C'era una volta il West (1968)

Director:

Sergio Leone

Writers:

Dario Argento (story) &
Bernardo Bertolucci (story) ...

Release Date:

21 December 1968 (Italy)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

There were three men in her life. One to take her... one to love her... and one to kill her.

Plot:

Epic story of a mysterious stranger with a harmonica who joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad.

Plot Keywords:

Assassin | Widow | Epic | Railway | Man With No Name

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Henry Fonda	...	Frank
Claudia Cardinale	...	Jill McBain
Jason Robards	...	Cheyenne
Charles Bronson	...	Harmonica
Gabriele Ferzetti	...	Morton (railroad baron)
Paolo Stoppa	...	Sam
Woody Strode	...	Stony - Member of Frank's Gang
Jack Elam	...	Snaky - Member of Frank's Gang
Keenan Wynn	...	Sheriff (auctioneer)
Frank Wolff	...	Brett McBain
Lionel Stander	...	Barman

Also Known As:

Once Upon a Time in the West (International: English title) (UK) (USA)
Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West (Australia)
There Was Once the West (USA) (literal English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for western violence and brief sensuality. (re-rated; rated M/PG in 1969)

Runtime:

Italy:175 min | 165 min (international version) | Finland:137 min (1970)

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) (re-rating) (2004) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1970) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (re-rating) (1977) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Netherlands:12 | Norway:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (re-rating) (2000) | UK:15 (video rating) (1989) | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:M (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (re-rating) (2003) | USA:PG (re-rating) (1969) | West Germany:16 (w)

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

Finanzia San Marco

Trivia:

Body count: 29

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Jill McBain is driven from the train to Sweetwater the horse and carriage change to a different animal and shape, then back again when they arrive. The horse starts out with two white "socks" to three, and back again. The carriage changes shape and the luggage is stacked differently throughout the ride.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Station agent: Hey - hey hey hey hey, if you want any tickets, you'll have to go around to, eh, to, eh, the front of the, eh... oooh, well, I s'pose it'll be all right.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

An opera of a western vengeance

"Once upon a time in the west" symbolizes the quintessence of theatrical ceremonial. Sergio Leone seized the traditional western and, helped by his scriptwriter Dario Argento, the future reference of giallo and baroque slaughter on large screens, enriched it with emphatic approach and humorous disenchantment. In fact, he builds a myth with modest elements - an organ mouth, a blue-eyed glance, long coats - and introduces lyricism and immoderation, to sublimate the manners of this specific spectacle. The daring of realization - inverted or encircling shot - and artistic choice (Henry Fonda becomes a tough guy) express an authentic will to break the common rules, in order to confer sensible density on his characters and an aesthetic energy on his scenery. Paradoxically, this glittering vision of Redemption, which was hesitating between homage and parody, belongs now to the classics. Looking for ruins poetry and contemporary genesis, the director has created an absolute. A story beginning by "Once upon a time" contains always some scraps of eternity...