Once Upon a Time in the West
Let’s kick things off film-wise with me telling you about my favourite film of all time. It wasn’t always my favourite film (displacing Woody Allen’s Sleeper), but after I saw it for the second time at The Astor (everybody go there), I realised I couldn’t have such glory not be my favourite. Now, all Sergio Leone films that I have seen were utterly magical. They were beautiful and captivating. But I saw this one first, and for reasons unknown to me, the first of someone’s collected works you see (or read, or hear, or flibble) tends to stay with you more. So this did.
Everything combines neatly and mesmerisingly. Acting, music, cinematography – everything. I’m pretty sure they had awesome catering too.
When compared to something like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West is noticeably grander. It’s more a Western Opera than a Western.
The story follows sharpshooting Harmonica (Charles Bronson), who seeks revenge on Frank (Henry Fonda), a greedy, heartless gang leader. Jill (Claudia Cardinale) moves to the West from New Orleans to start a new life. Both are helped by Cheyenne (Jason Robards), a good-humoured outlaw.
With Once Upon a Time in the West, Leone celebrated the traditions of the Old West and its heroes, lamenting their dwindling in favour of money and civilisation – the slow, mechanised progress of the railroads. Harmonica is the embodiment of the archetypal hero, together with Cheyenne, the rugged outlaw. Both resist civilisation in favour of the desert, and Cheyenne even dies on the road instead of staying with the people. Frank forays into finance but ultimately realises that his true nature is the gunman. Leone acknowledges the inevitable demise of the genre but gives it an emotional and magnificent farewell.
This is one of those films that you get drawn into, eyes unwavering and soul blooming. You watch it from the beginning to end, floating along whatever cloud Leone puts you on. I don’t think I can say anything further except “thank you, Sergio Leone”.
Thank you, Sergio Leone.
