Review of Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) by Stephen E — 18 Sep 2011
Watching Once Upon the Time in the West is like watching a very pretty girl stand in one place for three hours, never moving, yet somehow teasing you, all the while. It is an impressive feat; a challenge that is only met with the utmost enthusiasm from director Sergio Leone, who tackles Once Upon a Time in the West with marvelous effort and transforms it into one of the best-looking westerns in a long time.
But that's really all that Once Upon a Time is. It's a showcase for the man behind the camera. The acting isn't really all that special, except for some good performances from Jason Robards and Henry Fonda, and the writing is thin.
The main problem is that it is excruciatingly boring. Beyond belief, really. The movie should be an hour less than it is, as some scenes are just too stinkin' long. I can see that maybe Leone is trying to get us on the edge of our seats with suspense, but after a minute goes by, then five, then five more, we're bored and/or don't care.
Once Upon a Time was a disappointment for me. I really like Sergio Leone, I've read his biography and he really seems like an innovator in film (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly was one of the best that I've ever seen). But a movie like this shouldn't be as long as it is. If you think about it, this movie could've been cut down by 65 minutes, and then, maybe I would've liked it a little more.
This review of Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) was written by Stephen E on 18 Sep 2011.
Once Upon a Time in the West has generally received very positive reviews.
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