I love Harmonica’s reaction to getting asked who he is. His eyes squinting, the smile forming on his face, his jaw slightly moving before speaking, the way he says “Dave Jenkins”, you can tell he was very excited to hear Frank ask him that question and has been preparing for a long time to answer it. Frank’s reaction to hearing “Dave Jenkins” is also amazing. The frown forming on his face, the way he stares at Harmonica, his eyes slightly shuddering, him slightly glancing down at him and then quickly back, his eyes slightly squinting as he lightly crunches down on his cigar before removing it, the way he says “Dave Jenkins has been dead a long time ago”, you can tell he is absolutely shocked beyond recovery to hear that name, yet he does his best to hide it and continue the interrogation. The acting in this movie is so subtle, you really need to rewatch the whole film over and over again to truly appreciate how absolutely brilliant it is. Some of the best performances to ever grace the magic of cinema!
The best part of this whole scene: Henry Fondas ice cold blue eyes just gleaming when Harmonica mentions the name of one of his former associates. The fear in his eyes. Yet, he still manages to look terrifying all while just as terrified himself.
What makes Bronson's Harmonica character so good is that he plays a living ghost. He's Frank's conscience, karma, and justice all wrapped into one harmonica playing package. Most movies try to have the bad guy get under the good guy's skin, but this time, it's the opposite.
I've seen some thoughts to the effect that Harmonica is indeed a ghost : the mysterious way he appears, disappears, conducts himself etc etc. Maybe it's as valid a thought as any other . I often wondered how did he compose that mournful tune ? (Could he play anything else ?? )
@@Simpleburger1968 Interesting, though I think that would actually do a disservice to the character. To me, it seems like he spent his entire formative years learning the way of the gun to exact revenge for that one sweet moment of retribution.
@@psychocuda ....also undertaking serious investigative work into Frank and his subsequent movements . (although it's never made clear what the background is to the hanging of the brother ....did they know Frank and his gang at that point ??) Makes for a more enigmatic story I guess.
@@Simpleburger1968 In the end, it's better to leave things open to interpretation than to give a play by play of the entire events, and I think Sergio made the right call on that.
' Now that you've called me by name...' The deathly introduction to evil Frank. Fonda is one of the all-time bad guys. He's cruel, vindictive, narcissistic, greedy, spiteful and duplicitous...and those are his GOOD points.
Henchman to Frank: "What do we do with the boy, Frank?" Then Fonda looks over at him with a scowl: "Now that he knows my name...." And Fonda sadistically kills the little boy. Kind of deep for that time in movies.
I love the little sound which plays after Harmonica mentions the two men that Frank killed. Paired up with Frank’s reactions, it’s like the sound is the shiver going down Frank’s spine.
Yeah, probably too because those are names that perhaps none who currently ride with Frank would know and maybe only he would know, so how would anyone else know those names. That would be unnerving if someone you killed, who likely should have no one alive to recall their name, has their name dredged up by some complete stranger.
Henry Fonda played the ultimate psychopath. Best western ever made. All the leading characters play their parts well and all made the film as good as it was.
3:23 "Your friends have a high mortality rate, Frank. First three, then two." "... So *you're* the one who makes the appointments." "And *you're* the one who doesn't keep them." "... Whaddya want? Who are you?" "... Dave Jenkins." "..... Dave Jenkins is dead, long time ago." "Calder Benson." "... What's your name? Benson's dead too!" "You ought to know, Frank, better than anyone. *You* killed them." *smack* *smack* *smack* "Who are you?! WHO ARE YOU, YOU-?!" " *FRANK!* The woman... We're losing time."
this is such a key scene. The past is catching up with frank. There's someone who isn't afraid of him and his men can sense it too. But humans being humans Frank can't kill harmonica there and then as he has to know why he has sought him out. Classic!
It's his curiosity that became his own undoing, instead of instantly killing harmonica, he kept him alive because he needed to know who harmonica was ,what he wanted and who possibly sent him, killng so many men other the years he lost track of his enemies.
Sergio Leone had always wanted Charles Bronson to play the mysterious stranger in his Westerns. He considered Bronson to be the best actor in the world. But Bronson turned down the role in "Fistful of Dollars" and the role went to Clint Eastwood. After the initial trilogy of Westerns with Eastwood, Leone wanted to do some other genre of film. The studio begged him to do one more Western. He agreed but only if he had complete creative control to make the kind of Western he wanted with the actors he wanted. He got Bronson and he got Henry Fonda and called the resulting masterpiece "Once Upon a Time in the West."
KaijuDirectorOO7 no way. The good, the bad and the ugly is inferior to once upon a time in the west in every possible sense: directing, plot, cinematography, acting and last but not least music.
