“You introduced two too many.” It solely took 5 phrases to solidify Charles Bronson’s efficiency in As soon as Upon a Time within the West as some of the exceptional of his profession. Thought of by many to be the epitome of the Western style, Sergio Leone’s 1968 effort was a end result of what the director had achieved in his “{Dollars}” trilogy (A Fistful of {Dollars}, For a Few {Dollars} Extra, The Good, the Unhealthy, and the Ugly). The person with no identify, or on this case, a harmonica, pitted in opposition to an equally formidable adversary, Frank (Henry Fonda). The ultimate battle between Bronson and Fonda is a multi-layered confrontation between good and evil.
Establishing the Dichotomy of Good and Evil
As soon as Upon a Time within the West pits Harmonica (Charles Bronson) and Frank in opposition to each other in a fancy battle, set in opposition to the backdrop of a city referred to as Sweetwater, the place people dwell and die by the gun. The movie’s first act is essential in establishing Harmonica and Frank as gunslingers who use their commerce for various functions.
Harmonica’s arrival at a prepare station, set to be ambushed by three of Frank’s males, solely to come back out on high, depicts the character as one who applies his commerce as a gunslinger for survival and to beat troublesome odds. The polar reverse could be stated of Frank, whose introduction establishes the cold-blooded sociopathy that might be integral to his character. Main a bunch of gunmen to wipe out a whole household, Frank’s detachment from empathy and callous nature establishes the best villain for Leone’s saga.
Simply as fascinating as the 2 adversaries that seem on the display are the actors portraying them. Charles Bronson was, on the time, a rising motion star coming off The Nice Escape, The Soiled Dozen, and The Magnificent Seven. Henry Fonda’s portrayal of Frank can nearly be seen as a departure for an actor who had performed noble characters in Hollywood classics similar to 12 Indignant Males and The Grapes of Wrath. Greater than only a confrontation between two distinctive abilities of their respective generations, As soon as Upon a Time within the West is a movie the place one actor passes the torch to a different.
A Multi-Layered Confrontation
The ultimate duel. The climax of a Western movie is normally a very powerful and memorable sequence. It’s the second the place, typically, evil is vanquished, and the hero rides off into the sundown. Whereas embodying this traditional trope, the ultimate confrontation between Harmonica and Frank in As soon as Upon a Time within the West incorporates a number of layers that make it greater than the sum of its components.
It’s price noting that two different figures have been liable for bringing As soon as Upon a Time within the West to life. Whereas Sergio Donati penned the screenplay, an extra two writers labored on the story who would go on to have outstanding roles as administrators: Dario Argento and Bernardo Bertolucci. As soon as Upon a Time within the West includes a recurring flashback skilled by Harmonica that step by step grows longer because the movie progresses. The sequences set up the long-lasting vendetta between Harmonica and Frank.
As Harmonica and Frank put together for his or her ultimate duel, the viewers bears witness to the flashback in its entirety: Frank’s homicide of Harmonica’s older brother, which even has Frank stuffing the instrument in Harmonica’s mouth, telling him to “hold your loving brother blissful.” A easy five-word phrase, much like the one which Harmonica utters within the movie’s starting, brings a saga of revenge full circle.
The tactic through which the flashbacks happen in As soon as Upon a Time within the West is much like lots of Argento’s later movies, similar to Suspiria, Opera, and particularly his debut full-length function, The Chook with the Crystal Plumage. Argento’s use of flashbacks is essential to the characters’ unraveling of an essential thriller. One can’t watch As soon as Upon a Time within the West and never consider how this might be the beginning of one in all Argento’s mostly used storytelling strategies.
The ultimate duel between Harmonica and Frank incorporates all of the hallmarks of Leone’s creative stylistic presentation. Each characters’ wardrobes firmly set up good and evil, with Frank sporting all black and Harmonica draped in lighter colours. Cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli’s fluid camerawork, paired with the riveting rating from Ennio Morricone, accentuates each second of the ultimate confrontation.
There have been many ultimate duels within the Western style, however few have come near matching the artistry and storytelling concerned with Sergio Leone’s 1968 epic. There are lots of the explanation why everybody praises As soon as Upon a Time within the West because the definitive Western, however we might argue that the ultimate duel is what solidifies that standing.
You possibly can watch Sergio Leone’s 1968 Western epic As soon as Upon a Time within the West on Paramount+.