You don’t have to quantify this film as”one of the best westerns I’ve ever seen”. The final 15 minutes of this film is the best ever filmed…cinematography, acting, editing, and music…perfection.
Este filme é perfeito, e só Era uma vez no Oeste está a sua altura. Sergio Leone foi um gênio, o pai do cinema moderno. São poucos os diretores no seu nível. This film is perfect, and only once upon a time in the West is its height. Sergio Leone was a genius, the father of modern cinema. There are very few directors on your level.
Yep, Dirty Harry, the opening bank robbery scene. He fires his Smith & Wesson Model 29 44 Magnum "5 shots or 6, well in all the excitement I lost track myself. So punk do you feel lucky, well do yay" then he pulls the trigger on an empty chamber with a loud click.
@@davidb1565 😂😂😂😂😂 describing that scene doesn't spoil anything. Plus it's a decades old movie, and an iconic one at that. I think it's ok to quote it. There's always someone like you in the comments that wants to make something out of nothing
@@davidmarquardt2445 and actualy the quote is a bit more complex if i recall right ... it goes like this: "Uh uh. I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well to tell you the truth in all this excitement I kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow your head clean off, you've gotta ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?" and was actualy changed because the original script had not the word "punk" but the word "buck" which one can see is said if one looks close up Eastwood's lips, but as it was deemed racist slang was changed in post production
It was not so much a matter of 'hiring a lot of Italians', these spaghetti westerns were actually made in Europe. And that was the thing, films made in America had to follow The Hays Code, strict censorship rules that for example said that if you see a gun fire in one shot, the next shot couldn't be someone getting hit. Silly things like that. Eastwood, who had been a TV cowboy for years, and constricted by this Hays Code as such, got asked by Leone to come to Europe to star in this 'B-grade' spaghetti western, unrestricted by the Hays Code, and to his great credit he did. Who woulda thunk these would be the most iconic westerns of all time.
Interesting! I did not know about the Hayes Code. Definitely could not have made some of those awesome shooting sequences in America then. It makes sense. But I imagine that rule didn't last long considering how violent American movies were not long after this movie. Hmmm
@@SeanVito Glad to inform you :) Yeah the Hays code was abolished in '68, two years after this film was made, but for comparison, watch Shane (1953), a good film regardless, but a lot less gritty than The Good, The Bad And The Ugly.
It wasn't so much about the Hays Code, but for economic reasons. In fact, Sergio Leone desired nothing more than to shoot in the US, and took the first occasion when he could in Once Upon The Time in the West. (albeit only a few scenes). These movies were shot in Almeria, Spain, because it resembles New Mexico, and was dead poor at that time, but also almost untouched by modern civilization, while still being reachable by car from Madrid. Almeria had no electricity and no running water, no highways, no telephone poles. Only dust and a few scattered farms that looked "Mexican". There were a few other advantages, like old Steam locomotives on tracks from the silver mines in Guadix to Granada (those are the trains you see in the film), and a large Gipsy population that owned a minimum of one horse per family, and could also very well ride them. These films were made on shoestring budgets, and without the low wages in Spain and the basically free help of the Spanish army (who played the army soldiers AND also constructed all the sets) wouldn't have been possible.
And the spaghetti westerns are really that - B grade. Real westerns are those of John Wayne and Randolph Scott, they are much superior to spaghetti nonsense.
It's not in the middle of nowhere, It's in the province of Burgos, in the north of Spain and it's open to visitors. The spanish government declared the place of cultural interest, so it's protected by law.
@@JulioLeonFandinho It certainly is in the middle of nowhere, it's 60 km outside of Burgos town, and the fact that for those 60km, Google estimated about an hour of travel time even by car says something about the roads you've got to use to get there.
@@ohauss I think the trip is worthy, nevertheless... if someone ended up in Burgos town or close, why not visiting that iconic place? I'm from Spain and it's certainly far from where I live, but it's a part of the country I'd like to explore
@@JulioLeonFandinho I never said it's not worth visiting. But it certainly takes deliberate effort to get there - it's not something you can pick up on the side while making a general tour of Spain.
I've always understood that Leone didn't find violence nearly as interesting as the build up to violence. The final gunfight is the perfect example of that in action.
you know what Shan, I feel the urge to point you to a hidden gem, at least mostly unkown in the US, because in most other countries the two main actors are beloved heroes. The western is called: They call me the Trinity. Maybe a door will open into a whole new dimension for you and I don't want to reveal more rip Bud
I love "They Call Me Trinity" and its sequel "Trinity Is Still My Name". These are great comedy westerns with Terence Hill and Bud Spencer and "My Name Is Nobody" with Henry Fonda and Terence Hill. Classics!
@@kennethbryant5573 My Name is Nobody is easily my favourite Western. Even by the usually more exaggerated and "silly" standard of the Spaghetti Western it's properly ridiculous and very over the top, but it's just so much fun. Once Upon A Time in the West is probably what I'd say is the best Western movie though, and my second favourite after My Name is Nobody.
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If I ain't wrong this was the start of the Bud Spencer & Terrence Hill films.
Look up the Danish Symphony Orchestra. They do a complete rendition of this theme song, all with orchestra insturments. Well worth the time to listen to.
This is one of my favorite Westerns. Eli Wallach really steals the spotlight in this one.( He plays a very similar character in The Magnificent Seven) The finale is one of my favorite scenes ever. The music is as iconic as the characters themselves. Spaghetti Westerns are often criticised for being unrealistic and highly exaggerated. (Notice how nearly every gunshot is accompanied by a ricochet effect). But, in my opinion, no other genre captures the mythic elements of the Old West quite as well.
An absolute classic. Faultless given the techonology available at the time. "Make sure the rope is strong. It has to take the weight of a pig...." Tuco is genius stuff.
The first film in the "Dollar" trilogy: "A Fistful of Dollars" is basically an unofficial remake of the Japanese Samurai movie by Akira Kurasowa: "Yojimbo". It's still a great movie, as is Yojimbo.
And for me, the funny is that this film is the third but can be almost a prequel, since the time of the action and we see where the poncho of the previous films comes from.
22:01 During the cemetery scene they have a close-up of Van Cleef's hand creeping toward his pistol. You can easily see the missing end of his middle finger.
Simply a true Epic film, and Quentin Tarantino's favorite film. Some quick trivia: Eli Wallach (who plays Tuco) was poisoned with acid on set, nearly decapitated by a train, dragged away by a run away horse, and crushed by falling debris. The bridge had to be blown up twice, the first being a miscommunication and the second with pieces very visibly landing with force just feet from the actors. The film was shot in Spain and most of the extras were Spanish Army using actual weapons from the era that were still in Spanish inventory. The cemetary set is still there mostly - the graves have been grown over, but the center clearing is still visible.
What hasn’t been said before about the late great Ennio Morricone’s score here? It’s one of the most majestic musical scores of all time. This is the movie people think of when it comes to Morricone, but he even outdoes himself in Once Upon a Time in the West and Once Upon a Time in America which those scores make me tear up (not exaggerating). He was a master Maestro! Ennio Morricone is my favorite film composer along with John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith!
