Part of the problem with lighting films these days, is because very few use film. It is all digital. In just the right light, digital can give you a truly lifelike image, to the point of being able to count nose hairs. But, it also doesn't do very bright, or very dark very well. Those old John Ford FILMS where sot in Panavision... Then color corrected in a lab.
Scenery is one point, but attention to set decorations can make up for it. Watch Ed Harris' Appaloosa, and you'll see what I mean. Even the window glass had that authentic look.