directed by Sergio Leone, 1968
With the trademark close up/long shot style of shooting, the dollars trilogy can be easily classed as arty. At a dramatic level, however, they are still for the most part (albeit excellent) pulpy shoot-em-outs, a fact all the more obvious when compared to Once Upon A Time In The West. Here, serious art mixes with ultra-cool gunslingers and filters through all parts of the film, to create one of the most stylistic and visually gorgeous films ever made.
To review the film itself, the best place to start would be the beginning. The Virgin Film Guide argues that this film's title sequence is the most famous in cinema history. I'm not sure if I agree with that totally-my vote would go to Reservoir Dogs, although doubtless there are many others that I am entirely ignorant of-but while maybe not being as famous as made out, it still ranks as one of the best title sequences ever. This is all the more remarkable given that nothing happens: three men wait for a train at a station. That's it. The ten minute scene is dialogue free (apart from a few lines uttered by a doddery old ticket collector at the very beginning) and totally without incident, yet it is taught, nerve-tugging and hypnotic. The tension is carried by the natural menace of Woody Strode, Jack Elam and Al Mulock as they collect water, shoo flies and crack their knuckles, while in the background the sounds of the breeze and a creaking windmill bypass the ears completely and go straight to the brain. Then, suddenly, the train arrives, Charles Bronson gets off, blows his harmonica, and BOOM...
The film then cuts to a devastating massacre scene in which a family of innocents (for added poignancy) are wiped out by the bad guy to end all bad guys. The scene is dramatic, shocking (really) and totally perfect, in terms of drama, acting, cinematography and score, thus usefully leading me into several other points that can be applies to the film in general.
In dramatic terms, the film is too slow for some in this modern age of films that look more like music videos (I'm talking to you, McG) but what Leone is doing here is cranking up the tension. Take the scene where Cheyenne arrives at the bar and has his handcuffs shot off-the "action" is so low key that it is not sufficient to relieve the tension, and by the end the viewer is about ready to explode. There is only one proper action scene-where Frank is attacked by his own band of treacherous mercenaries-in the entire film. A far cry from the wall-to-wall gunfights of other westerns, but no bad thing. The drama ties in with the music to create an emotional effect to make us sad even when the baddies die, let alone the goodies.
Next: the cast. Charles Bronson's role is one that suits him perfectly, a stoic mystery man with little to say. Jason Robards's Cheyenne is charming to watch. Gabriele Ferzetti, although he plays a villain, gives the role such emotion that the viewer is compelled to like him, however pathetic he may be. By general consensus though, the real tour-de-force is Henry Fonda as the ice-cold murderer Frank. Although the whole typecasting issue is probably lost on modern audiences, he still makes a terrific bad guy all the same-so frightening he makes the crickets stop chirping.
The film is beautifully shot. The McBain massacre, where the gunmen stride menacingly out of the bushes...and especially the flashback, where we learn the motivations of Harmonica. I won't give it away, but wow. The flashback is probably the best-shot scene of the film, which is really saying something.
It's late at night now as I write this, so I�ll give the final word to the music. THE music-Ennio Morricone does it again. This is an extremely varied score, ranging from a sweeping, love theme to electric guitar that sounds like it is being plucked with a razor blade. And given that it was all written before shooting started, it is given an added mystique for fans of scores. Beautiful.
That's it. I have only scratched the surface-no review could cover everything without hugely exceeding IMDB's word limit-and I have not even touched on the whole "death of the west" theme, or mentioned Claudia Cardinale. But it's all there for you to find out. Ladies and gentlemen: the perfect western.
*****
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