Once upon a time in the west is Sergio Leone’s penultimate western and, in my opinion, the zenith of the genre. It follows a nameless killer: Harmonica- played by Charles Bronson, whom is tracking down Henry Fonda’s villain Frank for unknown reasons. A bandit, Jason Robards Jr’s Cheyenne, falls into the mix in the deadly game, with Claudia Cardinale’s beautiful Jill, widowed by Frank’s men- on the fringes of collapse and desperately battling to keep her lands, holding great promise none yet see, as well as her life. It’s an epic, spanning over 2 and a half hours of spaghetti bliss, but also an oddly operatic tone. The film’s plot holds itself with such purpose and gravity, and takes its sweet time playing out- that it could be considered a beautiful operatic piece as much as a stylised western- in a genre full of them. It breathes life into this exhausted concept with innovative ideals, twists, turns and one of the only heroines in old America’s film canon- As well as some new and unique cinematography and music. The characters all have a sense of unheard importance. Leone gives us their intents and dreams without so much as lifting a finger and stating it in the script- it’s all there to see. Fonda, in a role that defies his career of heroism and gallantry, is a steely-eyed, despicable (not only in murder, but in rape) scoundrel of a man, but you cannot help but admire is cool demeanour and intelligence- not a crazed gunman like many others (“You won’t kill me, it isn’t to your advantage”). In his introductory scene, he kills a child, emerging from the brush as the stone faced devil and snatching away innocence simply for uttering his name in the pre-adolescent’s presence- Immediately cementing him as a villain who will kill anybody, and, from the look on his face, probably relishes in the blood he spills. Cheyenne is a different story, not murdering children, and a man whom we see grow from an arrogant (“shag”), brash (“You wouldn’t want to see me mad”) vagabond to someone we emote with when victory is sounded and then crushed when we have to watch him bleed (“I don’t want you to see me die”). A cruel twist of fate for a man growing love, care and conscience from Jill Mcbain’s influence, proving the west claims even the men repenting from their sins- howling in the pain of their wounds and unable to fight any-more. Jill, Leone’s contribution to the genre in the form of a dazzling woman, has to fight her own demons. Returning from a life of prostitution (“The telegraph, such a wonderful invention”) in “New Orleans!” to find her family dead and men vying for control of her property. Desperate and weak, help comes in the form of an unlikely hero, the kind of man who doesn’t look the type to go helping poor defenceless widows: Harmonica. Charles Bronson works some kind of magic in this film. From some searing opening lines (“You brought two too many”) to his final whisper goodbye- he holds tension, grace and honour, despite some questionable methods (particularly his harshness to Jill). He is wrapped in an enigma right until the triumphant climax, and, as his thirst for revenge is finally quenched, we feel happiness for a man we know nothing about. Perhaps it was the hatred of Frank, or the evil he put this man through as a boy, but Harmonica’s victory is hailed by us all, despite the man’s lack of real character. Leone once again proved that steely and undeniably cold killers like Blondie, and now Harmonica, need no name, nor real soul, to emote from us and steer away from becoming wooden- and can still ooze badasserey all the way to the finish. Morricone once again delivers a flawless score, this time with much more range and grace than that of Leone’s previous western masterpiece. Ranging from intense and sharp beats that send shivers down the spine to lax and comforting tracks, all reflecting the world around them- the characters’ emotions, their movements- Truly proving that this is as much an opera as a film. They fill it with serenity (Jill’s station) as well as darkness (Fonda’s entrance), and give each character’s introduction all the more weight and importance, and each movement and motion all the more tense or meaningful. It gives the slow burn pacing something to be filled with, and you can awe at the landscapes and powerful shooting (camera-work) in conjunction with the score as much as you would enjoy a quick film, to the punch and-much more punctual. Speaking of the camera, the cinematography is wonderful, close ups, editing, and natural beauty are used much more effectively in this one, and the level of passionate detail in the sets, some of which only appear for mere minutes, is so intricate it’s simply awe-inspiring. With ambitious shots incorporating shadow and motion, as well as sweeping ones to hold the eye, Leone’s film comes together with not only a backbone of good characters and soul, but also a mesmerising skin not draped, but carefully pieced over the skeletal infrastructure in the form of the gorgeous sets and designs. Overall, not only is it vibrant, innovative (nigh revolutionary), unique, well-paced, even better written and superbly acted for a genre with such wooden or less charged portrayals, but also has some jaw-dropping relish on top to boot in the form of its aesthetic perfection, and operatic music. Stunning, gritty and unquestionably brilliant- Once Upon A Time in the West is by far the greatest western I’ve ever had the exquisite pleasure of witnessing, as well as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made- and that- sadly- nobody ever talks about… 8- I re-watched all of my top movies recently, and this rose several tens of places because it literally sent shivers down my spine. That may sound dumb but its a rare feeling for a film to exude on me- so go watch it. Nao. Hell it just beat Fight Club, American Psyco, A Clockwork Orange, The Thin Red Line, Sleepers & There Will Be freaking Blood so it cant be bad. Right? (no.1) Although no Lee Van Cleef :(
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 12:14:39 +0000
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