John Wayne, Stagecoach is one of my favorites. Like a lifeboat on the desert. The vistas and characters, social class.
A close second is the John Wayne version of Angel and The Bad Man.
It seems the Western can not escape being a "morality play". Good vs Evil. The hero does the right thing by free will.
Of newer Westerns I can only relate to Open Range although it does have Kevin Costner, he doesn't slow it down.
Moi