I've many times encountered the contention that Once Upon a Time in the West is Leone's best. I'd have to watch it again to really comment on why that's wrong. The GB&U is my favorite Western and in my Top 10 fave films. There's a docu made by and about fans of the movie shot at the site in Spain. People love GBU. Critics Love Once Upon.
Don't waste your time w/ Dielman film. You know it's pc crap. I started watching and had to leave, intentionally boring.
I think of great directors, Hall of fame directors, as having at least 3 great films. They could be trilogies, but not necessarily. Trilogies often peter out. If you come back to film reviewing, you might tackle this concept.
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly has one great thing, which is Tuco, "Blondie" and "Angel Eyes", three great characters with great chemistry. Fonda, Bronson and the Cheyenne guy in Once Upon are good, but without the humour of the other film. On the other hand, Once Upon has a beautiful Claudia Cardinale...
Leone's "Once Upon a Time in America", which was once upon a time also championed by critics, I find less good than either. I like the first part, with them as kids, the best part for me. Once they become adults, the film becomes less interesting, for me anyway.
Pursuant to our chat I re-watched Once West. Certainly it's deeper and darker than GBU. But it simply lacks the iconic punch of the simpler, more straight forward story. And Claudia's character is all over the place: part feminist, part capitalist whore yet ultimately subservient to Cheyenne's redemptive vision for her. Oh yeah, the music was cliched not quirky and inventive. Did like Henry Fonda a lot, but Harmonica came off as second rate because Clint turned down the role that was written for him.
Yeah, I always wonder how it would be with Clint. Bronson is good, but somehow he gives a more serious/tragic/unidimensional tone to the character. And Once Upon doesn't have a funny secondary character like Tuco, although I really like Cheyenne.
You were right to mention the humor factor, the Spaghetti factor. Plus GB&U has the most thrilling 1-2-3 punch knockout in Westerns' history - the music and camera movement in Tuco's gold delirium, followed by the tense shoot out in the graveyard and then the Ugly's stay of execution from the rifle of the Good taking us back to the beginning of the film.
Oh yeah, I forgot about Claudia, more reason to try and watch again.
I also liked Once Upon in America. But the 3 early Westerns were Leone's example of a successful trilogy at least for me.
I've many times encountered the contention that Once Upon a Time in the West is Leone's best. I'd have to watch it again to really comment on why that's wrong. The GB&U is my favorite Western and in my Top 10 fave films. There's a docu made by and about fans of the movie shot at the site in Spain. People love GBU. Critics Love Once Upon.
Don't waste your time w/ Dielman film. You know it's pc crap. I started watching and had to leave, intentionally boring.
I think of great directors, Hall of fame directors, as having at least 3 great films. They could be trilogies, but not necessarily. Trilogies often peter out. If you come back to film reviewing, you might tackle this concept.
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly has one great thing, which is Tuco, "Blondie" and "Angel Eyes", three great characters with great chemistry. Fonda, Bronson and the Cheyenne guy in Once Upon are good, but without the humour of the other film. On the other hand, Once Upon has a beautiful Claudia Cardinale...
Leone's "Once Upon a Time in America", which was once upon a time also championed by critics, I find less good than either. I like the first part, with them as kids, the best part for me. Once they become adults, the film becomes less interesting, for me anyway.
Pursuant to our chat I re-watched Once West. Certainly it's deeper and darker than GBU. But it simply lacks the iconic punch of the simpler, more straight forward story. And Claudia's character is all over the place: part feminist, part capitalist whore yet ultimately subservient to Cheyenne's redemptive vision for her. Oh yeah, the music was cliched not quirky and inventive. Did like Henry Fonda a lot, but Harmonica came off as second rate because Clint turned down the role that was written for him.
Yeah, I always wonder how it would be with Clint. Bronson is good, but somehow he gives a more serious/tragic/unidimensional tone to the character. And Once Upon doesn't have a funny secondary character like Tuco, although I really like Cheyenne.
You were right to mention the humor factor, the Spaghetti factor. Plus GB&U has the most thrilling 1-2-3 punch knockout in Westerns' history - the music and camera movement in Tuco's gold delirium, followed by the tense shoot out in the graveyard and then the Ugly's stay of execution from the rifle of the Good taking us back to the beginning of the film.
Oh yeah, I forgot about Claudia, more reason to try and watch again.
I also liked Once Upon in America. But the 3 early Westerns were Leone's example of a successful trilogy at least for me.