Henry Fonda was not sure about taking the role and asked his friend Eli Wallach if should pursue the role of the villain and Wallach told him he should and Fonda decided to take it and later said it was one of his favorite roles
Years ago I was watching this on TNT or TCM and they shared a story that Fonda had shown up with brown contacts and Leone told him not to wear them as he actually looked much more disturbing with his blue eyes partly because so many of Fonda's roles had been as a blue-eyed good man, so it was a bit unnerving to see that same Fonda play someone so amoral.
splendid movie. seldom if ever have I seen a movie where music, cinematography and scenario are excellently tuned in together. A perfectly blended piece of art.
The unbelievable arrogance in frank in this scene fonda deserves an oscar for ... every single gest oozes with arrogance I watched it a 100 times amazing performance
As far as I know this was the only film in which Henry Fonda plays a villain and he does it brilliantly. When he showed up on the set for the film he was wearing brown contact lenses to make himself look more evil. Sergio Leone said, "No, take them out! I want the audience to see your blue eyes and think, 'oh my God, that's Henry Fonda!' " In his first scene he shoots a little boy in cold blood, establishing his character as a despicable bad-ass and one of film's most memorable villains ever.
He played a villain in a movie with Jimmy Stewart called Fire Creek look it up it was before Once Upon A Time In The West. He did a great job in it too.
JackKangaroo1 like was said in other comment Fonda did play a villain in 1968’s Firecreek. James Stewart was an aging Sheriff and good guy who against Fonda who was a cowboy gang leader and killer. In real life Stewart and Fonda were best friends and their careers in Hollywood were winding down especially Stewart’s who didn’t make many films in 1960s and 1970s and was ready to retire from acting in the 70s due to his age and hearing loss made it hard to work
@@54gfan but that villain n Firecreek is a choirboy next to "Frank" in "Once Upon A Time..." The Firecreek villain and the James Stewart character were once good friends. And Fonda in Firecreek is allowed to have moments where we sympathize for him. Even at the end, he is only trying to wound Stewart, not kill him. He's being "Henry Fonda" like mocviegoers had always known him. Maybe just a little bad this time. But "Frank" has no soft edges. he is pure villainy; a straight up sociopath (maybe even psychopath). Hardcore. As an old timer who grew up watching all of his old films on TV and his later films from the 50s and 60s in the theaters, I can tell you when this movie came out and we saw Fonda in this role, we went CRAZY!!! Well, us young ones anyway. We loved it.
Epic scene!!! And epic quote: "your friends have high mortality rate frank". Despite the fact that frank killed his brother harmonica has a good sense of humor.
Casting Henry Fonda against type as Frank was a stroke of genius on Sergio Leone's part. Fonda's performance is a case study in understated menace and casual malevolence, which actually serves to enhance the truly frightful nature of his character's sociopathic persona. Frank is one of the great villains in movie history.
Very rare for Henry Fonda to play a villain, but he did it so well. Would have been interesting to see what Lee Van Cleef would have done with the role.
Donald Koelper ..on the contrary in his opening scene after shooting the three the camera comes around to show the actors face only shocked they see Mr. Roberts from his latest good guy movie.
Donald Koelper - Extremely well put. The understated nature is what makes the performance so memorable. Fonda was a master of quietly projecting his screen presence. He is one of my favorite actors, and this shows his range.
4:31 Can we all just take a moment to appreciate how well done that slap was? Normally in a movie like this, the villain would aggressively do a single smack and have yell uncontrollably. Fonda is almost like a fast talking business man, he doesn’t give a shit who this guy is, he’s just legitimately pissed he didn’t get an answer to his question Yeah I’m weird
I don't think so. Frank is not a businessman. If he were he would have shot him. He would have recognised him as potentially dangerous and killed him without remorse. Frank is not a businessman, as he says in a later scene he's "just a man". As a complete sadistic psycopath he doesn't mind killing cripples and weak people cause he likes how they fear him and as every psycopath he wants to feel the power of being feared. When he hears the phrase "your friends have a high mortality rate" he's shocked, not because he fears the man tied up, but because that unknown man doesn't fear him. If he would have showed fear he would have been shot, because Frank would have got what he wanted. By not submissing and by keeping the mystery of his own identity the hero has a power on Frank. The power of knowledge. He knows who Frank is and he is fearless about confronting him. This is why Frank is speechless. He cannot kill him because it would mean to not discover how this man knows so much and in a way the power that the hero held while talking to him openly would have not been cancelled. Frank wants to show his dominance completely, and then kill eventually. Not getting answered is a deep frustration for him and he breaks out of charachter slapping him. He doesn't know what to do, because anybody else would have been scared and responded to the questions. He's not a businessman who wants to move on, in that case he would have shot. He's a psycopath that for the first time meets somebody that doesn't submit to him. And that's annoying for him, reason why he broke out of charachter and started slapping him (not to mention he would have continued if he wasn't stopped)
Best western ever! Just a bit better than TGTBTU. Everybody kills it here. Bronson probably was never better. Fonda plays against type. Cardinale is beautiful and has depth. Robards is terrific as the outlaw running from the law. Leone never topped himself after this one, and it is a great deconstruction to the myth of the west; Clint Eastwood would have a lot more to say on that in the 70's. "How can you trust a man that wears both a belt and suspenders?" JFC, great dialogue if a bit heavy handed. And Frank takes the guys manhood before taking his life. Cold as fuck, and brilliant. Cold like Fonda's eyes, though I would argue Harmonica is a few degrees colder, given his unflappable calm in any situation.
