Review of Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) by Cael M — 04 Jul 2013

Sergio Leone was already the master of westerns with the Dollars trilogy, but with Once Upon a Time in the West, he combined his talents and created a western with depth that has yet to be matched. This is a masterpiece of atmosphere, performances, and slow building tension. The opening scene alone is fifteen minutes long, has barely no dialogue at all, and leads up to a very short shootout. The film is nearly three hours, and there are many scenes where not much happens. However, if you have the patience to appreciate the deliberate pacing, you are rewarded with a brilliant, beautifully crafted western with tons of depth and unforgettable performances and scenes. Obviously, this is a film that requires the ability to cope with long, possibly drawn out scenes that showcase amazingly executed direction.

The first fifteen minutes may be the best opening scene of all time, and the finale is comparable in terms of quality to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. The Dollars trilogy is more of a fun, entertaining exercise in the western genre, while Once Upon a Time in the West is an exercise of brilliance on epic scope through its memorable, haunting Ennio Morricone score that adds a sense of mystery and grit, as well as through its overall look and feel.

I get chills every time I watch this movie, and you can definitely tell Sergio Leone took his time to tell a seemingly simple revenge story, and you can tell he did not rush at all. There's also a fantastic plot about a railroad construction that's equally as engaging as the revenge one, and it brings light to the end of the American west and the beginning of a new civilization. Its tone is dark, gloomy, and immersive. Theres a plethora of memorable quotes in this movie, such as "You brought two too many." and "Do you know anything about a guy going around playing the harmonica? He's someone you'd remember. Instead of talking, he plays. And when he better play, he talks." The acting is great from everyone, and the characters portray dark, haunting, mysterious characters. Henry Fonda as Frank may be one of the most memorable villains ever, and Jason Robards as Cheyenne is a likable, clever gunslinger. Claudia Cardinale as Jill really portrays her emotions well.

However, the shining performance in this movie is Charles Bronson as Harmonica, who plays an inscrutable, haunting character, and Charles Bronson was perfect for the role. The cinematography is beautiful, showcasing epic, huge shots of a barren, somber western setting. You can really see Sergio Leone's maturity as a filmmaker improving every film (that's not to say the Dollars trilogy isn't a masterpiece as well). Once Upon a Time in the West is less entertaining than the Dollars trilogy, which I have soft spot for, but this is definitely a rewarding, brilliant film that is definitely one of my favorite films ever.