The Film
Not all westerns are forged from the same piece of steel (especially some of the more recent titles from Hollywood which were forged out of a material known as wuss) and even spaghetti western director Sergio Leone made the occasional piece of road kill. While best known for his Man with No Name trilogy that made an international star out of Clint Eastwood, Leone followed up on the success of those three films with a Hollywood production that crashed and burned at the box office (although it was a huge hit in Europe). Once Upon A Time In The West was subjected to a ruthless series of edits by Paramount and the final project was a disaster. It would be years later that American viewers would appreciate the film for what it was; a masterpiece.
Leone teamed up with his longtime friend, Sergio Donati (who wrote more than 70 films), and the duo adapted a story for the screen that was written by another famous Italian director, Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor). This 165 minute drama didn't rely on Eastwood or Lee Van Cleef, but instead turned to Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, and a rather young looking Charles Bronson (who was riding high on the success of The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, and The Great Escape). Bronson had been Leone's original pick for A Fistful of Dollars, but when he turned it down, Eastwood got the part.
The film's opening sequence (which I will not reveal as its too good to spoil) sets the tone for the rest of the film; which is deliberately slow and somber. Bronson makes quite the entrance and like all good westerns, the bad guys are really bad, and the good guys are hopelessly outgunned. Perhaps the best thing about the film is the setting; Monument Valley, although the film was filmed in Spain, Italy, and Utah. The wide shots are breathtaking and you really get a feel for the old west in its dying days. The restored version at 166 minutes is really one of the best films from the genre and Leone's most intriguing film.
The Picture
Black levels are solid, but not without some instances of crush. Color is generally excellent throughout the transfer, but don't expect the image to really pop as the palette is rather muted. The most impressive aspect of the new transfer is the clarity of the image and the level of detail that you can make out. A very fine job by Paramount and clearly the best that this film has ever looked.
The Sound
Paramount did something interesting with the Blu-ray release; they included a brand new DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix and a restored Dolby Digital mono track. The original mono track was pretty thin sounding and you really noticed it during the gunfights as the report of the various revolvers and lever action rifles vanished far too quickly (especially in such a vast space as Monument Valley). The film doesn't posses a lot of dialogue and you really had to strain to hear it.
The restored mono mix sounds dramatically fuller, and Ennio Morricone's fabulous score has never sounded so dramatic and somber. I could easily be satisfied with the Dolby Digital mono mix and call it a day. Fortunately, Paramount did an even better job on the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix which has some interesting pans, reverberating gunshots, and additional ambient effects. The dialogue could still use some warmth in the midrange, but the overall presentation is quite balanced.
The Extras
Once Upon A Time In The West came in numerous shapes and sizes (there were 5 different versions of the film floating around at one point), so it is always fascinating to hear from those involved and those who were influenced by the film, the reason why the film had so much impact. Sergio Leone died in 1989, leaving Paramount with few options in regard to a new commentary for the restored version of the film. Rather than dig through the archives hoping to piece together something from the master of the spaghetti western, Paramount sought out directors John Carpenter, John Milius, and Alex Cox; all of whom were great admirers of Leone and more than willing to discuss how the film influenced their own style of filmmaking.
Paramount has also included a series of featurettes about the making of the film, the history of the railroad and its obvious importance in regard to the development of the west, and a great piece about the location of the shoot. The production gallery has some great shots of the cast and crew. The overall collection of bonus material is well over an hour and is highly entertaining content.
Final Thoughts
Hollywood doesn't make great westerns any more so thank goodness for Paramount Pictures who had the brains to do a first rate job on Once Upon A Time In The West when releasing it on Blu-ray. A Leone film without Eastwood or Lee Van Cleef might seem unsightly to some, but Bronson, Robards, and Fonda are a terrifying trio who make the most of a terrific story and are just as deadly with a wheel gun. The decision to include both the original theatrical and restored cuts make this vastly improved presentation a must-own for fans of the old west. Just remember to bring a fly swatter.
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