THE PLOT THUS FAR
Epic story of a mysterious stranger with a harmonica who joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Once Upon a Time in the West” is not so much a Western, as it is an exercise in style. Hell, the opening credits don’t end until ten minutes through the flick. And, during that time the only sounds you hear are that which was naturally recorded on the set. That’s right, no music. Only the drops of water hitting the outlaw’s head, the ticker tape at the train station and the thunderous boom of the locomotive making its way to its destination can be heard. That is until the arrival of Harmonica (Charles Bronson). Harmonica quickly disposes of the three would-be assassins awaiting him at the train station and heads toward town.
At the same time, Jill (Claudia Cardinale) arrives in town to meet her new family. But, while traveling to the home of her new husband and his children, they’re gunned down. One by one, Jill’s new family is brutally shot by the stone cold killer Frank (Henry Fonda). Frank returns to his railroad baron boss, while Jill arrives at Flagstone to find her new family dead. Since, she’s the new next of kin…Jill inherits the farm and the surrounding land which Frank killed the family over. Fearing for her life, Jill turns to anyone for help.
Help is found back in town in the form of local bandit Cheyenne (Jason Robards) and the ever silent Harmonica (Charles Bronson). Now, our trio bands together in order to fight off Frank and the railroad baron. But, what is the mysterious connection between Harmonica and Frank? What is the intense hatred that Harmonica feels toward Frank, and why do we have the feeling that it’s going to end in a bloody gunfight? Part of the fun is waiting through Leone’s intense buildup for the climax.
Equal to and counterbalancing this scene is the very next one, the introduction of Frank. This time it is “Shane” that gets the treatment as the McBain boy spots five men in yellow duster topcoats. A growing sense of unease on the McBain homestead is beautifully conveyed. A cinematic multiple orgasm ensues, with the musical theme crashing in as the boy sees the devastation, and the camera swoops round to reveal the baddie to be none other than Henry Fonda as Morricone’s trademark solitary tubular bell peals out. Cheyenne’s entrance is also a piece of impressive cinema. Inside Lionel Stander’s strange labyrinthine tavern, quite unlike any saloon ever filmed before, the violence which hovers around Cheyenne like a dustcloud is heard but not seen, preparing us for his appearance in person. The sliding of the lamp towards Bronson works brilliantly, the film’s two good men sharing the light of humour, the symbolic forging of a meaningful friendship.
Contrary to the popular belief, the slow pace of the movie and laconism in dialogue pose no impediment to the viewing and in fact this deliberate pacing enormously adds to the detail and beauty of the movie, and also helps in brewing the desired level of tension before it is finally punctuated suddenly with quick bursts of action. Tonino Delli Colli’s cinematography is vividly descriptive and has elements which have become his and Leone’s trademarks like the extreme close-ups, the quick panning of the terrain, the rotating camera shots etc. The haunting score written yet again by the master composer, Ennio Morricone enhances the grandeur of the movie tenfold. If Leone’s direction and Colli’s cinematography are the backbone of the movie, then undoubtedly Morricone’s plaintive score is its heart and soul. The surreal score has shades of melancholy, intrigue, and romance that become more obvious with each passing moment.
The Blu-Ray comes with a ton of featurettes and an insanely improved upon 1080p transfer.There’s a ton of commentaries and featurettes that were ported over from the double disc DVD. However, I would’ve liked to have seen some input from Dario Argento or any of the Italian team that helped to create this masterpiece. We’ve heard the American response, but we need more from the surviving members of the production team. Still, in terms of presentation…this is reference quality material. If you’ve ever been a fan of Leone, there’s no reason not to run out the door and purchase it.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!
