Over the course of 20-30 years, the Western has evolved from racism against Indians and an emphasis on masculinity to ultraviolence that makes no sense on screen because of the senselessness of the violence itself.  However, the Western also went backwards a bit, returning to its roots just a bit, with a combination of violence and masculinity being portrayed in the film Open Range with Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner which was made in 2003.  This movie wraps up everything good about the Western and makes a fantastic movie in the process.
