE best western of all time. No western reaches the amount of heartbreak, fortitude, and determination of the characters in this movie. You feel deeply rooted in every character of this film, there isn't a movie in history that gathers that kind of immersion from it's audience. Every scene was magnificent, every line was perfect. From incredible action scenes to perfectly filmed dialogue, even simple unimportant lines like "You can pay me when you see me again Josey Wales" become unforgettable. OJW isn't just a masterpiece, for me it is the western that all others are judged against.

Josey Wales goes from a family through hell to find a new family. To me it's my favorite Eastwood film, let alone his best western. I live in Carmel and one of it's highlights was seeing Mr. Eastwood as the Grand Marshall of the Centennial Parade. He wore his hat from Unforgiven, the Poncho from the Dollar Trilogy, the shirt from High Planes Drifter and the Andy Anderson walk and draw holster from all his westerns except Josey Wales. I worked at Paramount Studios in the 90's and got to work on two of his films (unfortunately, no westerns).

As a HUGE Eastwood fan this became my favorite movie from him. This is the most in depth character Eastwood has ever played and the movie did a great job of touching on the horror of the Post Civil War time period.

The Outlaw Jose Wales (just my opinion, mind you) is the holy grail of westerns. Not taking anything away from the trilogys (GBU strong contender for the best) But Josie represents defiance for the goodness of regular folks. He rescues the native American woman from violence, rescues the homesteaders, even makes peace with Fletcher. But the scene at the end with Ten Bears makes this the number one western of all time. ( again, my humble opinion) thanks for reading.

I still quote this film so much today. In fact some of my Dubsmash shorts and some of my wikiquote shorts are from this film. Endeavour to persevere is something that has stuck with me for decades.

I do love this movie. The final scene, when Josey and Fletcher confront one another and both, by some miracle, walk away alive is wonderful. John Vernon, the actor playing Fletcher, is great in the role, but then so is everyone else.

Thank you...

It is one of my favorite movies

The goat film channel

Best? Maybe, probably. It’s my fave, it had everything. It’s in his GrandSlam with High Plains Drifter, Unforgiven and The, Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

I adore this movie. To me its his best western( though "Unforgiven" was outstanding), but I think it was a watershed for him not just as an actor. Like another commenter said, it was his "first masterpiece" as a filmmaker. So many great moment in that film and it still holds up today.

The outlaw Josey Wales is not only Clint's best. But it is the Best Western ever made.

TOJW was filmed mostly in and around Kanab, UT. The little house they go to at the end of the movie was abandoned after filming. It's walls were actually made of fiberglass panels. This structure is still in Kanab.

Yes, easily. What makes it that is its humanity and humor, which it does not share with many westerns, by anyone.

agree

Awesome movie, I remember going to the ABC in Leeds when I was kid when it came out. Love this movie, just pipped to the post by The Good the bad and the ugly and The Unforgiven.

Bro, that "Oh, boy" at 2:52 killed me.

Yes, perhaps the greatest western ever made, for sure.

I think OJW is Clint Eastwood's first masterpiece in terms of directing and producing, just like Jaws was for Spielberg, or Pulp Fiction for Tarantino. He would go on to create more great films just like Speilberg, Tarantino, and other great directors who scored early in their filmography. It is a rich and incredible layered movie with it's themes, and visual language. And plus, it is one helluva picture in it's entertainment value and pacing. One of my favorite moments has to be when he first meets Chief Dan George's character Lone Waite, and the exchange that followed, classic. By the way nice shout out to Bruce Surtees, on the great DP's from that era, who also worked with Mr. Eastwood many times following this film.

2nd to Unforgiven. Still one of the best westerns.

It's my favorite Eastwood film beating For a Few Dollars More by a nose. Thanks.

This is super high quality! I was captivated the entire time. I like how you structure your videos. 2:14 “two weeks of shooting” Haha!

100% his greatest western! My second favorite western after Shane

Without a doubt

I would still say The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is the best Eastwood STARRING western ever. Leone just had a feel for the west unlike anything else ever. However, I prefer this over Unforgiven, High Plains Drifter and Pale Rider as his top not only western but Eastwood directed movie. Josey Wales is similar to Ethan Edwards from John Fords the searchers in the sense that they have this bloodlust sense of revenge the entire movie that never seems to having a resolution but the character is slightly redeemed for one moment in the film. They are both confederates. They both lost a group of loved ones that set them, or push them even further into a course of rage. And They both really despise whoever they are traveling with. I will also add that the scene with chief ten bears when they say “Without butchering one another” and “It’s sad that governments are chiefed by the double tongues” is one of my favorite scenes ever.

For sure one of the top five all time westerns ever made and Eastwood's best movie ......must have watched this movie a dozen times, the political undertones and Eastwood's disdain for government are apparent throughout the movie.

IMHO: Second best. "Unforgiven" is the best.

I reckon it is his best

Yes it is his best

One of for sure. I enjoy Josey Wales a great deal . I would put it just behind Unforgiven.

Nope, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly was.