Once Upon a Time in the West

[Modeps]

My friends and I do a movie night every other week, each taking turns to pick a movie. Tonight was my choice....

The reason why I picked this was because I had heard it was the ultimate western. If that's the case though, I guess I really don't like westerns. Give me Tombstone, Young Guns, Unforgiven, or even Open Range before this stinker. I was so hoping that it would be fantastic, but I found myself wishing that it was an hour shorter (I may have given it a much higher rating if it was). The tension was being built up, but there was never a big shootout as I was expecting. The story was a bit too vague for my tastes and just when I thought I understood everything, it took another turn and I was in nowhere-land yet again. Too much of the movie relied on the camera zoomed in on the eyes of all the different characters with some twangy music playing. About the only thing that I liked about the movie was the reason Harmonica Man was going after Frank, but that payoff took far too long to get to. So Disappointed.... With a capital D.

Please share your thoughts if you've seen it... I'm wondering #1) why it's rated so highly on IMDB and #2) what you think of it

 

[slick230]

If you don't get Sergio Leone's directorial and writing style, then you won't appreciate his movies. He had a very deliberate camera style, and his writing was very involved and detail oriented, so he wanted to capture all of that in his films.

 

[Super56K]

I'd say you're just not a fan of spaghetti westerns then. I'd give you reasons why I liked this movie so much, but you described most of them in your original post in an unfavorable light. I've tried to get friends to watch this with me and some have had the same reactions that you wrote. On another note, his final movie; Once Upon a Time in America, is a masterpiece in my opinion. I loved it, but I've only seen it twice because of the length of it.(close to 4 hours I think)

 

[slick230]

Originally posted by: Super56K
I'd say you're just not a fan of spaghetti westerns then. I'd give you reasons why I liked this movie so much, but you described most of them in your original post in an unfavorable light. I've tried to get friends to watch this with me and some have had the same reactions that you wrote. On another note, his final movie; Once Upon a Time in America, is a masterpiece in my opinion. I loved it, but I've only seen it twice because of the length of it.(close to 4 hours I think)

As good as OATIA is, Leone hated the final cut because the studio hacked it all apart and jumbled the scenes up, so when you watch it it is kind of confusing. As far as I know, I believe the original cut as Leone intended it has only been shown a few times, and never on broadcast television.

 

[anxi80]

i just re-watched this movie a couple weeks back. i like it because i respect sergio's direction style and his writing style (like little to sometimes no dialogue for the first few minutes of the movie, or the flashback sequences and how he shows more and more in the each new flashback) and also because i love morricone's scores.

but to be honest, 'west' in not my favrorite leone movie. that nod of course goes to the obvious choice, 'tgtbatu'. in fact, id put 'for a few dollars more' and 'america' before 'west'.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: anxi80
i just re-watched this movie a couple weeks back. i like it because i respect sergio's direction style and his writing style (like little to sometimes no dialogue for the first few minutes of the movie, or the flashback sequences and how he shows more and more in the each new flashback) and also because i love morricone's scores.

but to be honest, 'west' in not my favrorite leone movie. that nod of course goes to the obvious choice, 'tgtbatu'. in fact, id put 'for a few dollars more' and 'america' before 'west'.

Oh, I respected what he was doing with the camera and with the movie itself, but respect alone doesnt get my vote for a good movie

 

[anxi80]

Originally posted by: Modeps
Oh, I respected what he was doing with the camera and with the movie itself, but respect alone doesnt get my vote for a good movie

alright, to be honest it was awesome because charles "mr. majestyk" bronson was in it.

actually, i can see how one can feel really underwhelmed with the action in this movie. and i think they made henry fonda out to be a little too sympathetic during the train scenes. i wish he was just a complete badass who didnt take orders from anyone and showed no mercy.