The top best film composers of all time (my opinion): 1. John Williams 2. Ennio Morricone 3. James Horner 4. Hans Zimmer 5. Alan Silvestri 6. Jerry Goldsmith 7. Danny Elfman 8. Henry Mancini 9. Thomas Newman 10. Howard Shore
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This specific score was turned virtually into a hymn for all Marlboro ads.
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@@claymccoy John Williams is pretty derivative work from established classicals so actually it is difficult he can made the number one position.
yes and that is why these 'spaghetti' westerns usurped the US western film market. US films tended to be cliche westerns. The 'good guys' are treated like heroes who do no wrong. "red indians" are the enemy. The cavalry always arrives etc etc Leone's films are gritty, dirty and violent and the plots are quite intricate.There are no saints in these films :)
Filmed in Spain with an Italian director. All the extras used during the battle at the bridge were Spanish army soldiers. They had to film the blowing up of the bridge twice. The first time the charges went off before the cameramen and director were ready, so they did it again the next day.
Eli Wallach made this film imho. He had the best lines and gave the best performance. Lee Van Cleef was also very good. Clint was Clint. Great story. And I agree that the last scenes at the graveyard were some of the most epic ever shot (no pun intended)...
I thoroughly enjoyed your reaction to this movie. I think Eli Wallach's performance as Tuco is one of the greatest in the history of film. Sergio Leone really topped himself here...but still had ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST to come! You must watch that one now. I consider it to be the 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY of westerns. I've seen the sound cut out at the end during another reaction video for this movie. Without the sound you miss the final gag: Tuco yells "Blondie! You know what you are? You stinking son of a--" and the last word is drowned out by the "AAA-AAA-AAA!" vocals of the theme song. I've read that Blondie is considered "the good" because he only deals with other gunmen, and always leaves civilians alone. My parents took me to see this on the big, big screen when it came out, which was a real thrill. We were a big John Wayne/Steve McQueen/Clint Eastwood family. People have often said that, with these films, Leone was deconstructing the traditional western and making it obsolete, when in fact, his westerns were meant as an affectionate homage to the traditional Hollywood westerns that he loved. His own westerns include as many of the Hollywood tropes that he could work in, but exaggerated and stylized in imaginative new cinematic ways. Here's a video I made a few years ago that shows what the final shootout would be like without any music: th-cam.com/video/5UyOIg0ECnA/w-d-xo.html
I've tried to make up my mind which movie is better, this one or "Once Upon a Time in the West", but I think now that it doesn't make much sense: both are such masterpieces!
No doubt you are familiar with The Magnificent Seven. Eli Wallach also played a Mexican bandit in that one. Some practice for GBU? Magnificent Seven is one of the best movies ever made. Watch it if you have never seen it before.
Blondie’s tactics at the end were genius. As he had removed the bullets from Tuco’s gun he only had to focus on Angel Eyes, who had to split his attention between Blondie and Tuco. And if Blondie had lost the shootout he would still have had the last laugh: there was no name on the stone because there was no name on the grave and Angel Eyes would would never have known where the gold was buried. Blondie was honorable enough to split the gold with Tuco but smart enough not to turn his back on him; he literally left Tuco hanging until he was well out of range.
The dollars movies are not a trilogy. There's just A fistful of Dollars and for a few dollars more. The best Eastwood movies on the spaghetti western era are A fistful dollars, for a few dollars more, The Good The bad and The ugly and the American one which bombed in America but was a hit and Mexico, Spain and Italy and has become a classic in its own right Hang them High.
One of my favorite movies of all time! Everything is perfect about this adventure. I remember reading that both Clint and Van Cleef were a little jealous because Eli Wallach got the best part.
Shah, another great review. BTW, The Bad (Angel Eyes) was played by Lee Van Cleef. He was a staple of Spaghetti Westerns, like the "Sabata" series and "Death Rides a Horse"
I loved the tagline for this movie. "For three men, the Civil War wasn't hell. It was practice." Have you reacted to The Magnificent Seven? If not I would love to see you do that.
Another of my Top 10 films reacted to by another of my favorite reactors! TBS Schmitt just did Glory and now Shan's watching this. What a great weekend!
"In Boot Hill there are over 400 graves. It takes the space of 7 acres. There is an elaborate gate but the path keeps to the main route for it tangles like branches of a tree among the gravestones. 300 of the dead in Boot Hill died violently 200 by guns, over 50 by knives some were pushed under trains -- a popular and overlooked form of murder in the west. Some from brain hemorrhages resulting from bar fights at least 10 killed in barbed wire. In Boot Hill there are only two graves that belong to women and they are the only known suicides in that graveyard." -- From The Collected Works of Billy The Kid by Michael Ondaatje.
This is one of the few movies i call "perfect". The acting, the cinematography, the music, the actors themselves, the script, the story are all perfect for me.
One thing that spaghetti westerns in general, but especially Sergio Leone's films do, is making close ups of very unique, weathered faces their own type of "landscape" shots. He really examines the landscape of the human face a lot.
I hope to see you react to Open Range with Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner...an excellent western film. But yes...definitely react to Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More...both are excellent.
So glad I got to see Moricone in London about 15 years ago. Ecstasy of Gold was the highlight -- he had a whole choir and a Soprano. Apparently one of the most productive film scorers ever.
The times were changing when this came out. Film makers were getting out from under the studios thumb & one of the things they were experimenting with were tropes like good vs. evil. So the characters in lots of those movies were more like bad, really bad & just straight up evil. The line you quoted, " Do you feel lucky, punk?, " was in Dirty Harry
There are two kinds of people in this world, my friend. Those who react to movies and talk over the good parts and those who don't. You don't. Thanks. :)
That's a real skeleton in the grave. The Spanish actress asked in her will that her skeleton be used in films, so she could be in films after her death.
For a few classic westerns more, may I suggest "The Ox-Bow Incident"(1942) "The Wild Bunch"(1969) "Little Big Man"(1970), "Jeremiah Johnson"(1972) "High Plains Drifter"(1973)
@@sherigrow6480 Yes, "Stagecoach"(1939) was the movie that made John Wayne a major movie star and directed by the legendary John Ford. They made many great movies together and I would love to see reaction videos to all of them.
Another awesome italian wester is Once Upon a Time in the West with Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Charles Bronson and Jason Robards and also directed by Sergio Leone and with music by Ennio Morricone.
Also shouldn’t have worked at all as all those revolvers were hand fitted and the different colts and Remingtons he takes parts from have different basic dimensions
“The good” was identified to communicate that this was a morally gray hero and not a shining white knight hero as was common for westerns of the time. The podcast “the soundtrack show” does a great job analyzing the soundtrack. Check it out.
18:50 it's really difficult to overstate the importance of bridges. I don't know if you've already seen it, or it's on your list, but A Bridge Too Far might be worth your time.
You need to watch the Documentary on Sad Hill Unearthed. The cemetery is still in Spain today a few men restore the cemetery and have a 50th anniversary showing of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. I think you'll find it very interesting to hear all of the stories behind this great film. I want to add that you can watch the Documentary on Netflix.
