OnceUponaTimeintheWest

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

Lately I’ve been watching a lot of Westerns, especially Spaghetti Westerns. For those not familiar with the term these would be those odd Westerns put together by Italian filmmakers and shot in Spain. And if we are going to talk Spaghetti Westerns then why not start with the master of them, Sergio Leone, and one of his finest efforts Once Upon the Time in the West.

The movie here centers around a beautiful woman named Jill who is on her way to join her new husband and meet his family. But before she gets there some gunmen kill the entire family, including a small boy. No one is sure why they were killed and before she can leave Jill is sucked into the mystery. On one side there is Frank (played by the legendary Henry Fonda) a gunslinger that works for the railroad and is up to no good. Then we also have Harmonica (again another legend Charles Bronson) who has an axe to grind with Frank and it seems is out to cause him as much trouble as possible. Finally there is Cheyenne (yet another great actor, Jason Robards) who has been framed for the death of Jill’s family. As the movie plays out we see how these three men and Jill are connected to each other and finally in the end they all get what is coming to them. That is except maybe for the Cheyenne character who really doesn’t deserve what happens to him.

Saying that Once Upon a Time in the West is a great movie isn’t going to cut it. This movie is pure genius and a masterpiece of filmmaking. From start to finish this movie engages and entertains the audience. Considering the fact that the movie is 165 minutes long this is an incredible feat! The story is truly epic and juggles dozens of characters, whittling them down until only the important stories are left. Though even as the characters are done away with they still seem important to the main story, which is that of Jill. I think that it is pure genius that Leone and his co-writers (including Dario Argento) made the movie revolve around the woman, which was very unusual for Westerns. This allows them to drop all kinds of traditional western male characters (gunfighter with a heart of gold, man looking for revenge, and the heartless villain to name a few) into the mix and have them play against each other. It works incredibly well.

Of course as I’ve stated again and again in the end your script and story are only as good as your actors. What a cast Once Upon a Time in the West has! I’ve already mentioned Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, and Henry Fonda, but that isn’t all. The opening sequence features the great Jack Elam and Woody Strode in what are basically glorified cameos, but very memorable ones. Drive-in favorite Keenan Wynn also has a small part, but again is very memorable. Hell I even caught Fabio Testi in an uncredited blink and you will miss it part… This might be one of the finest casts that I’ve ever seen assembled for a Western. Oh and if I might be allowed to back track a bit I do have to mention the job that Henry Fonda does with the role of Frank. Honestly I’m not used to seeing him in the role of a villain, I mean he is Henry Fonda for crying out loud. But he is so good as the villain that I’m really kind of sad that we didn’t get to see him tackle more roles like this.

It seems kind of silly to talk about the cinematography of Tonino Delli Colli, who also worked with Leone on The Good the Bad and the Ugly, but I will. Lets see I suppose words like incredible and amazing would fit best. Seriously this movie looks like a work of art when you are watching it. The scenery is breathtaking and captured in a way that makes the movie look every bit as epic as the story line is. Interiors and exteriors alike are beautifully captured. I also feel the same way about the music, which again Leone collaborates with another “regular” Ennio Morricone. I suppose what I’m trying to say is that there were just as many legends and superstars behind the camera as there were in front.

I could keep gushing about this movie but that would be pointless. Here is the scoop if you haven’t seen the movie you need to. I don’t care if you like Westerns or not if you love cinema then you need to see this movie. Once Upon a Time in the West is a true classic and is the kind of movie that reminds me why I love this stuff so much.

4 out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer