Movie Mania: Once Upon a Time in The West
Tagline: There were three men in her life. One to take her... one to love her... and one to kill her.
The Western. Has there ever been a wider canvas for a director and a group of actors to paint their collective masterpiece than the American West? From western comedies like Blazing Saddles and Cat Ballou, to graphic depictions of violence and life in the old west, such as Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven, Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch, and one of my all time favourites, Sergio Leone's western masterpiece, Once Upon a Time in The West, the western has stood the test of time as a genre that refuses to go away, and which continues to be reinvented through modern films like The Proposition, and the television drama, Deadwood.
For me, Once Upon a Time in The West never dates. However that was not always the case. I remember first seeing the film in London, during the 1970s. My memory of it was that it was incredibly long and slow. I don't think I liked it all that much at the time, because of those two factors. Maybe I was tired and not in the right frame of mind on the night I went to see this movie.
Thankfully, when I got to see the film again years later -- on video -- I remember liking it a whole lot more. On subsequent viewings (and I watch it at least once a year -- as I did again last night), I fell completely in love with this wonderful film.
There are so many things to like about Once Upon a Time in The West, that it is hard to know where to start.
But this still doesn't tell you anything about the movie. This comment by Keith Loh on the Internet Movie Database site, provides a good summary of the film: "A mysterious stranger with a harmonica joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad..." That's it in a nutshell, but of course there is much more to the story than this.
The 'mysterious stranger' is Harmonica, played by Charles Bronson, while Jason Robards is the 'notorious desperado', Cheyenne. Claudia Cardinale is Jill, the 'beautiful widow', and Henry Fonda, as Frank the 'ruthless assassin', plays against type in his only film role as a villian.
And what a villian he makes!
I can well remember the shock I got from seeing Fonda in this role, especially when he first appears in the movie -- a scene that I will not spoil by outlining here. Suffice to say, if you are a movie buff who remembers Henry Fonda in some of his greatest on-screen roles (as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, for instance), you will be shocked by the character he plays here.
Music As Character
There is another aspect of this film that must be commented on here, and that is the music. Without the magnificent score by long-time Leone collaborator, Ennio Morricone, I believe this movie would not have the immense impact it does.
Every major character has their own musical theme in this film, and each musical theme is as distinctive as the characters are. As each character is introduced during the film, their theme music is also played for the first time. Charles Bronson as Harmonica, has a theme which, as you might expect, features the harmonica, one of the smallest of musical instruments. Claudia Cardinale, as the widow Jill, has one of the most hauntingly beautiful themes I've ever heard on film, and Jason Robards, whose character, Cheyenne provides most of the comedic elements in the film has a theme which makes extensive playful use of the banjo. And finally, there's Frank, Henry Fonda's character. His theme features the Morricone trademark sound of heavy electric guitars and other contemporary instrumentation.
Each of these themes is woven into the soundtrack of Once Upon a Time in The West so perfectly, that it comes as no surprise to learn that much of the music was written and recorded before shooting had even begun. In fact, some of the scenes appear to have been choreographed to match the music, rather than the music having to match the action taking place on screen.
If you have never seen this film, do yourself a favour and rent or buy it as soon as possible. Turn the lights down low, disconnect the phone, open up a packet of crisps, and settle in for one of the greatest westerns ever made -- Once Upon a Time in The West.
Once Upon a Time in The West (1968)
Main Credits
Director: Sergio Leone
Writing credits: Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Sergio Leone
Screenplay: Sergio Leone & Sergio Donati
Producers: Bino Cicogna (Executive Producer), and Fulvio Morsella (Producer)
Original Music: Ennio Morricone
Cinematography: Tonino Delli Colli
Film Editing: Nino Baragli
Production Design: Carlo Simi
Costume Design: Antonella Pompei and Carlo Simi
Internet Links
~ Internet Movie Database entry for Once Upon a Time in The West
~ Wikipedia entry for Sergio Leone
~ A good Sergio Leone tribute site: Fistful of Leone
The Western. Has there ever been a wider canvas for a director and a group of actors to paint their collective masterpiece than the American West? From western comedies like Blazing Saddles and Cat Ballou, to graphic depictions of violence and life in the old west, such as Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven, Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch, and one of my all time favourites, Sergio Leone's western masterpiece, Once Upon a Time in The West, the western has stood the test of time as a genre that refuses to go away, and which continues to be reinvented through modern films like The Proposition, and the television drama, Deadwood.
For me, Once Upon a Time in The West never dates. However that was not always the case. I remember first seeing the film in London, during the 1970s. My memory of it was that it was incredibly long and slow. I don't think I liked it all that much at the time, because of those two factors. Maybe I was tired and not in the right frame of mind on the night I went to see this movie.
