Once Upon a Time in the West

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Once Upon a Time in the West

PG-13

1969

2h 45m

Western

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Popcornmeter

96%

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67 Reviews

94%

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50,000+ Ratings

There's a single piece of land around Flagstone with water on it, and rail baron Morton (Gabriele Ferzetti) aims to have it, knowing the new railroad will have to stop there. He sends his henchman Frank (Henry Fonda) to scare the land's owner, McBain (Frank Wolff), but Frank kills him instead and pins it on a known bandit, Cheyenne (Jason Robards). Meanwhile, a mysterious gunslinger with a score to settle (Charles Bronson) and McBain's new wife, Jill (Claudia Cardinale), arrive in town.

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Critics Consensus

A landmark Sergio Leone spaghetti western masterpiece featuring a classic Morricone score.

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TIME Staff

TIME Magazine

03/24/2020

Leone's newest effort, Once Upon a Time in the West, with a major cast and a lot of big studio money behind it, proves that he is simply a serious bore.

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Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out

03/24/2020

If there had to be a final Western, Once Upon a Time in the West would be it.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

03/24/2020

Moments of intense realism flow into passages of operatic extravagance; lowbrow burlesque exists side by side with the expression of the most refined shades of feeling.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 22

4/4

Leone's operatic oater remains notable for a number of achievements.

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Noah Gittell

Washington City Paper

06/08/2024

Sergio Leone’s 1968 spaghetti western might be set in the 19th century, but it captured the violence of the ’60s, yet the grandly cinematic film that still somehow embraces humanity.

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John Nguyen

Nerd Reactor

05/21/2024

4.5/5

The epic spaghetti Western features an excellent score from Ennio Morricone, sweeping cinematography, and a gritty cast with rugged features that are great for Leone’s close-up and long takes.

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JOE S

11/20/2024

Classic spaghetti Western

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Tom

04/01/2024

Awesome quality film print. Really enjoyed the movie. Excellent food and drink service

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Garrett B

@gmoney637 5d

Once Upon a Time in the West offers great standout performances and Moricone’s musical score brings this western film to vivid life.

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Mark B

@Thelaser555 5d

Great film score, brilliant opening scene at a deserted train station (no speech for 12 and a half minutes) and Fonda and Bronson give gutsy performances. But the film doesn't have the edge of Leone's previous spaghetti westerns and Cardinale is like a ball in a pin ball machine. Restless, unattached and irrational without any direction. She beds her husband's killer in an extraordinary scene and flounces around without meaning or cause. The movie also feels too long and some of the scenes do not fit neatly into an all-ready difficult jigsaw. To finish, Charles Bronson is no Clint Eastwood, despite his eerie playing of his beloved mouth organ.

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Mark L.

@Peabsrt May 8

This is one of the best westerns ever made. What made it so entertaining are Henry Fonda as Frank playing the role of a sinister bad guy for once in his career and doing a marvelous job of it, Charles Bronson, playing the harmonica toting man who has a vendetta to settle, and Jason Robards as Cheyenne the leader of a gang. I was amazed at how good Jason Roberts was in this movie. The only thing you have to be patient about is the story takes its time to tell the whole story but it's well worth the journey when you finally realize the interactions and the motivations of the characters as the story progresses. The score was very good and each character seemed to have their own little theme jingle in the movie. I can't recommend this more that you watch this movie. You will be happy you did.

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Keith B.

@Okbullard Apr 25

I first watched this probably in the 70s when it went to TV but didn't remember much so I gave it a look. It was pretty good but I liked his Clint Eastwood man with no name trilogy more. It's interesting I read that Sergio Leone initially wanted Eastwood for the harmonica character but Eastwood turned him down for fear of being typecasted. Give it a watch you may enjoy it.

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Sergio Leone

Director

Henry Fonda

Frank

Claudia Cardinale

Jill McBain

Charles Bronson

Harmonica

Jason Robards

Cheyenne

Frank Wolff

Brett McBain

Once Upon a Time in the West: Official Clip - What You're After

2:13

Once Upon a Time in the West: Official Clip - He Not Only Plays, He Can Shoot Too

2:05

Once Upon a Time in the West: Official Clip - Frank's Death

2:13

Once Upon a Time in the West: Official Clip - Harmonica's Flashback

2:14

Once Upon a Time in the West: Official Clip - A Man's Hands All Over You

2:13

Once Upon a Time in the West: Official Clip - That Strange Sound Right Now

2:12

Once Upon a Time in the West: Official Clip - McBain Family Slaughter

2:09

Once Upon a Time in the West: Official Clip - Two Horses Too Many

2:13

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Synopsis

There's a single piece of land around Flagstone with water on it, and rail baron Morton (Gabriele Ferzetti) aims to have it, knowing the new railroad will have to stop there. He sends his henchman Frank (Henry Fonda) to scare the land's owner, McBain (Frank Wolff), but Frank kills him instead and pins it on a known bandit, Cheyenne (Jason Robards). Meanwhile, a mysterious gunslinger with a score to settle (Charles Bronson) and McBain's new wife, Jill (Claudia Cardinale), arrive in town.

Director: Sergio Leone
Producer: Bino Cicogna
Screenwriter: Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci, Sergio Leone
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Western
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Theaters): May 28, 1969, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 6, 2014
Runtime: 2h 45m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Scope (2.35:1)