Westerns are set in the American West， almost always in the 19th century， generally between the Civil① War and the end of the century. However， their setting may extend further back to the time of the American colonial period or forward to the mid-twentieth century. They may also range geographically from Mexico to Canada.
Many westerns involve characters who wander from town to town， their sole possessions consisting of clothing， a gun， and a horse. The high technology of the era—such as the telegraph， printing press， and railroad， may appear， occasionally as a development just arriving， and usually symbolizing the impending end of the frontier lifestyle which will soon give way to the march of civilization②.
The Western takes these simple elements and uses them to tell morality③ tales， usually setting them against spectacular④ American landscapes. Westerns often stress the harshness of the wilderness and frequently set the action in a desert-like landscape. Cowboys and gunslingers play prominent roles in Western movies. Often fights with Indians are depicted. Other recurring themes of westerns include long treks， and groups of bandits terrorizing small towns， such as in The Magnificent Seven.
The Western genre itself has sub-genres， such as the epic Western， the shoot’ em up， singing cowboy⑤ Westerns， and a few comedy Westerns.
① civiladj. 国内的
② civilizationn. 文明，文明阶段，文明国家，文明世界
③ moralityn. 道德，伦理，品行
④ spectacularadj. 壮观的，壮丽的
⑤ cowboyn. (美国西部的)牛仔
狂野的西部电影
西部片几乎总是以19世纪的美国西部为背景，通常是介于南北战争到世纪末之前的时间段。然而，它们的背景设置可能会向前推溯至美国殖民时期或向后延伸至20世纪中期。在地域上，它们也可能发生在墨西哥和加拿大之间的某地。
很多西部片都有那类穿梭于城镇之间的角色，他们唯一所拥有的就是衣服、一杆枪和一匹马。而那个时代的高科技——例如电报机、印刷机和铁路，也会出现（在片中），有时候是作为一种新生事物，而且通常是象征着边镇生活方式即将没落，很快就会在文明的进程中消亡。
西部片采用了这些简单元素，并运用它们来讲述道义伦理的故事。一般是将其设定在雄壮的美国地貌之中。西部片经常渲染荒野之地的严酷，常常将情节设定在宛如沙漠的地貌之中。牛仔和枪手在西部电影中扮演了重要的角色。而且经常会有和印地安人战斗的画面。而其它西部片惯用的主题则包括长途跋涉、肆虐小镇的群匪，如《七侠荡寇志》。
西部片这一类别本身还有分支类型，例如西部史诗片、枪战片、牛仔放歌型西部片以及一些西部喜剧片。