I always feel a bit of a shiver when Harnonica starts to mention Frank's victims, and we get that sharp music cue as if the ghosts of Frank's victims were standing in front of him.
The only movie that Henry Fonda was rightly cast in -- as a psychopathic murderer. When I was a kid seeing him in his many good guy movies, he used to scare me.
He played a bad guy in 1968 western Firecreek as a cowboy gang leader and killer with James Stewart as an aging part time Sheriff going against him. In real life they were best friends.
You notice so many things while rewatching this movie. Frank is this despicable old west outlaw with no conscience. Then he looks so small and outmatched next to the technology of that train and his boss who manipulated the world with money. Then his cocky attitude goes away when he meets Harmonica who he can't figure out.
I got to see this film when I was eighteen. I thought then that it was the best western, ever. Everything that was filmed had purpose. Henry Fonda was brilliant. A truly evil bad guy. The feel of the film was gritty. You felt the dust upon you. There was no white hat hero. Things were as they were. The only part I did not care for was the casting of the family out at the ranch. They were supposed to be Irish I believe. But none of them came off as being so. Fifty plus years later, it is still an excellent film.
The brilliance is so simple. The formula for almost every action / western goes villain inflicts trauma on the hero onscreen in the first act. Sergio hints at it and hints at it and hints at it. We all know. We know. Harmonica plays and kills Frank’s men. Frank kills a family and the song plays. Here they meet and the song plays. It’s only 3 hours in right on the point of dying that Sergio unleashes the trauma. It’s such a simple exercise in restraint and concentration, but it’s so hard to do. Legend
I read once that Henry Fonda said after reading the screenplay and noting what a mean, evil bastard he was playing he decided to get black colored contact lenses for his part. When he showed up to shoot his first scene Sergio Leone said what have you done to your eyes? Henry told him what he did and said he thought it would be good for his character. Sergio told him absolutely not, I paid the big bucks for your blue eyes and want to see them on camera.
Those blue eyes were Fonda's trademark, and Leone especially wanted that shock moment when the camera panned around until you saw him full face for the first time and the startled audience would say, "Jesus, that's Henry Fonda!"
Awesome scene here and another great scene was in "Warlock" when DeForest Kelly says, someone needs to paint his pistol handles, "yeah, but who's to do it " and then Fonda quick draws his ass, too cool
I like how everybody enters and exits through the mail and baggage door and never used the steps at the end of the car... especially when Bronson was on the ladder at the end of the car... no lets take him down the side and go in that way. lol...
Al Mulock who played one of the 3 bad guys in opening sequence jumped off motel in full cowboy outfit just after filming. Producing manager Mancini was in room and saw his body go by.
He jumped out of his hotel room 2 or 3 stories up and was rushed to hospital but the bumpy ride in ambulance made things worse and had a broken rib that punctured his heart and he died. He was depressed as had dealt with the death of his wife and was recovering from a drug addiction and couldn’t get drugs where he was on location.
I have got two movie DVDS of Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson with Jason Robards in Once Upon A Time In The West with Robert Ryan Dana Andrews Telly Savalas and Robert Shaw as a German officer in The Battle Of The Bulge I am dedicating these movie DVDS of Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson to my old school friends who are both sisters as I hope to see them both again very soon to Chris and Hester Brand from Billyxxxxx
One wonders who Dave Jenkins, Calder Benson, and the other names given by Harmonica may have been. Frank was basically a hired assassin. Therefore, it's likely these men were those who were unfortunate enough to become bothersome to some cattle baron or railroad company; Frank was contracted to "eliminate the problem." It would seem that railroad builder Morton retained Frank on a relatively long term basis; it would explain how and why Frank collected his own entourage. Eventually, Frank started to get the idea that he could take over from Morton and, like Frankenstein's monster, Frank turned on Morton. But Frank wasn't quite as clever as he probably thought he was. Frank seemed to forget that Morton was not without his own resources. Leaving some of his men to look after Morton, Morton then preceded to buy off Frank's men, with the goal of killing Frank.
