Review of Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) by Jason J — 09 Jul 2011
From the opening scene with Western stalwarts Jack Elam and Woody Strode to the final scene with Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards and Claudia Cardinale this movie is a visual masterpiece that captures Sergio Leone genius in full brutal force.
Henry Fonda is the perfect bad guy, Charles Bronson the reluctant hero, Jason Robards the renegade and misunderstood outlaw, and Claudia Cardinale the sexy, but strong heroine. Leone's musical score is so original and so penetrating that it sticks like plaster.
He infuses each characters score with their appearance on screen. It shows the west for what it was: a gritty world where power won out. The cinematography showing Monument Valley at it's glorious best is outstanding.
Words cannot amount to the sheer brilliance of this movie. It is a benchmark and all other movies, no matter what genre, can be marked against this unforgettable piece of cinema. A must see!
This review of Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) was written by Jason J on 09 Jul 2011.
Once Upon a Time in the West has generally received very positive reviews.
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