In Sergio Leone's epic Western, shot partly
in Monument Valley, a revenge story becomes an epic contemplation
of the Western past.
To get his hands on prime railroad land in Sweetwater, crippled
railroad baron Morton (Gabriele Ferzetti) hires killers, led
by blue-eyed sadist Frank (Henry Fonda), who wipe out property
owner Brett McBain (Frank Wolff) and his family.
McBain's newly arrived bride, Jill (Claudia Cardinale), however,
inherits it instead.
Both outlaw Cheyenne (Jason Robards) and lethally mysterious
Harmonica (Charles Bronson) take it upon themselves to look
after Jill and thwart Frank's plans to seize her land.
As alliances and betrayals mutate, it soon becomes clear that
Harmonica wants to get Frank for another reason, it has something
to do with death. As in his Dollars trilogy, Leone transforms
the standard Western plot through the visual impact of widescreen
landscapes and the figures therein.
At its full length, Once Upon a Time in the West is Leone's
operatic masterwork, worthy of its legend-making title.
Cast:
Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards, Charles Bronson
Director:
Sergio Leone
About soundtrack:
The music was written by composer Ennio Morricone, Leone's
regular collaborator, who wrote the score under Leone's direction
before filming began.
As in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the stirring music contributes
to the film's mythic or operatic grandeur and, like the music
for The Good the Bad and the Ugly, is considered one of Morricone's
greatest compositions.
The film features leitmotifs that relate to each of the main
characters (each with their own unique theme music) as well
as to the spirit of the American West.
It was Leone's desire to have the music available and played
during filming.
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