Review of Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) by Paul Z — 25 Oct 2012
While the Dollars films were more action-packed and tongue-in-cheek, Leone's landmark "oat opera" is much slower in pace and melancholy in theme, and so is Morricone's classic score. Featuring one of the most likable stars of all time as one of the most despicable characters in cinema, this is an epic that features prolonged, stagnant scenes in which there's very little dialogue and little happens, cracked by blunt and abrupt violence.
Leone was far more interested in the customs preceding violence than in the violence itself, while the parched desert where the story unfolds steeps it with a sense of realism that juxtaposes artfully with the stylishly staged gunplay.
This review of Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) was written by Paul Z on 25 Oct 2012.
Once Upon a Time in the West has generally received very positive reviews.
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