Even in this early 21st century, Western movies are still being made in the United States — less often perhaps than before, and more often on TV than in the cinema, but the genre is still very much alive. The type of movies produced and the plots and perceptions of the "Wild West" may have radically changed, but they are still as exciting now as they were in the past.
The aim of this work is to review the history of the Western, which is not limited to a few deceased prominent actors or movie directors or to the brief Italian Western era. The Western is still very much alive today.

Jean-Louis Leutrat is a professor at Paris III-Sorbonne Nouvelle. His published works include books on « westerns » and film reviews. He has also just finished writing a Saint-Simon anthology.