Did he do 'Once Upon a Time in the West'? I don't know if I've ever watched the entire film....but the intro is pretty amazing. The cinematography & sound alone. I know Charles Bronson & Jack Elam.....& Henry Fonda were in it.
The only reactor to do Once Upon A Time In The West was James VS Cinema. He did all right but he kept interrupting the movie with his comments. But still, he loved that movie. Thought every scene was like watching a painting in every shot.
the body in Arch Stanton's grave was real. It was a Spanish actress who put in her will that she wanted to be in a movie after her death. If you look closely you can see the skeleton is in a dress.
Regarding the visuals: the movie was shot in Techniscope, and only uses half of the usual 35mm frame, so it's not as sharp as some other films, BUT this film also has quite an unfortunate restoration history. There's been a couple of restorations since the one you've watched, and while one of them was heavily criticized, the most recent one looks much *much* better. You'll also see how great the first two films look today when you'll get around to them, despite them being much cheaper, and shot on the same format.
You should check out The Good, The Bad , The Weird,. It is a Korean tribute/ reimagining of this film with a different thematic setting, Also, the chimes in the shoot out scene call back to one of the earlier films of the series.
i'M 56 and have watched This and Once Upon A Time In The West many, many times and to this day I couldn't tell you which one is the greatest. I guess it really doesn't matter, just 2 wonderful pieces of art that we have been blessed to witness.
Yes, they build the cemetery for the movie and it had to be gone a day after filming. As for the bridge? The short version, thanks to some local miscommunication it was blown up twice. The first time no camera was rolling. 'Go ahead Punk' is from 'Dirty Harry'. The two 'Dollar' movies are not as good as 'The Good...'. They aren't bad, but you can see the growth in skill and budget. 'For a fistful of Dollars' is a remake/adaption of the Akira Kurosawa movie 'Yojimbo'. If you are really into movies watch them both with 'Yojimbo' first, because then you will see how well Leone adapted it. He changed only what was necessary. But if you want another really great Sergio Leone western, give 'Once upon a time in the west' (1968) a try.
You watched the extended edition: oddly I prefer the cinema version. One problem is that Wallach was still alive and they used his voice which had changed in pitch due to age. Eastwood too, but not as much. They got someone else for Cleef. The extra scenes add nothing except possibly the one where ugly arrives at the camp looking for Carson
Peter, it is your preference. The extended version is the original European cut and US version has a shorter cut of Tucco and his priest brother’s scenes. Both versions are available on physical media.
Sergio Leones out does himself in Once Upon A Time In The West and Once Upon A Time In America. Watch them you won't be disappointed. Enjoy your reaction videos they're the best.
Open Range-Kevin Costner and Robert Duval The Outlaw Josey Wales- Clint Eastwood Are movies I will continue to suggest. They are great movies imo. My two favorite westerns of all time.
Another great spaghetti western director was Sergio Corbucci. His best film was probably "Il Grande Silencio", but "Il Mercenario" is also worth watching, especially for the gunfight in the arena which is every bit as good as the conclusion in The good the bad and the ugly. Both those films were scored by Morricone.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST is a must. Such great film work. It’s outside of the Man with no name trilogy by Leone but my favorite western of all time.
Thank you for a wonderful reaction! Leone has been criticized for his violence...especially at the time of his picture's release. Yet, you rarely see blood. He makes it "feel" violent. Most director's spend one or two minutes setting up a violent act and then dwell on the outcome for 10 or so minutes...extending shootouts, even using slo-motion. The genius of Leone is he does the reverse. The buildup can be 5 or 10 minutes but the act is over in seconds. It's the suspense and tension he creates that makes you feel you watched something graphic and violent. He is truly an artist and thank you for appreciating his work!
Sad Hill cemetery was exclusively constructed for this film. The production got the cooperation of the Spanish Army. After shooting, it was just left unattended. A few years ago, people found it's location and an effort was take on to restore it. It has been completely restored and it's a tourist location. The restoration project was capped off by a showing of the movie on that location and some very unexpected words of congratulations from Clint Eastwood himself. The corpse in the coffin was real. Someone's grandma asked to be in a movie after she died and this was her big show biz break.
This film represents a final product that all film makers hope for, but few achieve. Leone learned from the first two films, in this three film set, what the audience yearned for, and put it all on the line with this film. In doing so he hit a grand slam home run. The directing, camera angles, and production make this film one of the greatest westerns ever made. Then you add the genius of Morricone, and you elevate this film to the top of that list. Great reaction. Peace.
You are right, they did build the graveyard for the film The mexican standoff at the end is WITHOUT A DOUBT, the absolute finest in cinematic history. The editing, the music, the buils up. This is 24 carat cinema gold.
The best thing about Leone is he uses wide epic shots followed by extreme closeups and he holds shots for a very long time and allows for slow build of tension and and spends a lot of time making every shot perfect. He was a fan of John Ford and in the movie Once Upon a Time in America he went to exactly the same spot to get an exact shot. And that stone circle at the end was built stone by stone and took a couple of weeks for that one shot, and the first tracking shot in that film of Claudia Cardinale he had the whole town built at a cost that was higher than the budget for his previous film, all for that one 3 minute shot. The commentary on that film, when you see it, there is a squeaky windmill, one of his producers complained that the sound was annoying an asked if he should send someone to oil it to get rid of the noise. In typical Leone fashion he told the guy, "If you do I'll slap you"
one could argue that sergio leone singlehandedly revitalized the western genre with his dollar trilogy, even in the US. with his growing recognition overseas he wanted to leave the western behind and make a passion project "once upon a time in america" but the american studios only agreed to finance it if he would make another western before that. thus "once upon a time in the west" was born. And what a masterpiece on a Kubrick level it became. This time he asked Enrico Morricone to write and record the soundtrack before filming, this way he could play it on set, so that Actors and camera could flow with the music And just like Kubrick he never explained his intentions. Some might argue that this movie was a deconstruction of the western, others that he deconstructed himself and the so called "spaghetti western" or that it isn't a western at all, but a ghost story. And i agree with all of them. For any cine enthusiast it is an obligatory watch, It is visual storytelling on a master level grounded om a revolutionary approach to soundtrack (or lack of it in some scenes) Not sure if it is true but i have heared that like star wars was the first movie to have a "continious" soundtrack throughout the film, "once upon a time in the west" was the first to have a theme for all it's main charcters. Just like kubrick's 2001 it isn't a movie i need to see a "reaction" video but would rather prefer an "opinion / review", since just the pressure of "oooh i need to react in some way to this" actually does this kinds of movies no favor. this kind lives rather by the unscratched itch that you have seen it and it left you thinking .... and after 5-10 years you watch it again and you catch yourself thinking about it in a totally different way.... TL;DR some times the entertaining thing about movies isn't the movie itself but trying to answer the questions it left you with and the doubt of "am i asking even the right ones" ;) Love your reactions, Matthias Exeler PS.: if you ever consider watching "once upon a time in the west" please make sure to watch the "european theatrical release version" ... america back then wasn't quiet ready yet ;)
Great reaction! Did your sound cut out at the end after Blondie shot the rope? Because there is actual sound toward the very end Anyways, you definitely need to react to "A Fistful of Dollars" and "For a Few Dollars More". You will love those as well!
