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Once Upon a Time in the West
Availability:
In Stock
Price:
$9.98
$4.81*
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| Part No: | B0000AUHPG |
| Manufacturer: | Paramount |
| MFG Part: | PARD068304D |
| Customer Rating: | 4.5 / 5.0 |
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The so-called spaghetti Western achieved its apotheosis in Sergio Leone's magnificently mythic (and utterly outlandish) Once upon a Time in the West. After a series of international hits starring Clint Eastwood (from A Fistful of Dollars to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly), Leone outdid himself with this spectacular, larger-than-life, horse-operatic epic about how the West was won. (And make no mistake: this is the wide, wide West, folks--so the widescreen/letterboxed version is strongly recommended.) The unholy trinity of Italian cinema--Leone, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Dario Argento--concocted the story about a woman (Claudia Cardinale) hanging onto her land in hopes that the transcontinental railroad would reach her before a steely-eyed, black-hearted killer (Fonda) does. (The film's advertising slogan was: "There were three men in her life. One to take her ... one to love her ... and one to kill her.") Meanwhile, Leone shoots his stars' faces as if they were expansive Western landscapes, and their towering bodies as if they were looming rock formations in John Ford's Monument Valley. --Jim Emerson
Morton (Gabriele Ferzetti), the power-hungry owner of a railroad company, hires Frank (Henry Fonda, playing against type), a gunfighter without a conscience, to kill anyone who stands in the way of the completion of the railroad. After Frank murders land owner Brett McBain (Frank Wolff), McBain's widow (Claudia Cardinale) hires two killers of her own to protect her and gain revenge: a mysterious, harmonica-playing desperado (Charles Bronson) and his rogue sidekick (Jason Robards). Using techniques previously unseen in the genre, Sergio Leone utilizes close-ups, color, and Ennio Morricone's trademark score to create a tense and somber meditation on death which is widely considered to be one of the best westerns in cinematic history. Soon-to-be legendary Italian directors Dario Argento (SUSPIRIA) and Bernardo Bertolucci (THE LAST EMPEROR) collaborated with Leone on the screenplay.
| Awesome Sergio Leone Flick | 2010-02-28 | 5 / 5 |
| | Good master copy. Great acting and script. Love the soundtrack. Only watched some of the featurettes but this is a great film for Sergio Leone fans. |
| Filmmaking at its most Divine!!! | 2010-02-28 | 5 / 5 |
| This is probably one of the very greatest films of all time. It is grand on visuals, it is grand on action, it is grand on music and most importantly, it is grand on story.
Many times I have walked right by this gem of a film in the store. I have picked it up then put it back fearing that it would be a waste of money, as I have never heard of this title nor seen any previews or heard the name Sergio Leone before, although I have been watching The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly for years... Then one day it happened. While alone, dog sitting for a week, I came across this in the owners collection. To put it mildly, I went nuts!!! I completely lost my mind over this film. Being a film crazy (over a thousand films and counting), I had to have this for my personal collection. I could not believe what I had just witnessed. Before this I was completely lost on the art of filmmaking/storytelling. NOW....
Sergio Leone has put all of his genius into this film. From the casting, to the locations, the music, to the props and story. For the greatest experience, ever, I will not ruin the story by telling you the plot. Others reviewers have done that... I will say, if you want to see a film with deep colors, with passionate portrayals and a film that does not mind moving along so masterfully, slow, so that you may achieve the deepest of connections for each of its scenes and characters, this is it. Adding to this already perfect film is Ennio Morricone's absolute best score. The music flows beautifully into one another, is completely different for each character, yet works as a whole. For your listening pleasure, I recommend the expanded italian version of the score. It is divine.
Remember, it is not easy making a film, and even more difficult to make a masterpiece. Sergio Leone has done so. He said, "... one year of filmmaking for me, is like three for others..." It showed. God Bless Sergio Leone. |
| Disc will not play on my DVD player, not the right "region" | 2010-02-17 | 1 / 5 |
| | Never had the opportunity to play this, when tried on my DVD player, The error message 'playback not possible in this region' was displayed. Probably should have been delivered to a customer in Singapore or South Africa. |
| One of the best of the Italian westerns | 2009-12-28 | 5 / 5 |
| There were a lot of Italian westerns made ranging from really pathetic to really good. This is one of the best of the bunch.
One thing that notice early on in the film is that the story is being told as much by the visuals of the actor`s faces as by
the dialog. Nothing is rushed, everything is slow and deliberate except for the violent scenes making a surprisingly good
contrast. The build up is almost painfully slow and then explodes and is over in a couple of seconds.
Another that sets it apart is the casting of Henry Fonda as the bad guy. Fonda was almost always the stereotypical good guy.
But in this one he proves he can not only play the bad guy well, but a truely cold blooded monster. In one scene he almost smiles
and you can see glee in his eyes as he coldbloodedly murders a 10 year old child.
Another is the western visuals (which mostly were NOT filmed in the west or even in the US) that really catch the eye. The very edge
of civilization. Everything is rough and half build, right down to the rough hand hewn lumber and logs. People making due with what is
on hand, just as they have always done in hard times. Giving a real authentic feel to the picture.
The story and plot are old ones that were well used even by the 60s when the film was made. But in this case it`s not so much the
story as how the story is told that gets you hooked.
Overall it`s an excellent western.
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| Absolutely Crucial | 2009-11-03 | 5 / 5 |
| Everyone should see this movie, even if just as the best example of what the Italian Western is capable of. Spaghetti Western designation aside, this is a great movie, one of the best ever filmed. Superb.
I must say though, that fans of Leones trilogy starring Clint Eastwood may be better served to explore elsewhere first if looking to familiarize themseves with the Italian Western. This movie may be too big a leap, and as probably the best in the genre, it would best be appreciated after seeing some the lesser, but still great, contributions the the genre.
Not as rollicking as his trilogy of films starring Clint Eastwood, Once Upon a Time... has a somewhat more sombre tone, but is no,less enjoyable. A feast for the eyes.
The package is exceptional. Worth every penny. The special features are interesting and insightful. The print itself is gorgeous.
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