Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Sergio Leone was destined to make westerns.
Presentation:
Following the greatest western of all time The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Leone is offered a script for a new western after saying he would never do another western again. So to pull him back in, it had better be worth his time. What he delivers is a masterfully framed picture with polished experience. The film begins with a tense, edge of your seat slow burn with wonderful cinematography. I’d say it’s probably one of the greatest openings for a film. Like his other Once Upon a Time films, it’s a bit convoluted in plot and some parts hard to follow if you’re not paying full attention to every dialogue. It’s just densely full of depth and complexity. Ennio Morricone yet again creates an iconic soundtrack with the harmonica. Clint Eastwood declines the protagonist role and I have to say the lead isn’t particularly charismatic. That’s really the missing piece of this otherwise masterpiece.
Conclusion:
The frames should speak for themselves. Sergio Leone is a master of westerns and framing anamorphic pictures, transcending past filmmaking into another art form entirely. It’s more serious than The Good, the Bad and the Ugly without the humor or comedic relief. But in terms of cinematography, this western is unmatched.
Recommendations
The collapse of western civilization starts with a face mask.