Once Upon a Time in the West

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C'era una volta il West

To watch this again after so many years and after so much has changed in movie making, what a joy. The intro scene itself is a work of cinematic genius. Too bad most these days don't have the patience or appreciation for the plot making and cinematography these days. If you appreciate excellent camera work, scene making and soundtrack working together, I can't imagine you would be disappointed in this movie.

It's hard to believe this movie is from 1968. Very modern way of filming for the time. Sergio Leone gave time to each scene... something that new directors seem afraid to do... Great story about the last days of an era. Amazing music and the originality of linking a specific melody to each main character. And all these close-up to character's eyes... Just a wonderful movie.

Sergio Leone will one day, maybe fifty years from now, replace Mister Wood on every critic's list as the worst movie director of all time. He'll at least make the top ten. At least Wood could make a story interesting, at least one character you might care about, and didn't have the gigantic Leone budget. Leone fails on every level. The story is very disjointed. It's mostly just comically unrealistic gunplay, with some guys being able to kill minor characters from great distances, but unable to kill major stars that should be easier. That's nothing new, but the circumstances are quite laughable. The story is just killing after killing, to take land away, and it follows sadist Henry Fonda, and his opponents, Charles Bronson and Jason Robards. Jack Elam appears in what amounts to a cameo. The characters aren't much to like. Bronson makes little jokes like an underdog hero of a Japanese movie, but the plot is so bad, and the characters so unlikable, you don't really care. To be fair, they aren't as unlikable as other spaghetti Westerns, but they don't have any appeal, either. You struggle to watch the film. You won't be able to do in one sitting. You'll have to watch a piece at a time, because you will fall to sleep. What makes the movie a bomb is the use of such outstanding cool music that neither matches or contrasts the situation. It falls flat, and it is a waste of good music.

No other films in the world have produced such sharp, raw, gritty and atmospheric yet absolutely beautiful cinematography as those directed by the Italian director, the great Sergio Leone. Audiences around the world saw first hand the power and influence "A Fistful Of Dollars" bought to the world. It made a director famous, a young Clint Eastwood a household name and the Western more popular than it had ever hoped to be since the master works of John Ford. However, Sergio Leone bought with him a whole new sub-genre - a whole new style - and the Western had never looked darker and grittier. 'The Man With No Name' bought with it a whole new meaning to a heroic protagonist. There was no more good guy/bad guy, but only a survivalist type - ignorant and self indulgent, yet still moral and fair, tough and smart and damn good with a gun. The world fell in love with him and anticipated its sequels which only became more violent, atmospheric and realistic and gave the authentic true feeling of the West. It is why I consider 'Once Upon A Time In The West' to be Sergio's definitive masterpiece. He took everything that he ever felt about the West and made some of the most intriguing 3 hours of film ever produced. The budget had never been bigger. The plot had never been more riveting. The music and setting had never been more epic and the cinematography had never been more powerful. This film is perfect, start to finish! This time our premise intersects the stories of five people - yes five people - and it is brilliantly crafted. And this time it isn't a chain smoking son of a gun without a name that carries the film, but rather a female prostitute. This isn't the 'Rocky Horror Picture Show', so please continue reading. The plot revolves around a certain family and its moist establishment in the middle of a desert with hopes for it to one day be a thriving town with a railway station. It is this future town that brings our five protagonists into relation. The family is murdered by a gang led by Frank (Henry Fonda) who works the hit-man for a corrupt railway boss who wants the town out of the way so he can reach the coast and view the sea before he dies. However, unaware of her arrival, Jill (Claudia Cardinale) - the family's patriarch's fiancée - comes to claim her property and therefore possesses a threat to the railway boss. Meanwhile a man with no name nicknamed 'Harmonica' (he always plays a Harmonica before making a kill) has come to town looking for Frank for personal reasons. Charles Bronson nails the role with extreme prejudice. Also a fugitive going by the name of Cheyenne (Jason Robards) assists in his journey to prove his innocence regarding being the wrongly accused murderer. No spoilers, but just an assurance that this film will blow you away. It is impossible to comprehend the overwhelming powerful epic experience in one sitting. This is what motion pictures are meant to be. Masterful storytelling, a larger than life score by the brilliant Ennio Morricone, cinematography yet unmatched and a cast made in heaven. Performances from all the actors are some of the best you will ever see. It is films like these that redefine genres and that honorable of all words, a 'classic'. Prove me wrong. For those who experienced it, I hope it has impacted you in much the same way it has me. Upon its release, this film was unsuccessful, because the world wanted another Clint Eastwood picture. But they couldn't see for a mile what was coming. Sergio Leone is platinum. May the force be with him...........always!