Directed by:
Sergio LeoneCinematography:
Tonino Delli ColliComposer:
Ennio MorriconeCast:
Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards, Charles Bronson, Gabriele Ferzetti, Don Galloway, Paolo Stoppa, Woody Strode, Jack Elam, Keenan Wynn (more)VOD (4)
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In this epic spaghetti Western, a flinty gunslinger is hired by a railroad tycoon to kill anyone standing in the way of his trans-American iron horse. (Netflix)
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Reviews (14)
Absolutely awesome in all respects. The acting, the screenplay, the direction, the cinematography. Everything I can think of is excellent. The film doesn’t have any weaknesses. Even if I did find one, it wouldn't matter. The score would make me forget it immediately. That's what happens when true masters work together. There aren’t enough stars for me to rate this.
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The best western ever, there is not a single ingredient out of place. Very imaginative direction, great actors and a soundtrack that has long since transcended "mere" film music and become a musical treasure and legend. Leone had a very lucky hand in choosing the actors (as always). Henry Fonda handled his only one role as a villain with aplomb (the American audiences couldn't get over the fact that the model good guy was playing such an asshole), Charles Bronson played perhaps the best role of his career, Claudia Cardinale is a delight to the eye and Jason Robards as Cheyenne is one of my favourite movie characters ever. A must see in widescreen format, the VHS crop amounts to a crime on this cinematic gem.
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Last time I saw this movie, I was a little boy who loved cowgirls, and Sergio Leone's classic inevitably seemed strange, protracted, not very "dramatic"... It took a few years, and it occurred to me that Once Upon a Time in the West is much more than an absolutely riveting western example of drama, where wild west genre supplements serve only as backdrops. Leone concentrated the focus of the narrative perspective on the detail and semi-detail of Tonino Delli Colli's superbly composed camera; it's almost unbelievable that maybe half the film is concentrated on the faces of the actors. The weight seen in the facial expression is unreal, and the grace with which the actors bear it is equally unreal. Bronson and Fonda manage the expressionist emphasis on the eyes with a breath-taking statuette rigidity, while Claudia Cardinale's sexy face has an ageless charm – fragility, treacherousness, seductiveness. The archetypal story of the avenger is done by Leone so incredibly personally, in a focused way and with feeling that it would be hard to find a stronger film. Moreover, Ennio Morricone's brilliant soundtrack amplifies all the emotions tenfold. How does Once Upon a Time in the West trump all the other westerns? It's not the story, the effectiveness of the shootouts... it's what a classical philosopher would call the cinematicity of the film. Once Upon a Time in the West is one of the most cinematic films I know.
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A gem, with something legendary, precious, and brilliant in every scene from Sergio Leone, in every note from Ennio Morricone, and in every gesture or word from Charles Bronson, Peter Fonda, Jason Robards, and the beautiful Claudia Cardinale. Whoever finds this epic boring should just give up on movies altogether.
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This movie is simply a gem, which sucks you in and enchants you with its soundtrack, atmosphere, and individual performances. Even though it is well over two hours long, you do not get bored for a minute, and thanks to the truly amazing soundtrack, you experience everything to the fullest. Furthermore, Claudia Cardinale is probably the most beautiful woman I have ever seen on the screen, and especially in this movie, she is simply irresistible.
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Gallery (148)
Photo © Paramount Pictures
![Once Upon a Time in the West - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/158/528/158528266_d8ed0b.jpg)
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