January Film Festival!

Once Upon A Time in the West (Paramount, 1968) Dir. Sergio Leone and starring Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards and Henry Fonda in the role of Frank. After GBU, Sergio wanted to quit Westerns and concentrate on addapting the book Hoods, which would eventually provide the basis for Once Upon A Time In America (more on that tomorrow or Monday). However, Paramount really wanted him to do another Western and so he and Bernardo Bertolucci and some guys got together and concocted a tribute to the American Western movie which became his third Masterpiece: Once Upon a Time in the West.

This is an absolutely breathtaking flick as Sergio was able to come to America and shoot John Ford's Monument Valley. Possibly because of the Paramount influence, or maybe just by Leone's own development, it's more tightly structured than More or GBU was. It also features Sergio's coolest ever opening sequence.

Anyway, you know the story, and how it was really about the end of an era. And you also know Bronson, Robards, Cardinale (WOW) and Fonda were maybe as good in some other things, but never better. This is another one of my favorite flicks. Check it out!