Speaking of music you'v heard before, (or after, as the case may be), at 17:12 the music for this scene was utilized in Kelly's Heroes. Not a spaghetti western, by any stretch, but also a Clint Eastwood vehicle.
The movie was shot entirely in Spain. Most actors, except the main characters, were Spanish, not Italian. The Spanish army played the civil war soldiers, and also constructed all the sets, including Sad Hill Cemetary. It was recently restored. goo.gl/maps/TPrevsMm61Yvpi6s9
This movie is actually shot in the south of Spain. You can still visit the Sad Hill cemetary set, there ! The "Make my day" line is from one of the Dirty Harry movies, can't remember which. You should watch "Once Upon a Time in the West" next. It's a bit better than the rest of the "Dollars" trilogy, imo. And the soundtrack is one of Morricone's best.
Also you need to watch The Magnificent Seven. It's not a Spaghetti Western but the cast is astounding. And Eli Wallach, the guy that plays Tuco in this plays the villain in it.
Not only did they build Sad Hill Cemetery for the film, but it's still there! It's a tourist attraction in Spain, you can visit it. They had to refurbish and rebuilt it in 2015, but it's still Sad Hill.
Well, you beat MellVerse. I hope it doesn't take a long time to watch and react to Once Upon A Time In The West. 16:19 it's been said Leone wanted Eli Wallace to get closer for better filming. That's an actually train and if Wallace moved any closer he would have been decapitated. Also the hanging scenes Wallace's hands were actually tied as he hung on for dear life using his legs to hold on as the horse galloped away fast after Eastwood shot the rope. Also, the gun buying scene or rather stealing Wallace didn't know what he was really doing when he broke the guns apart and did his inspection scene.
Glad you chose the new restored longer version, BTW the film was shot in Spain, pretty close the same location years later they shot Conan the barbarian.
Just getting into Sergio Leone, you are in for a real treat. Every film is a master work. My ranking for the 6 Leone films (in reverse order): 6. Once Upon a Time in America 5. For A Few Dollars More 4. A Fistful of Dollars 3. Once Upon a Time… The Revolution (AKA Duck You Sucker AKA A Fistful of Dynamite) 2. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly 1. Once Upon A Time In The West
Very few films have this level of character development while simultaneously giving so very little away about their past. The emersion is over the top.
If you liked this, check out the 1st two entries in Leone's "Man with No Name" trilogy. Also, check out the South Korean remake, "The Good The Bad The Weird". It's very different, but also epic and a thrill to watch
You don’t have to quantify this film as”one of the best westerns I’ve ever seen”. The final 15 minutes of this film is the best ever filmed…cinematography, acting, editing, and music…perfection.
The last 15 minutes of this and the first 15 of Once Upon a Time in the West. Best period-genre half our ever caught on film.
Este filme é perfeito, e só Era uma vez no Oeste está a sua altura. Sergio Leone foi um gênio, o pai do cinema moderno. São poucos os diretores no seu nível.
This film is perfect, and only once upon a time in the West is its height. Sergio Leone was a genius, the father of modern cinema. There are very few directors on your level.
"For a few dollars more" is my personal favourite in that trilogy.
"Thought I was having a little trouble with my adding." :D
Mine too
Me too
Mine too. It is such a shame that it gets overlooked so often because it's neither the first, nor the famous one.
Yes! Best movie about bounty hunting ever made
The "Feeling lucky punk" quote is from Dirty Harry, not one of his westerns.
Yep, Dirty Harry, the opening bank robbery scene. He fires his Smith & Wesson Model 29 44 Magnum "5 shots or 6, well in all the excitement I lost track myself. So punk do you feel lucky, well do yay" then he pulls the trigger on an empty chamber with a loud click.
Ha, wish he would open that can of worms!
@@davidmarquardt2445 Nice job of spoiling a classic moment from a great film.
@@davidb1565 😂😂😂😂😂 describing that scene doesn't spoil anything. Plus it's a decades old movie, and an iconic one at that. I think it's ok to quote it. There's always someone like you in the comments that wants to make something out of nothing
@@davidmarquardt2445 and actualy the quote is a bit more complex if i recall right ... it goes like this: "Uh uh. I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well to tell you the truth in all this excitement I kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow your head clean off, you've gotta ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?" and was actualy changed because the original script had not the word "punk" but the word "buck" which one can see is said if one looks close up Eastwood's lips, but as it was deemed racist slang was changed in post production
It was not so much a matter of 'hiring a lot of Italians', these spaghetti westerns were actually made in Europe. And that was the thing, films made in America had to follow The Hays Code, strict censorship rules that for example said that if you see a gun fire in one shot, the next shot couldn't be someone getting hit. Silly things like that. Eastwood, who had been a TV cowboy for years, and constricted by this Hays Code as such, got asked by Leone to come to Europe to star in this 'B-grade' spaghetti western, unrestricted by the Hays Code, and to his great credit he did. Who woulda thunk these would be the most iconic westerns of all time.
Interesting! I did not know about the Hayes Code.
Definitely could not have made some of those awesome shooting sequences in America then. It makes sense. But I imagine that rule didn't last long considering how violent American movies were not long after this movie. Hmmm
@@SeanVito Glad to inform you :)
Yeah the Hays code was abolished in '68, two years after this film was made, but for comparison, watch Shane (1953), a good film regardless, but a lot less gritty than The Good, The Bad And The Ugly.
@@antimonycup7066 Sweet, I've never heard of it. I'll give it a go!
It wasn't so much about the Hays Code, but for economic reasons. In fact, Sergio Leone desired nothing more than to shoot in the US, and took the first occasion when he could in Once Upon The Time in the West. (albeit only a few scenes). These movies were shot in Almeria, Spain, because it resembles New Mexico, and was dead poor at that time, but also almost untouched by modern civilization, while still being reachable by car from Madrid. Almeria had no electricity and no running water, no highways, no telephone poles. Only dust and a few scattered farms that looked "Mexican". There were a few other advantages, like old Steam locomotives on tracks from the silver mines in Guadix to Granada (those are the trains you see in the film), and a large Gipsy population that owned a minimum of one horse per family, and could also very well ride them. These films were made on shoestring budgets, and without the low wages in Spain and the basically free help of the Spanish army (who played the army soldiers AND also constructed all the sets) wouldn't have been possible.
And the spaghetti westerns are really that - B grade. Real westerns are those of John Wayne and Randolph Scott, they are much superior to spaghetti nonsense.
This is just a pure masterpiece. Watching a rerelease of this in the movie theatre was one of my best experiences at the movies.
The "cemetary" is still there in the middle of nowhere in Spain. I believe it's been restored once or twice.
