Funnily enough, I didn't enjoy this at all when I first watched it as a teen. It felt much slower and less 'action packed' than the Dollars trilogy, and I barely knew Henry Fonda so I couldn't appreciate how magnificent he was.
Watched it again earlier this year and yeah, it's my favourite Leone. I actually think this is a strong contender for the most beautifully directed film of all time. The way he takes his time and sets the pace of the film is really magnificent to hold. Obviously the opening scene is iconic for the way it slowly builds the tension, but almost every scene in the film is just as gorgeous.
I had the soundtrack album before I ever had a chance to see the movie--late seventies, when I was in junior high--and the title cut had me in tears almost as soon as the needle hit the vinyl. When we got to Man With A Harmonica, with that stinging electric guitar, I was convinced it was the greatest album I had ever heard, or would ever hear. Nothing I've heard since has changed that belief.
As for the movie, when I finally did see it, it was a theatrical screening, of a battered but complete print. It was showing at an aging strip mall theater that had been repurposed as an arthouse, with a surprisingly massive screen. The closeup of Fonda's face when he decides to blow away that kid--I could actually feel goosebumps rising on my arms. I don't necessarily think this is the Greatest Movie Ever Made, but whenever I watch it, I can't imagine anything better.
That shot where we get closer and closer to Bronson's eyes ... fantastic.
First time I saw this I don't think I'd seen Henry Fonda in anything else, or at least not in most of his big roles, which meant that I got a lot on later rewatches when I had some of his good guy roles to contrast with.
Also, Claudia Cardinale is an all-time beauty in this movie. (Not just here, but whoa.)
I'd posit that most Westerns are about America, going back to the genre before it became a staple in movies, and this is no exception. Regeneration through violence, the "taming" of the frontier and the tension between those comfortable in "wilderness" and those who want to civilize it ... all part of a pretty rich stew.
Best western ever. You two really knocked this one out of the park.
Funnily enough, I didn't enjoy this at all when I first watched it as a teen. It felt much slower and less 'action packed' than the Dollars trilogy, and I barely knew Henry Fonda so I couldn't appreciate how magnificent he was.
Watched it again earlier this year and yeah, it's my favourite Leone. I actually think this is a strong contender for the most beautifully directed film of all time. The way he takes his time and sets the pace of the film is really magnificent to hold. Obviously the opening scene is iconic for the way it slowly builds the tension, but almost every scene in the film is just as gorgeous.
I had the soundtrack album before I ever had a chance to see the movie--late seventies, when I was in junior high--and the title cut had me in tears almost as soon as the needle hit the vinyl. When we got to Man With A Harmonica, with that stinging electric guitar, I was convinced it was the greatest album I had ever heard, or would ever hear. Nothing I've heard since has changed that belief.
As for the movie, when I finally did see it, it was a theatrical screening, of a battered but complete print. It was showing at an aging strip mall theater that had been repurposed as an arthouse, with a surprisingly massive screen. The closeup of Fonda's face when he decides to blow away that kid--I could actually feel goosebumps rising on my arms. I don't necessarily think this is the Greatest Movie Ever Made, but whenever I watch it, I can't imagine anything better.
That shot where we get closer and closer to Bronson's eyes ... fantastic.
First time I saw this I don't think I'd seen Henry Fonda in anything else, or at least not in most of his big roles, which meant that I got a lot on later rewatches when I had some of his good guy roles to contrast with.
Also, Claudia Cardinale is an all-time beauty in this movie. (Not just here, but whoa.)
I'd posit that most Westerns are about America, going back to the genre before it became a staple in movies, and this is no exception. Regeneration through violence, the "taming" of the frontier and the tension between those comfortable in "wilderness" and those who want to civilize it ... all part of a pretty rich stew.
Just watched this for the first time to participate in Filmspotting Madness, and hoo-boy, am I glad I did!
I love, love, LOVE Harmonica. He's like if the shark from Jaws carried around his own cello.