Once Upon a Time in the West, based on a story by Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci and Sergio Leone, directed by the latter - 9.4 out of 10

Once Upon a Time in the West, based on a story by Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci and Sergio Leone, directed by the latter
9.4 out of 10


This memorable motion picture has become a landmark in the History of Cinema, included on major lists of the Best Films Ever Made.

Some of its scenes are also presented online as Nec Plus Ultra, the quintessential best shots.
Some say the moment when Harmonica aka the solid Charles Bronson - rather unusually formidable for this cinephile, who has seen him mostly in forgettable fare, where all his enemies die and there is nothing interesting about the plot - arrives by train is the best shot ever.

Henry Fonda also has an unusual role, whereas we are expecting him to play the hero,  a role model, in this motion picture, he is the absolute villain, Frank, a monster willing to walk on bodies, throw a divine widow like Jill McBain aka the spectacular Claudia Cardinale out on the street.
Frank works for a railway Baron, Morton, who gains the extraordinarily valuable land of the widow, if the railway station is not finished before the line reaches the property.

Foul play, murder, extortion, every monstrosity would be used in order to get the land.
Harmonica might stand in the way, for he has a revenge to take, given that the beastly Frank had killed in the past a member of his family, in gruesome, terrible circumstances.

Furthermore, a valiant, fearsome ally would join forces with Harmonica, Manuel 'Cheyenne' Gutierrez aka the sensational Jason Robards.
There are many tense, dramatic scenes.

The gun fight that takes place when Harmonica comes to town, by train, is splendid, although very short.
The expectations are building up to a superb climax.

Another battle takes place around and within the special train car that transports the disabled and vicious Morton and his henchmen.
Frank sees the shadow of Harmonica, as he moves on top of the train, and manages to take him prisoner.

But then Cheyenne enters the stage and uses marvelous tactics and accurate shooting to eliminate all his adversaries.
Frank had gone by now, but evidently, a major confrontation would have to take place between:

The Good and The Bad

The villains try to force the widow McBain to sell her land for a pittance.
When Harmonica offers $ 5,000, which might me fifty million today, they cannot stop him.

Frank offers him the five thousand and a dollar, to avoid  a shoot to kill situation.
Counterintuitively, Harmonica seems to help the villain escape execution at the hands of his own men, paid by Morton to eliminate him.

But that's just because he wants to fight him himself, in a fair fight, not see his enemy killed in a 'dirty' manner, by assassination.
Some critics thought this film perfect, while the one from The New York Times wrote that 'it is quite bad'