Once Upon a Time in the West

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Once Upon a Time in the West

PG-13

Released May 28, 1969

2h 45m

Western

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96%

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68 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

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.

Mar 24, 2020

Full Review

Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out

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

Mar 24, 2020

Full Review

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

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.

Mar 24, 2020

Full Review

Noah Gittell

Washington City Paper

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.

Jun 8, 2024

Full Review

John Nguyen

Nerd Reactor

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.

Rated: 4.5/5

May 21, 2024

Full Review

Sean Burns

Crooked Marquee

Leone’s gloriously inflated epic isn’t just any old Western. It’s all of them.

May 26, 2023

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JOE S

Classic spaghetti Western

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/21/24

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Tom

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

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/01/24

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Stephen C

A successful Western movie in 2.75 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Long, but to the point!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/09/25

Full Review

Nick F

Sergio Leone’s epic Once Upon A Time In The West is one of the greatest Westerns of all time. Made in 1969, and lasting 159 minutes, it brings together a great cast, a fascinating and unpredictable screenplay, masterful photography, and delivers an utterly absorbing and compelling experience. Hollywood greats Henry Fonda, Jason Robards and Charles Bronson are all flawless, as is the sultry Claudia Cardinale who is the central character in the mysterious slaughter of an entire family. Sergio Leone co-wrote the screenplay, did the editing and of course directed, and as the story unfolds, you can almost feel the heat, the dust and the sweat. Leone is noted for his lingering close-ups and some say that in this movie they are sometimes a little too long. Perhaps, but the facial close-ups, the lined faces and the haunting eyes, tell their own story about the characters bleak and desperate lives. Bronson is outstanding as a man of few words, as he was in The Magnificent Seven, a loner with a dark past. Robards is superb as a tricky leering chancer with his eye on Claudia Cardinale, a very rich widow. Henry Fonda is chilling as a mysterious cold-eyed and cold-hearted killer drawn into the mix by the lure of a hidden fortune. And Western veteran Jack Elam deserves much praise for his mesmerising attempts to dislodge a fly from his face in the silent opening few minutes, a masterful cameo performance. Set against the construction of a railway through a desert, this film is a true Western masterpiece, surgically exposing disparate characters drawn to the location for different reasons and different motives, but all aware they may not leave alive. REVIEWED by Nick Fletcher

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/05/25

Full Review

Audience Member

The movie is too long and so many unnecessary scene...

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

05/30/25

Full Review

Movie Mike D

Fantastic Classic Western, has great visuals and atmospheric soundtrack, the cast is superb, great acting

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/25/25

Full Review

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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)

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