Once Upon a Time in the West

PG-13

Released May 28, 1969

2 hr. 45 min.

Western

List

96%

67 Reviews

Tomatometer

94%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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Tom

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

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/01/24

Full Review

Aender S

Sergio Leone was a master and this is his best. Great actors, great story, great sets and splendid music.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/16/24

Full Review

Jay H

Sergio Leone's masterpiece.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/07/24

Full Review

Danny T

Does Charles Bronson even l-o-o-k as though he's actually playing the harmonica? Are any of these characters at all likeable? Do any of them even generate interest? Tedious. Boring. Pointless.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/24/24

Full Review

scott w

A drama disguised as a Western masterpiece.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/21/24

Full Review

Peter G

The first time I saw this film was in a Drive-In Theater & we were so bored we left before the end. That was when the film came out & it had been butchered by the studio. It was not until seeing the restored Director‘s cut on DVD years later that i had a totally positive view of what I regard now as Leone‘s greatest western film. Viewing it later it had a sweep & grandeur that make it one of the great western films. 4 such films came out in the 1960s, 2 in 1962 & 2 as well in 1968-69. I had not seen THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY until today & felt the performances surpassed, what I felt, was a rather ordinary script & IMO it is not on the same level as the others (RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY, THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALENCE, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, & THE WILD BUNCH). In ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST there are a few slow scenes but many more memorable ones. The opening scene, for example, for visceral impact ranks with the first one of INGLORIOUS BASTERDS & I especially enjoyed Jack Elam‘s ˋduel´with the fly. The story in the film itself, for me, holds my interest throughout which Leone‘s last film ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA accomplishes as well. THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY is a good film but it's subject matter just does not justify its excessive length which is not the case, I feel, in the later two Leone films mentioned here. They are both epic in scope which I feel is lacking in the earlier film. In ONCE UPON A TIME … there is also a character‘s introduction that totally shocked the audience when the actor playing it was revealed. Lastly the Claudia Cardinelli character is one of the few significant female roles in all of Leone's work. Anyway this film & PULP FICTION remain two films that for various reasons failed to register with me on my initial viewing of them.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/26/24

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

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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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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

Sean Burns

Crooked Marquee

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

May 26, 2023

Full Review

Zita Short

InSession Film

It is rare to find a Western that is so immersive, even when the characters aren’t as complex as they could be.

Feb 2, 2023

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Self-aware in every respect, from his dynamic framing to the prolonged showdowns, Leone's meticulous style may distance some viewers from making an emotional connection to his work, but striking dramatic chords is hardly his principal intention.

Rated: 4/4

Mar 20, 2022

Full Review

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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
Executive Producer: Fulvio Morsella
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
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Scope (2.35:1)

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