Thankfully, when I got to see the film again years later -- on video -- I remember liking it a whole lot more. On subsequent viewings (and I watch it at least once a year -- as I did again last night), I fell completely in love with this wonderful film.
There are so many things to like about Once Upon a Time in The West, that it is hard to know where to start.
- The great cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli
- The stunning score by Ennio Morricone (surely a masterpiece of composition in its own right)
- The great performances from the main actors, Claudia Cardinale, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, and the brilliant Henry Fonda
- The brilliant costume designs of Antonella Pompei and Carlo Simi
- And of course, the masterful direction of Sergio Leone
If you have never seen Once Upon a Time in The West, you are missing one of the best opening sequences you are ever likely to see in any movie. There is virtually no dialogue; just a collage of sounds and images that quite frankly defy description. Trying to explain in words, what takes place on screen, would take all the joy and excitement out of discovering for yourself, probably the most stylish opening ten minutes of cinema I have ever seen.
But in the end, this tells you nothing.- You have to slow yourself right down before you see this film...
- If you are in a hurry to go out or do something else - do not watch this film
- If you are tired and filling in time before you go to bed - do not watch this film
- If you are a slave to action, and the super fast editing of modern cinema - do not watch this film
- If your attention in the movie is constantly being interrupted by children, pets, telephones or other distractions - do not watch this film
But this still doesn't tell you anything about the movie. This comment by Keith Loh on the Internet Movie Database site, provides a good summary of the film: "A mysterious stranger with a harmonica joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad..." That's it in a nutshell, but of course there is much more to the story than this.
The 'mysterious stranger' is Harmonica, played by Charles Bronson, while Jason Robards is the 'notorious desperado', Cheyenne. Claudia Cardinale is Jill, the 'beautiful widow', and Henry Fonda, as Frank the 'ruthless assassin', plays against type in his only film role as a villian.
And what a villian he makes!
I can well remember the shock I got from seeing Fonda in this role, especially when he first appears in the movie -- a scene that I will not spoil by outlining here. Suffice to say, if you are a movie buff who remembers Henry Fonda in some of his greatest on-screen roles (as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, for instance), you will be shocked by the character he plays here.
Music As Character
There is another aspect of this film that must be commented on here, and that is the music. Without the magnificent score by long-time Leone collaborator, Ennio Morricone, I believe this movie would not have the immense impact it does.
Every major character has their own musical theme in this film, and each musical theme is as distinctive as the characters are. As each character is introduced during the film, their theme music is also played for the first time. Charles Bronson as Harmonica, has a theme which, as you might expect, features the harmonica, one of the smallest of musical instruments. Claudia Cardinale, as the widow Jill, has one of the most hauntingly beautiful themes I've ever heard on film, and Jason Robards, whose character, Cheyenne provides most of the comedic elements in the film has a theme which makes extensive playful use of the banjo. And finally, there's Frank, Henry Fonda's character. His theme features the Morricone trademark sound of heavy electric guitars and other contemporary instrumentation.
Each of these themes is woven into the soundtrack of Once Upon a Time in The West so perfectly, that it comes as no surprise to learn that much of the music was written and recorded before shooting had even begun. In fact, some of the scenes appear to have been choreographed to match the music, rather than the music having to match the action taking place on screen.
If you have never seen this film, do yourself a favour and rent or buy it as soon as possible. Turn the lights down low, disconnect the phone, open up a packet of crisps, and settle in for one of the greatest westerns ever made -- Once Upon a Time in The West.
Once Upon a Time in The West (1968)
Main Credits
Director: Sergio Leone
Writing credits: Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Sergio Leone
Screenplay: Sergio Leone & Sergio Donati
| Principal Cast Henry Fonda .... Frank Claudia Cardinale .... Jill McBain Jason Robards .... Cheyenne Charles Bronson .... Harmonica Gabriele Ferzetti .... Morton Paolo Stoppa .... Sam Keenan Wynn .... Sheriff/Auctioneer) Frank Wolff .... Brett McBain Note: You can purchase a Two-Disc Special Edition of Once Upon a Time in The West from Amazon.Com by clicking on the links to the left. This has some great extras, and is a bargain at the current price. |
Producers: Bino Cicogna (Executive Producer), and Fulvio Morsella (Producer)
Original Music: Ennio Morricone
Cinematography: Tonino Delli Colli
Film Editing: Nino Baragli
Production Design: Carlo Simi
Costume Design: Antonella Pompei and Carlo Simi
Internet Links
~ Internet Movie Database entry for Once Upon a Time in The West
~ Wikipedia entry for Sergio Leone
~ A good Sergio Leone tribute site: Fistful of Leone
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posted by Jim Lesses at
6:25 PM
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