It's not in the middle of nowhere, It's in the province of Burgos, in the north of Spain and it's open to visitors. The spanish government declared the place of cultural interest, so it's protected by law.
@@JulioLeonFandinho well.. they are not wrong
@@JulioLeonFandinho It certainly is in the middle of nowhere, it's 60 km outside of Burgos town, and the fact that for those 60km, Google estimated about an hour of travel time even by car says something about the roads you've got to use to get there.
@@ohauss I think the trip is worthy, nevertheless... if someone ended up in Burgos town or close, why not visiting that iconic place?
I'm from Spain and it's certainly far from where I live, but it's a part of the country I'd like to explore
@@JulioLeonFandinho I never said it's not worth visiting. But it certainly takes deliberate effort to get there - it's not something you can pick up on the side while making a general tour of Spain.
I've always understood that Leone didn't find violence nearly as interesting as the build up to violence. The final gunfight is the perfect example of that in action.
And the gunfight build-up is so "Japanese" that it is mind-blowingly ahead of it's time.
Both great observations.
Hahaha building the tension and the intrigue.
Tension is engaging, action is entertaining. He knows what moments need what.
you know what Shan, I feel the urge to point you to a hidden gem, at least mostly unkown in the US, because in most other countries the two main actors are beloved heroes. The western is called: They call me the Trinity.
Maybe a door will open into a whole new dimension for you and I don't want to reveal more
rip Bud
Very good flicks.
I love "They Call Me Trinity" and its sequel "Trinity Is Still My Name". These are great comedy westerns with Terence Hill and Bud Spencer and "My Name Is Nobody" with Henry Fonda and Terence Hill. Classics!
Me and my cousin still talk about watching those movies during the summer decades ago great fun films I think Shan would enjoy also thanks
@@kennethbryant5573 My Name is Nobody is easily my favourite Western. Even by the usually more exaggerated and "silly" standard of the Spaghetti Western it's properly ridiculous and very over the top, but it's just so much fun. Once Upon A Time in the West is probably what I'd say is the best Western movie though, and my second favourite after My Name is Nobody.
If I ain't wrong this was the start of the Bud Spencer & Terrence Hill films.
Look up the Danish Symphony Orchestra. They do a complete rendition of this theme song, all with orchestra insturments. Well worth the time to listen to.
Here's the link to it: th-cam.com/video/enuOArEfqGo/w-d-xo.html amazing interpretation, sends chills down your spine
@@shanwyn That's the one I was talking about.
They even went through the trouble of hanging some poor bastard on the ceiling, just for the show. That is dedication.
@@SimoExMachina2 Yeah, that's the consequence when one of the violinists doesn't practice before the concert.
I'll take this version with Susanna Rigacci over that one:
th-cam.com/video/1pyZt-BsgnI/w-d-xo.html
This is one of my favorite Westerns. Eli Wallach really steals the spotlight in this one.( He plays a very similar character in The Magnificent Seven) The finale is one of my favorite scenes ever. The music is as iconic as the characters themselves.
Spaghetti Westerns are often criticised for being unrealistic and highly exaggerated. (Notice how nearly every gunshot is accompanied by a ricochet effect). But, in my opinion, no other genre captures the mythic elements of the Old West quite as well.
If you love Leone and Morricone watch "Once Upon a Time in The West". Best thing they've ever done. Henry Fonda is frightening.
Keep your loving brother happy…
@@maciek8159 those eyes! Incredible film
It was such a shock to viewers at the time to see Fonda as such a despicable character.
“So you found out your not a business man after all”
“Nope. Just a man.”
“An ancient race…”
@@maciek8159 that’s a great exchange
An absolute classic. Faultless given the techonology available at the time. "Make sure the rope is strong. It has to take the weight of a pig...." Tuco is genius stuff.
The first film in the "Dollar" trilogy: "A Fistful of Dollars" is basically an unofficial remake of the Japanese Samurai movie by Akira Kurasowa: "Yojimbo". It's still a great movie, as is Yojimbo.
Yes, I think we are slowly working our way towards Kurosawa: Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Throne of Blood, Ran...
@@12Trappor We can but hope.
Don't know if you're aware, but the Japanese made a samurai version of Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven"
And for me, the funny is that this film is the third but can be almost a prequel, since the time of the action and we see where the poncho of the previous films comes from.
@@floydhill9265 I didn't know that. Thanks for the info.
22:01 During the cemetery scene they have a close-up of Van Cleef's hand creeping toward his pistol. You can easily see the missing end of his middle finger.
Simply a true Epic film, and Quentin Tarantino's favorite film.
Some quick trivia: Eli Wallach (who plays Tuco) was poisoned with acid on set, nearly decapitated by a train, dragged away by a run away horse, and crushed by falling debris. The bridge had to be blown up twice, the first being a miscommunication and the second with pieces very visibly landing with force just feet from the actors. The film was shot in Spain and most of the extras were Spanish Army using actual weapons from the era that were still in Spanish inventory. The cemetary set is still there mostly - the graves have been grown over, but the center clearing is still visible.
What hasn’t been said before about the late great Ennio Morricone’s score here? It’s one of the most majestic musical scores of all time. This is the movie people think of when it comes to Morricone, but he even outdoes himself in Once Upon a Time in the West and Once Upon a Time in America which those scores make me tear up (not exaggerating). He was a master Maestro! Ennio Morricone is my favorite film composer along with John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith!
The top best film composers of all time (my opinion):
1. John Williams
2. Ennio Morricone
3. James Horner
4. Hans Zimmer
5. Alan Silvestri
6. Jerry Goldsmith
7. Danny Elfman
8. Henry Mancini
9. Thomas Newman
10. Howard Shore
This specific score was turned virtually into a hymn for all Marlboro ads.
@@claymccoy John Williams is pretty derivative work from established classicals so actually it is difficult he can made the number one position.
@ He has made a lot of iconic film scores though.
I love Tuco so much. He is such a fun and interesting character. Perfectly rides that line between good and bad.
Eli Wallach forever!
A very memorable & original character. Like Barney Fife or Forest Gump.
The Magnificent Seven is a good one with Eli Wallach.
This movie may have a western setting, but it feels more like a mythological quest with a seemingly never ending list of obstacles to overcome.
yes and that is why these 'spaghetti' westerns usurped the US western film market. US films tended to be cliche westerns. The 'good guys' are treated like heroes who do no wrong. "red indians" are the enemy. The cavalry always arrives etc etc Leone's films are gritty, dirty and violent and the plots are quite intricate.There are no saints in these films :)
Filmed in Spain with an Italian director. All the extras used during the battle at the bridge were Spanish army soldiers. They had to film the blowing up of the bridge twice. The first time the charges went off before the cameramen and director were ready, so they did it again the next day.
Eli Wallach made this film imho. He had the best lines and gave the best performance. Lee Van Cleef was also very good. Clint was Clint. Great story. And I agree that the last scenes at the graveyard were some of the most epic ever shot (no pun intended)...
