Once Upon a Time in the West

Starring: Claudia Cardinale, Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, Gabriele Ferzetti, Woody Strode, Jack Elam, Keenan Wynn
Directed by: Sergio Leone
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Western
1968

Times Seen:
Tim: 1


Summary:A mysterious gunfighter (Charles Bronson) joins forces with a widow (Claudia Cardinale) to fight back against an outlaw (Henry Fonda).

Review:

Tim: Sergio Leone's classic Western, Once Upon a Time in the West is a terrific example of the Spaghetti Western. Films like this just aren't made any more, and it's a lot of fun to watch. Many people would put this film on their list of the greatest films of all time. While I wouldn't quite go that far, this is a great movie.

This movie is certainly epic in scope. From its 175 run time, to the wide, beautiful shots of the Western landscape, to the characters and themes, this is a very, very large movie. One of my favorite aspects of the film is that Leone lets things breathe. So many movies are focused on rapid movement- following scene after scene, momentum after momentum with no breaks in between. That's not real life, and it hurts those films. The movies I've always loved let things unfold in their own time. There's built in pauses. Leone mastered that here. When you watch two people stare each other down, it's not for three seconds before they start firing at each other. The seconds tick by, the suspense and tension increase. It's wonderful to see. Now, I will comment that Leone almost took that too far in a few places. I love the slow reveal, but there were a few times when I grew impatient and wanted him to speed up. Still, those are minor complaints, because I love the general concept of slowing the film down.

The cast is quite interesting. Claudia Cardinale might not have given a great performance (Based on this, her acting seems a little suspect), but she was the right actress for those long shots of her face. She conveys a great deal of emotion, even though it rarely bubbles to the surface. Her eyes tell the story, of a wounded but incredibly strong woman steeled against the worst the world has to offer. Her world weary, proud survivor is a fascinating character. It's rare to see a woman as the lead in a Western, but it was true here. I also loved the casting of Henry Fonda as the villain. Even decades and decades later, this move still shocks and surprises. Fonda was known for the playing the good guy and for his introduction here to involve slaughtering a family, and Fonda himself killing a kid in cold blood- wow, what an incredible twist. Charles Bronson was fine as the Harmonica-playing mysterious gunfighter. I never truly connected with his character, but he had some good moments and certainly looked the part. My favorite performance, though, belongs to Jason Robards. His performance as Cheyenne was unexpected and unforgettable. At the beginning of the film, I didn't like his character at all. As the film went on, he ingrains himself into our memories. I found his character complex and fascinating, and this is mostly due to his performance. He had more charisma than Bronson and made a better connection with the audience. He was my favorite actor in the cast.

This movie features many incredible moments. The opening scene at the railroad is an all time classic. Who else would open a movie that way? The seconds tick by, seemingly taking forever for the train to arrive. It's an incredibly slow way to open the movie, but it's brilliant. By the end of that first scene, you understand exactly the tone of the film. My favorite line of the film, "You brought two too many" made me laugh and cheer in my seat. The opening is one of the best all time. The film's cinematography is gorgeous. I also loved the story and how it unfolded on screen. You don't understand the full scope of what you have been watching until the end and the payoff is worth it.

That's not to say this film isn't without flaws. I wanted a better, more interesting performance by Bronson. The harmonica playing was iconic and memorable, but it started to get annoying at parts. My wife was in the room toward the end of the movie and she complained loudly about how the harmonica music was driving her crazy. It grated on my nerves a bit, too. There are a few moments that extend far too long. The movie is long and epic, but at times feels a little too long. There are a few characters who aren't as interesting as Leone intended, and their screen time drags the momentum of the film down. Still, these are small things and should not suggest this film isn't great.

Once Upon a Time in the West is certainly an achievement and a landmark Western. I would highly recommend it. It takes some commitment to watch the whole film, but it's definitely worth it. This is a great Western.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, Once Upon a Time in America; Duck, You Sucka!