Lovers of Westerns should be in the know about this 1968 classic. Once Upon a Time in the West is an epic spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone from a screenplay he co-wrote with Sergio Donati. It stars Claudia Cardinale, Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, Charles Bronson, Gabriele Ferzetti, Woody Strode, Jack Elam, Lionel Stander, Paolo Stoppa, Frank Wolff, and Keenan Wynn.
Leone decided to return after directing The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, with an aim to produce his film based on the novel The Hoods, which eventually became Once Upon a Time in America. However, he accepted an offer from Paramount Pictures, providing Henry Fonda and a budget were granted to produce another Western.
When Clint Eastwood turned down an offer to play the protagonist, Bronson was offered the role, making it the first instalment in Leone’s Once Upon a Time trilogy.
The film’s synopsis reads: « There’s a single piece of land around Flagstone with water on it, and rail baron Morton (Ferzetti) aims to have it, knowing the new railroad will have to stop there. He sends his henchman Frank (Fonda) to scare the land’s owner, McBain (Wolff), but Frank kills him instead and pins it on a known bandit, Cheyenne (Robards). Meanwhile, a mysterious gunslinger with a score to settle (Bronson) and McBain’s new wife, Jill (Cardinale), arrive in town. »
The film is regarded as one of the greatest Westerns and one of the greatest films in history, topping IMDb’s listing of « The 100 Greatest Western Movies of All Time: Including Five You’ve Never Heard of ».
Once Upon a Time in the West has amassed an impressive 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics’ consensus stating: « A landmark Sergio Leone spaghetti western masterpiece featuring a classic Morricone score. »
One reviewer wrote: « I ranked this movie as the best western ever made, along with Sergio Leon’s classic ‘Duck You Sucker’ (or also called « Fistful of Dynamite »). Two must-watch spaghetti westerns. Henry Fonda is amazing. »
Another said: « The best western of all time, tied with the good, the bad and the ugly. »
« If you are into a captivating story with a complimentary mood and tone, well, this Western hits hard. Honour, Courage, and Tragedy are demonstrated by great acting. The music seems to make it magical and complete. I don’t know how they made this so good, and that was done in 1968, » added a third.
Once Upon a Time in the West is available for purchase on most streaming platforms.