I thoroughly enjoyed your reaction to this movie. I think Eli Wallach's performance as Tuco is one of the greatest in the history of film. Sergio Leone really topped himself here...but still had ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST to come! You must watch that one now. I consider it to be the 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY of westerns. I've seen the sound cut out at the end during another reaction video for this movie. Without the sound you miss the final gag: Tuco yells "Blondie! You know what you are? You stinking son of a--" and the last word is drowned out by the "AAA-AAA-AAA!" vocals of the theme song. I've read that Blondie is considered "the good" because he only deals with other gunmen, and always leaves civilians alone. My parents took me to see this on the big, big screen when it came out, which was a real thrill. We were a big John Wayne/Steve McQueen/Clint Eastwood family. People have often said that, with these films, Leone was deconstructing the traditional western and making it obsolete, when in fact, his westerns were meant as an affectionate homage to the traditional Hollywood westerns that he loved. His own westerns include as many of the Hollywood tropes that he could work in, but exaggerated and stylized in imaginative new cinematic ways. Here's a video I made a few years ago that shows what the final shootout would be like without any music:
th-cam.com/video/5UyOIg0ECnA/w-d-xo.html
I've tried to make up my mind which movie is better, this one or "Once Upon a Time in the West", but I think now that it doesn't make much sense: both are such masterpieces!
@@mrgadget1485 Agree. Each is so great in its own way.
@@porflepopnecker4376 Here's the ending with the sound: th-cam.com/video/o36m-2TPwck/w-d-xo.html
No doubt you are familiar with The Magnificent Seven. Eli Wallach also played a Mexican bandit in that one. Some practice for GBU? Magnificent Seven is one of the best movies ever made. Watch it if you have never seen it before.
Blondie’s tactics at the end were genius. As he had removed the bullets from Tuco’s gun he only had to focus on Angel Eyes, who had to split his attention between Blondie and Tuco. And if Blondie had lost the shootout he would still have had the last laugh: there was no name on the stone because there was no name on the grave and Angel Eyes would would never have known where the gold was buried. Blondie was honorable enough to split the gold with Tuco but smart enough not to turn his back on him; he literally left Tuco hanging until he was well out of range.
After you check out the Dollars Trilogy, please watch Once Upon a Time in the West. Leone's best work and Morricone's best soundtrack.
I second that.
Yep. _Good, Bad, & The Ugly_ gets all the love but _Once Upon_ is the far richer, superior masterpiece.
The dollars movies are not a trilogy. There's just A fistful of Dollars and for a few dollars more. The best Eastwood movies on the spaghetti western era are A fistful dollars, for a few dollars more, The Good The bad and The ugly and the American one which bombed in America but was a hit and Mexico, Spain and Italy and has become a classic in its own right Hang them High.
One of my favorite movies of all time! Everything is perfect about this adventure. I remember reading that both Clint and Van Cleef were a little jealous because Eli Wallach got the best part.
I adore THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES by Eastwood. I highly recommend it.
The great Eli Wallach graduated from University of Texas and was a Captain in the Army in WW2 and played so many great roles such a long career
Ever seen "The Lineup"? Wallach was a real psycho in that one...and Mr Drysdale from the Commerce Bank of Beverly Hills is also in it, sans toupee.
Shah, another great review. BTW, The Bad (Angel Eyes) was played by Lee Van Cleef. He was a staple of Spaghetti Westerns, like the "Sabata" series and "Death Rides a Horse"
I loved the tagline for this movie.
"For three men, the Civil War wasn't hell. It was practice."
Have you reacted to The Magnificent Seven? If not I would love to see you do that.
Don't watch Magnificent Seven before "Seven Samurai." That's the original.
@@dudermcdudeface3674 I do recommend both, but I'd rather see M7 first
I'd rather see him react to Seven Samurai, the movie The Magnificent Seven was based on. That's a masterpiece by Akira Kurosawa.
@@sntxrrr M7 is a masterpiece as well. We'll see what happens.
@@sntxrrr The Magnificent Seven was based on Seven Samurai, but it's not just a copy (like the US version of "the ring"). There's more ! Much more !
The italian westerns were shot mainly in Spain Almeria (Europes only desert) and the cementry Sad Hill is in nothern Spain. They rebuiled it.
Another of my Top 10 films reacted to by another of my favorite reactors! TBS Schmitt just did Glory and now Shan's watching this. What a great weekend!
In case you're interested, this movie was shot in my country, Spain, in the desert of Almería. 90% of the spaghetti-westerns were shot here.
"In Boot Hill there are over 400 graves. It takes
the space of 7 acres. There is an elaborate gate
but the path keeps to the main route for it tangles
like branches of a tree among the gravestones.
300 of the dead in Boot Hill died violently
200 by guns, over 50 by knives
some were pushed under trains -- a popular
and overlooked form of murder in the west.
Some from brain hemorrhages resulting from bar fights
at least 10 killed in barbed wire.
In Boot Hill there are only two graves that belong to women
and they are the only known suicides in that graveyard."
-- From The Collected Works of Billy The Kid by Michael Ondaatje.
The theatrical version is actually more effective than this extended version.
This is one of the few movies i call "perfect". The acting, the cinematography, the music, the actors themselves, the script, the story are all perfect for me.
One thing that spaghetti westerns in general, but especially Sergio Leone's films do, is making close ups of very unique, weathered faces their own type of "landscape" shots. He really examines the landscape of the human face a lot.
Those closeups get even closer in Once Upon A Time In The West. Right in the eyes closer.
Tuco is one of my favorite characters ever. Eli Wallach was an amazing actor.
I hope to see you react to Open Range with Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner...an excellent western film.
But yes...definitely react to Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More...both are excellent.
If you can find it "They Call Me Trinity" is another gem, and has a great funny side to it
So glad I got to see Moricone in London about 15 years ago. Ecstasy of Gold was the highlight -- he had a whole choir and a Soprano. Apparently one of the most productive film scorers ever.
Same, on the list of best decisions i ever made. th-cam.com/video/ZNGe7iK1O-4/w-d-xo.html
3:20 - Lee Van Clief, one of the icons of spaghetti westerns. He works with Leone in second part of Dollar Trilogy: For A Few Dollars More.
Lee Van Cleef was a villain's villain!
How about another classic many reactors overlook? "The Dirty Dozen!"
The times were changing when this came out. Film makers were getting out from under the studios thumb & one of the things they were experimenting with were tropes like good vs. evil. So the characters in lots of those movies were more like bad, really bad & just straight up evil. The line you quoted, " Do you feel lucky, punk?, " was in Dirty Harry
There are two kinds of people in this world, my friend. Those who react to movies and talk over the good parts and those who don't. You don't. Thanks. :)
That's a real skeleton in the grave. The Spanish actress asked in her will that her skeleton be used in films, so she could be in films after her death.
“Go ahead, make my day…do you feel lucky” is from the Dirty Harry series….brilliant films.
