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| Once Upon A Time In The West (1969) By Kenaz For Sergio Leones 4th film he was basically giving a blank cheque to follow up the success of his previous Spaghetti Western 'Dollars' Trilogy. He delivered a 3 hour epic which didn't actually look like the previous films that much, not as Mediterranean. The film got panned at the time but has since been rightfully acknowledged as one of the greatest all time westerns, perhaps the greatest. The original treatment was Co-Wrote with Dario Argento and Bernardo Bertolucci but was later revised by Leone and Sergio Donati, the famous Train Station sequence at the start for example was a scene Dario had much to do with and was also a homage to High Noon. The filmmakers watched every western they could get there hands on basically to see what works and to make the ultimate western so there's many homage's and little nicks. Its nostalgia which comes from a overwhelming love of the genre which Sergio has, with this huge budget he was giving a free ticket. The story is simple but perfect. Another man with no name (Charles Bronson). Is out for revenge, targeting Frank (Henry Fonda), a ruthless killer hired by a railroad boss. The railroad boss Mr. Morton wants the land of Jill McBain (Claudia Cardinale), and the man with no name and his newfound ally Cheyenne (James Robards) team up to defeat the railroad boss and Frank. The overall pacing of the film is slow, it feels no need to rush and force the storyline. In the opening scene 3 outlaws wait at a isolated train station for a train to arrive which goes on for seemingly ever. One cracks his knuckles, one lets water fall on his Stetson and another try's to swipe a fly of his face, it all increases the boredom they have and makes you think why are they there? I like the casting of Fonda as Frank, he is so unlikely. Ironically he was Sergios 1st choice for Clints role in the 'Dollars' trilogy, here he’s a bad guy. When they 1st screentested him they made him all bad with a moustache and put brown contact lenses in and Sergio said ‘no’ I want just Peter Fonda with those blue eyes. Bronsen is also great as the man with no name, though perhaps no Clint. Ennio Moriccino’s scores still as amazing but different, its more traditional western and even grandeur. The score is one of the interesting things about it, or how its used. Each character has there own theme tune, The man with the know name plays this eerie harmonic song which is tied in with the plot, Jason Robards character has this wonderful bar-room western shuffle, it works really well. The use of the Camera is even more elaborate, in one scene lifted from Citizen Kane but done differently here Claudia walks through the train station and the camera swoops overhead and over the top revealing a stunningly built western town, this timed with the score is magical moment, one which was homaged itself for 'Back To The Future 3' (1990). The film has the feel of a Opera, with the beautiful score and camera work and all these outlaws riding along with there own theme tune, its distinctly Italian in feel and originality, but with the far greater budget Hollywood can provide. |