Review of Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) by Matt M — 20 Jul 2013

The term spaghetti western does not seem appropriate and indeed seems to undermine the achievement of this film which is, quite frankly, one of a kind and could only have come from the mind of Sergio Leone.

The tale is that of the events which surround the establishment of a town called Sweetwater and in more formal terms covers a time when the law of gunfighters was being overtaken by the law of politics.

Once Upon a Time in the West is the ultimate tribute to the western genre, in fact it could even be called the ultimate fan film with its numerous elements and situations that were directly lifted from previous works of the kind and were put together in storyline form by the collaborative effort between Leone and two other major Italian filmmakers, Bernardo Bertolucci and Dario Argento.

In many ways, it could be called the beginning of cinematic post-modernism. The photography is monumental, with its long camera movements and a pace which was dictated by Morricone's outstanding and unforgettable score, itself carrying a sort of peter and the wolf experimentation where each main character in the film is defined by a unique theme; the importance of music gives the film an operatic film that is distinctively unique.

Once Upon a Time in the West is an originally spectacular experience, hypnotic and exciting and a further testimony to the genius of Sergio Leone.