Once Upon A Time In the West (1968)

 

Masterpiece. Stone cold classic. One of the - if not thé - best western ever made.

No hyperbole, just simple adoration, because this one is just thàt good. 

Honestly, if you haven't seen it for whatever reason: you should. 

Ah, you need more to go on. Well then, happy to oblige.

In a dusty, far off town, three gunmen await the arrival of a stranger. Things don't go as they had planned, as they are all three gunned down by this harmonica playing man. Meanwhile, a farmer out in the boondocks gets brutally slain. So do his kids by the way, so you know this story pulls no punches. A new bride arrives, only to discover that the man and kids she went to join are now gone. And into all of this wanders a desperado, who is a far better man than at first would appear. 

But that is not all, because there is a railroad tycoon dying of tuberculosis who employs gunmen of his own, amongst whom is a Frank who seems to be not only the plotting heavy of the piece, but is also one who holds the threads of the separate stories together... Plots within plots play out, guns sound sharp and swift and sudden, and all through it a strong woman tries to find her balance in the raw west.

Oh, and revenge. There's always revenge. Or is it justice? Sometimes, the lines get blurred a little.

The reason the description is rather succinct and vague is because this is poetry in motion. Like most of Sergio Leone's films, this one moves slowly but it is never dull. No matter how much I love the Dollars-trilogy with Eastwood, those films have some tedious moments (well, except maybe for 'The Good, the Bad & the Ugly'), but this one just expertly builds tension upon tension with the occasional break in between. Funny how this usually happens with desperado Cheyenne (Jason Robards), whose theme also signals some slight humour. But be aware: it is never funny, only a bit lighter in tone. As is usually the case, there isn't that much dialogue, but the faces tell all. It's astounding what you can accomplish with just stares and eye movement. 

That being said: the cast is top notch all throughout. Charles Bronson really works as Harmonica, as he has that one-million-yard stare down to a T. Claudia Cardinale is not only gorgeous, but actually one of the few women in westerns who is just as tough as nails as all the gruff men and she easily holds her own. 

Probably the biggest surprise is casting Henry Fonda as the villainous Frank. 

No, that isn't a spoiler, this film is close to 60 years old. Grow up.

Anyway, his angelic face and blue eyes usually meant he played a good guy, but it works wonders for the complete psychopath he is portraying here. Truly one of the great film villains of all time. 

Can some of the dubbing of the partly Italian cast be distracting? Just a little, but this film has so much atmosphere, tension and drama complimented by the excellent score of master Ennio Morricone that it doesn't matter. 

This is not just golden, but beyond platinum. 

Me? Biased?

You bet your sweet ass I am when it comes to this one.