Review of Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) by Tommy C — 12 Dec 2009

Once Upon A Time In The West is legendary director Sergio Leone's overshadowed masterpiece.

What I mean by that is this film doesn't get anywhere near the amount of praise it deserves simply because of its predecessor, the much more popular and talked-about The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly. Don't get me wrong GBU is a phenomenal spectacle of a film and is one of my personal favorites, but it's a crime that this film is obscured by a movie that's equal, if not inferior to it.

Those who stereotype the western genre and believe that each film of the genre is about a shallow cowboy who takes down the local outlaw are sorely mistaken. Both this and GBU are both unique westerns in their own right, and while they have the same feel and landscape, are very different from one another. GBU follows the story of three men who journey out to retrieve a cache of gold, and it's pretty much a linear story the whole way through.

But OUATITW is structured in a different manner. There is a full cast of characters, each of them with different backgrounds and different things that "make them tick" so to speak. All of them are drawn to each other for seperate reasons, and everything intertwines to form a single epic story. I think this structure really brought the best out of Leone, and the several ways he tied his characters together were simply brilliant. They're so intricately woven to one another, this film will require a 2nd and possibly 3rd viewing to truly see everything that brings the characters together. That was the case for me, at least.

The acting, in a nutshell, is flawless. Every last cast member was able to bring their respective character to life in a way that no one else could have. Supporting stars Jason Robards and Claudia Cardinale are great. But as expected, Bronson and Fonda stole the show, with Fonda delivering the superior performance of the two in my opinion.

So if you were to compare this along with GBU, it would essentially come down to your specific tastes. Personally, this is my personal choice. The acting is just as stellar, and the story carries much more depth and emotion along with it.

As I have stated, this film has a brilliant story and brilliant characters. However, the highlight of the movie is Leone's beautiful cinematography. There are great western filmmakers like Ford, Hawks, and Eastwood. And then there is Sergio Leone- The King of Westerns. This genre is a dying art thanks to all the CGI and technology advances forcing the no-nonsense, rugged swagger from the 50s-60s era to take a back seat. It's a shame, but it's a fact.

But thankfully, Leone has left us his masterpieces to be remembered and appreciated forever, no matter how much computer-animation we aquire.

10/10.