For a few classic westerns more, may I suggest "The Ox-Bow Incident"(1942)
"The Wild Bunch"(1969) "Little Big Man"(1970), "Jeremiah Johnson"(1972)
"High Plains Drifter"(1973)
Yes, Jeremiah Johnson - the West before cattle and cowboys, and Little Big Man - loved it. Also, the original best 'Stagecoach'
@@sherigrow6480 Yes, "Stagecoach"(1939) was the movie that made John Wayne a major movie star and directed by the legendary John Ford. They made many great movies together and I would love to see reaction videos to all of them.
Eli Wallach is great as the villain in "The Magnificent Seven." That one is def worth a watch too.
Another awesome italian wester is Once Upon a Time in the West with Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Charles Bronson and Jason Robards and also directed by Sergio Leone and with music by Ennio Morricone.
Sergio Leone e Ennio Morricone reinventarono il Western,con i pochi mezzi che avevano quando sei un genio c'è poco da fare!! Orgoglio Italiano 🤠🌹♥️
That entire scene where “The Ugly” Eli Wallach was putting together revolvers was 100% improvised.
Also shouldn’t have worked at all as all those revolvers were hand fitted and the different colts and Remingtons he takes parts from have different basic dimensions
“The good” was identified to communicate that this was a morally gray hero and not a shining white knight hero as was common for westerns of the time. The podcast “the soundtrack show” does a great job analyzing the soundtrack. Check it out.
18:50 it's really difficult to overstate the importance of bridges. I don't know if you've already seen it, or it's on your list, but A Bridge Too Far might be worth your time.
You need to watch the Documentary on Sad Hill Unearthed. The cemetery is still in Spain today a few men restore the cemetery and have a 50th anniversary showing of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. I think you'll find it very interesting to hear all of the stories behind this great film. I want to add that you can watch the Documentary on Netflix.
"The Outlaw Josey Wales" is my favorite of his westerns, followed closely by "Unforgiven".
This is the greatest western ever!!! Please check out The Outlaw Josey Wales, a phenomenal western from 1976 starring and directed by Clint.
Did he do 'Once Upon a Time in the West'? I don't know if I've ever watched the entire film....but the intro is pretty amazing. The cinematography & sound alone. I know Charles Bronson & Jack Elam.....& Henry Fonda were in it.
yes
Yes. Hopefully, Shan checks out that one too. It’s amazing.
The only reactor to do Once Upon A Time In The West was James VS Cinema. He did all right but he kept interrupting the movie with his comments. But still, he loved that movie. Thought every scene was like watching a painting in every shot.
the body in Arch Stanton's grave was real. It was a Spanish actress who put in her will that she wanted to be in a movie after her death. If you look closely you can see the skeleton is in a dress.
Regarding the visuals: the movie was shot in Techniscope, and only uses half of the usual 35mm frame, so it's not as sharp as some other films, BUT this film also has quite an unfortunate restoration history. There's been a couple of restorations since the one you've watched, and while one of them was heavily criticized, the most recent one looks much *much* better. You'll also see how great the first two films look today when you'll get around to them, despite them being much cheaper, and shot on the same format.
For more classics with Clint Eastwood I can recommend Kelly's Heroes.
If you loved this one check out Charles Bronson in Once upon a time in the west
That bridge explosion was soooo dangerous. Look at all the debris that comes flying in right next to the actors.
How about that shovel getting thrown like a spear inches from Eli's fingers?
@@stevecampbell9670 Or worse, the metal step on the train almost beheading Eli Wallach. He told that story many times.
You should check out The Good, The Bad , The Weird,. It is a Korean tribute/ reimagining of this film with a different thematic setting, Also, the chimes in the shoot out scene call back to one of the earlier films of the series.
i'M 56 and have watched This and Once Upon A Time In The West many, many times and to this day I couldn't tell you which one is the greatest. I guess it really doesn't matter, just 2 wonderful pieces of art that we have been blessed to witness.
The "do you feel lucky punk" line is from "Dirty Harry" (1971) -- no western, but still great :)
Still its quite a bit west of itally/spain
Yes, they build the cemetery for the movie and it had to be gone a day after filming.
As for the bridge? The short version, thanks to some local miscommunication it was blown up twice. The first time no camera was rolling.
'Go ahead Punk' is from 'Dirty Harry'.
The two 'Dollar' movies are not as good as 'The Good...'. They aren't bad, but you can see the growth in skill and budget. 'For a fistful of Dollars' is a remake/adaption of the Akira Kurosawa movie 'Yojimbo'. If you are really into movies watch them both with 'Yojimbo' first, because then you will see how well Leone adapted it. He changed only what was necessary.
But if you want another really great Sergio Leone western, give 'Once upon a time in the west' (1968) a try.
Shan the movie in which Clint Eastwood says are you feeling lucky punk? Is a line from a dirty harry movie . You may enjoy those movies as well.
You watched the extended edition: oddly I prefer the cinema version.
One problem is that Wallach was still alive and they used his voice which had changed in pitch due to age. Eastwood too, but not as much. They got someone else for Cleef.
The extra scenes add nothing except possibly the one where ugly arrives at the camp looking for Carson
Peter, it is your preference. The extended version is the original European cut and US version has a shorter cut of Tucco and his priest brother’s scenes. Both versions are available on physical media.
Sergio Leones out does himself in Once Upon A Time In The West and Once Upon A Time In America. Watch them you won't be disappointed. Enjoy your reaction videos they're the best.
I've always considered 'the good' not to mean he was a good man but rather that he was just really good at what he did
Terrance Hill and Buddy Spencer have some great “spaghetti” westerns as well, but they are also full of comedy as well.
Definitely worth a look.
The “Make My Day” quote is from the fourth Dirty Harry cop film “Sudden Impact”
Watching and listening to the final standoff in a full movie theater is an unmatched experience.
Open Range-Kevin Costner and Robert Duval
The Outlaw Josey Wales- Clint Eastwood
Are movies I will continue to suggest. They are great movies imo. My two favorite westerns of all time.
Another great spaghetti western director was Sergio Corbucci. His best film was probably "Il Grande Silencio", but "Il Mercenario" is also worth watching, especially for the gunfight in the arena which is every bit as good as the conclusion in The good the bad and the ugly. Both those films were scored by Morricone.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST is a must. Such great film work. It’s outside of the Man with no name trilogy by Leone but my favorite western of all time.
Thank you for a wonderful reaction! Leone has been criticized for his violence...especially at the time of his picture's release. Yet, you rarely see blood. He makes it "feel" violent. Most director's spend one or two minutes setting up a violent act and then dwell on the outcome for 10 or so minutes...extending shootouts, even using slo-motion. The genius of Leone is he does the reverse. The buildup can be 5 or 10 minutes but the act is over in seconds. It's the suspense and tension he creates that makes you feel you watched something graphic and violent. He is truly an artist and thank you for appreciating his work!
Please consider the Dirty Harry Movies (at least the first three) I don't think you'll regret it.
Sad Hill cemetery was exclusively constructed for this film. The production got the cooperation of the Spanish Army. After shooting, it was just left unattended. A few years ago, people found it's location and an effort was take on to restore it. It has been completely restored and it's a tourist location. The restoration project was capped off by a showing of the movie on that location and some very unexpected words of congratulations from Clint Eastwood himself.
