Review of Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) by Matthew K — 16 May 2013
A beautifully shot film. The pace is slow, but every instance of buildup is met with a satisfying payoff. Ennio Morricone's score works chillingly well with Sergio Leone's images. Charles Bronson, while no Clint Eastwood, does an excellent job here, and Henry Fonda is excellent as the villain.
The film concludes on a bittersweet note, which I think really works to this film's advantage. No one is a clear "good guy" or "bad guy." This makes the characters that much harder to completely figure out and thus more realistic.
While I do enjoy "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly," and while the characters are somewhat complex, the line between good and evil still feels like it's very well defined: Eastwood is the hero, and Van Cleef is the villain.
I enjoy the complexity that "West" offers by blurring this line, but I also understand that this may not be a film that everyone will enjoy. It is definitely worth a watch.
This review of Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) was written by Matthew K on 16 May 2013.
Once Upon a Time in the West has generally received very positive reviews.
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