Movie No. 119 (2013): ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST
Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)
Director: Sergio Leone
Cast: Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale
The film consists of two stories that intersect. One is that of a land-grabbing scheme that leads to the massacre of the landowner (and his family) who owns the piece of land that has the only source of water in the area where the railroad being constructed would have passed through to provide water for steam locomotives. The man who masterminds the massacre is the cripple railroad tycoon; he hired gun men to do the massacre. The gun men plant evidence in the scene to frame up a notorious bandit whose head is worth $5,000. But there's one complication: the bride of the massacred landowner arrives during the day of the massacre, and she is now the owner of the piece of land. And then another scheme is brooding: to kill the bride, the new owner of the land.
Director: Sergio Leone
Cast: Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale
The film consists of two stories that intersect. One is that of a land-grabbing scheme that leads to the massacre of the landowner (and his family) who owns the piece of land that has the only source of water in the area where the railroad being constructed would have passed through to provide water for steam locomotives. The man who masterminds the massacre is the cripple railroad tycoon; he hired gun men to do the massacre. The gun men plant evidence in the scene to frame up a notorious bandit whose head is worth $5,000. But there's one complication: the bride of the massacred landowner arrives during the day of the massacre, and she is now the owner of the piece of land. And then another scheme is brooding: to kill the bride, the new owner of the land.
The other is a story of revenge. Here, a mysterious, harmonica-playing stranger arrives in the area. His mission: to find his brother's killer. In the process, he meets the newly-widowed bride and protects her from the new scheme to kill her.
I like this film very much. The story line is simple but the translation into film is well-thought of so that its resounding overall impact will linger. In my opinion, this is one of the most beautifully photographed film. And the haunting musical score is also among the best.
Rating: 4.0/4.0
Date seen: May 26, 2013
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