Review of Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) by Joel K — 26 Oct 2011

This three hour epic completely beat everything Leone had done in the past. In fact it completely beat all other westerns made in the past. Yes, boys, it's true. It's better than High Noon (a film it pays tribute to in its opening sequence), better than The Searchers, better than Rio Bravo, and even better than (Dare I say it!) The Magnificent Seven.

A nameless man with a harmonica, a widowed prostitute named Jill, and an outlaw named Cheyenne (Charles Bronsan, Claudia Cardinale, and Jason Robards) all have a grudge against a merciless killer named Frank (Henry Fonda). The film is low on dialogue, and choses to build characters through good acting. Each of the four main cast members have brilliant turns as their respective characters, especially Henry Fonda (playing out of type in this one). The soundtrack is possibly one of the greatest ever made, it's grand, bold and operatic. On its own the soundtrack is a brilliantly work of art. The film simply wouldn't work without it (composed by Ennio Morricone). But at the end of the day this film's success comes down to Leone's use of brilliantly built Dramatic tension, and his unique, but familiar vision of the old west. Marvellous!