The corpse in the coffin was real. Someone's grandma asked to be in a movie after she died and this was her big show biz break.
I love this movie so much my dad showed this to me growing up and have been a fan of Clint ever since
This film represents a final product that all film makers hope for, but few achieve. Leone learned from the first two films, in this three film set, what the audience yearned for, and put it all on the line with this film. In doing so he hit a grand slam home run. The directing, camera angles, and production make this film one of the greatest westerns ever made. Then you add the genius of Morricone, and you elevate this film to the top of that list. Great reaction. Peace.
You are right, they did build the graveyard for the film
The mexican standoff at the end is WITHOUT A DOUBT, the absolute finest in cinematic history.
The editing, the music, the buils up.
This is 24 carat cinema gold.
My favorite movie! You can't think of westerns no more without whistling the theme to this movie! It's so iconic.
The best thing about Leone is he uses wide epic shots followed by extreme closeups and he holds shots for a very long time and allows for slow build of tension and and spends a lot of time making every shot perfect. He was a fan of John Ford and in the movie Once Upon a Time in America he went to exactly the same spot to get an exact shot. And that stone circle at the end was built stone by stone and took a couple of weeks for that one shot, and the first tracking shot in that film of Claudia Cardinale he had the whole town built at a cost that was higher than the budget for his previous film, all for that one 3 minute shot.
The commentary on that film, when you see it, there is a squeaky windmill, one of his producers complained that the sound was annoying an asked if he should send someone to oil it to get rid of the noise. In typical Leone fashion he told the guy, "If you do I'll slap you"
one could argue that sergio leone singlehandedly revitalized the western genre with his dollar trilogy, even in the US. with his growing recognition overseas he wanted to leave the western behind and make a passion project "once upon a time in america" but the american studios only agreed to finance it if he would make another western before that. thus "once upon a time in the west" was born. And what a masterpiece on a Kubrick level it became.
This time he asked Enrico Morricone to write and record the soundtrack before filming, this way he could play it on set, so that Actors and camera could flow with the music
And just like Kubrick he never explained his intentions. Some might argue that this movie was a deconstruction of the western, others that he deconstructed himself and the so called "spaghetti western" or that it isn't a western at all, but a ghost story. And i agree with all of them.
For any cine enthusiast it is an obligatory watch, It is visual storytelling on a master level grounded om a revolutionary approach to soundtrack (or lack of it in some scenes)
Not sure if it is true but i have heared that like star wars was the first movie to have a "continious" soundtrack throughout the film, "once upon a time in the west" was the first to have a theme for all it's main charcters.
Just like kubrick's 2001 it isn't a movie i need to see a "reaction" video but would rather prefer an "opinion / review", since just the pressure of "oooh i need to react in some way to this" actually does this kinds of movies no favor. this kind lives rather by the unscratched itch that you have seen it and it left you thinking .... and after 5-10 years you watch it again and you catch yourself thinking about it in a totally different way....
TL;DR some times the entertaining thing about movies isn't the movie itself but trying to answer the questions it left you with and the doubt of "am i asking even the right ones" ;)
Love your reactions,
Matthias Exeler
PS.: if you ever consider watching "once upon a time in the west" please make sure to watch the "european theatrical release version" ... america back then wasn't quiet ready yet ;)
Great reaction! Did your sound cut out at the end after Blondie shot the rope? Because there is actual sound toward the very end Anyways, you definitely need to react to "A Fistful of Dollars" and "For a Few Dollars More". You will love those as well!
On Mr Video's reaction to TGTBTU, the sound at the end cut off too. TH-cam copywrite I guess.
@@scottjo63 I noticed it on Mr. Video's reaction as well. It probably was for copywrite reason.
Speaking of music you'v heard before, (or after, as the case may be), at 17:12 the music for this scene was utilized in Kelly's Heroes. Not a spaghetti western, by any stretch, but also a Clint Eastwood vehicle.
The movie was shot entirely in Spain. Most actors, except the main characters, were Spanish, not Italian. The Spanish army played the civil war soldiers, and also constructed all the sets, including Sad Hill Cemetary. It was recently restored. goo.gl/maps/TPrevsMm61Yvpi6s9
Once Upon a Time in the West - Sergio Leone considered Once Upon a Time in the West to be his fourth in his Western movies
This movie is actually shot in the south of Spain. You can still visit the Sad Hill cemetary set, there !
The "Make my day" line is from one of the Dirty Harry movies, can't remember which.
You should watch "Once Upon a Time in the West" next. It's a bit better than the rest of the "Dollars" trilogy, imo. And the soundtrack is one of Morricone's best.
Also you need to watch The Magnificent Seven. It's not a Spaghetti Western but the cast is astounding. And Eli Wallach, the guy that plays Tuco in this plays the villain in it.
or maybe the original instead?
@@KyuzouTV That too. I'm sure Shan will get around to Kurosawa.
Skip the 2016 remake but do also watch the "original" ie The Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa.
@@stevecampbell9670 Yeah, I have to agree, Antoine Fuqua doesn't often fail, but the Magnificent Seven remake wasn't very good.
Not only did they build Sad Hill Cemetery for the film, but it's still there! It's a tourist attraction in Spain, you can visit it. They had to refurbish and rebuilt it in 2015, but it's still Sad Hill.
Yeah, Blondie is the Good, but he's rated on a curve against the other two.
And he only kills other gunmen. Unlike the Bad, he leaves civilians alone and sometimes even shows empathy for them.
Well, you beat MellVerse. I hope it doesn't take a long time to watch and react to Once Upon A Time In The West.
16:19 it's been said Leone wanted Eli Wallace to get closer for better filming. That's an actually train and if Wallace moved any closer he would have been decapitated. Also the hanging scenes Wallace's hands were actually tied as he hung on for dear life using his legs to hold on as the horse galloped away fast after Eastwood shot the rope. Also, the gun buying scene or rather stealing Wallace didn't know what he was really doing when he broke the guns apart and did his inspection scene.
This movie is in my list of 5 best movies ever made.
Glad you chose the new restored longer version, BTW the film was shot in Spain, pretty close the same location years later they shot Conan the barbarian.
Just getting into Sergio Leone, you are in for a real treat. Every film is a master work. My ranking for the 6 Leone films (in reverse order):
6. Once Upon a Time in America
5. For A Few Dollars More
4. A Fistful of Dollars
3. Once Upon a Time… The Revolution (AKA Duck You Sucker AKA A Fistful of Dynamite)
2. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
1. Once Upon A Time In The West
Shan - hope you watch "Once Upon a Time in the West". I think it's even more epic!
Gotta watch the other 2 films in this trilogy
Angel Eyes is called the Bad, but he kills less than the other two.
You need to watch Once upon a Time in the West, another masterpiece.
Very few films have this level of character development while simultaneously giving so very little away about their past. The emersion is over the top.
If you liked this, check out the 1st two entries in Leone's "Man with No Name" trilogy. Also, check out the South Korean remake, "The Good The Bad The Weird". It's very different, but also epic and a thrill to watch