The apex of Sergio Leone’s career came with “Once Upon a Time in the West,” a movie many consider to be one of the greatest motion pictures of all time. It certainly has all of the ingredients of a timeless cinematic classic: Great performances by big name stars, a well written screenplay with a good vs. evil theme, outstanding cinematography, a haunting movie score, and wonderful intangible atmospherics.
Director Leone wasted little screen time on nonsense and triviality. The two hours and forty-six minutes of “Once Upon a Time in the West” flew by. The screenplay by Leone and Sergio Donati (English version by Mickey Knox) was very economical with dialogue; there were long pauses without the actors speaking, as in many of his films. The score by Ennio Morricone and cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli are indeed exemplar.
Finally, the cast members of this picture are all at the top of their game. Claudia Cardinale, Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, Charles Bronson, Jack Elam, Keenan Wynn, Gabriele Farzetti, Paolo Stoppa, Woody Strode, Frank Wolff, and Lionel Stander all contribute their two cents to the excitement and watchability of the greatest Spaghetti Western them all, “Once Upon a Time in the West.”
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
cinema
My Review
The apex of Sergio Leone’s career came with “Once Upon a Time in the West,” a movie many consider to be one of the greatest motion pictures of all time. It certainly has all of the ingredients of a timeless cinematic classic: Great performances by big name stars, a well written screenplay with a good vs. evil theme, outstanding cinematography, a haunting movie score, and wonderful intangible atmospherics.
Director Leone wasted little screen time on nonsense and triviality. The two hours and forty-six minutes of “Once Upon a Time in the West” flew by. The screenplay by Leone and Sergio Donati (English version by Mickey Knox) was very economical with dialogue; there were long pauses without the actors speaking, as in many of his films. The score by Ennio Morricone and cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli are indeed exemplar.
Finally, the cast members of this picture are all at the top of their game. Claudia Cardinale, Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, Charles Bronson, Jack Elam, Keenan Wynn, Gabriele Farzetti, Paolo Stoppa, Woody Strode, Frank Wolff, and Lionel Stander all contribute their two cents to the excitement and watchability of the greatest Spaghetti Western them all, “Once Upon a Time in the West.”