@@jimtabor180 No,his "friends" with high mortality rate are those who get killed by Harmonica,three ones from the beginning ,and two ones in the scene with the woman .
One line I always appreciated in this scene although it's nothing profound is "If he gives you any trouble, hit him but not in the mouth he's gotta talk and plenty". Never mind the fact that torture in general is an ineffective way of getting information, anytime someone's interrogated in movies and such they always insist on having the bad guys punch the person right in the face like guys, he/she can't give you coherent sentences if you keep fucking their jaw up
anyone notice < Altho Harmonica 1st appears carrying his saddle and asking for a mount ,, you'll never see him on horseback until .... the finale ! haha - never seen that mentioned before
This film really had Henry Fonda fans taken aback by his ruthlessness
I love Harmonica’s reaction to getting asked who he is. His eyes squinting, the smile forming on his face, his jaw slightly moving before speaking, the way he says “Dave Jenkins”, you can tell he was very excited to hear Frank ask him that question and has been preparing for a long time to answer it.
Frank’s reaction to hearing “Dave Jenkins” is also amazing. The frown forming on his face, the way he stares at Harmonica, his eyes slightly shuddering, him slightly glancing down at him and then quickly back, his eyes slightly squinting as he lightly crunches down on his cigar before removing it, the way he says “Dave Jenkins has been dead a long time ago”, you can tell he is absolutely shocked beyond recovery to hear that name, yet he does his best to hide it and continue the interrogation.
The acting in this movie is so subtle, you really need to rewatch the whole film over and over again to truly appreciate how absolutely brilliant it is. Some of the best performances to ever grace the magic of cinema!
Great observation best picture ever
It's.not subtle, it's sublime they really have acting chops.
The amount of curiosity Frank had when he said keep him warm for me.
The best part of this whole scene: Henry Fondas ice cold blue eyes just gleaming when Harmonica mentions the name of one of his former associates. The fear in his eyes. Yet, he still manages to look terrifying all while just as terrified himself.
It is truly terrifying.
Or when he shoots Belt and Braces as he's about to give the game away.
Like a cornered wild animal
What makes Bronson's Harmonica character so good is that he plays a living ghost. He's Frank's conscience, karma, and justice all wrapped into one harmonica playing package. Most movies try to have the bad guy get under the good guy's skin, but this time, it's the opposite.
I've seen some thoughts to the effect that Harmonica is indeed a ghost : the mysterious way he appears, disappears, conducts himself etc etc. Maybe it's as valid a thought as any other . I often wondered how did he compose that mournful tune ? (Could he play anything else ?? )
@@Simpleburger1968 Interesting, though I think that would actually do a disservice to the character. To me, it seems like he spent his entire formative years learning the way of the gun to exact revenge for that one sweet moment of retribution.
@@psychocuda ....also undertaking serious investigative work into Frank and his subsequent movements . (although it's never made clear what the background is to the hanging of the brother ....did they know Frank and his gang at that point ??) Makes for a more enigmatic story I guess.
@@Simpleburger1968 In the end, it's better to leave things open to interpretation than to give a play by play of the entire events, and I think Sergio made the right call on that.
@@psychocuda not me, i wish to have known alot more about some stuff in this film. They dont even reveal Franks last name.
Frank: Who are you?
Harmonica: Jim Cooper, Chuck Youngblood.
Frank: More dead men.
Harmonica: They were all alive until they met you, Frank.
For me personally,the best western I've ever seen.
Yep 👍🏽
The good the bad and the ugly
@@billcarson698 …also
@@billcarson698 It’s honestly better has a more impactful story but that one is more epic adventure
I'll see your best western and raise you to best movie.
Charles Bronson was perfect for this role. This is one of Charles best roles and the movie was one of the best Westerns of all time.
' Now that you've called me by name...' The deathly introduction to evil Frank. Fonda is one of the all-time bad guys. He's cruel, vindictive, narcissistic, greedy, spiteful and duplicitous...and those are his GOOD points.
Henry Fonda proved once again how wonderful an actor he was. He could play any kind of character.
He was 63 when he was in this. Looks 43.
@@leftcoaster67 No, he looks every bit 63; or a bit older, to be honest.
I dare say he's better than Lee van Cleef's Angel Eyes.
@@markkumanninen6524my boss loves Sergio Leone westerns, when he saw Henry fonda kill a kid near the beginning he was shocked lol.
Fonda nailed this so hard.
For a guy who played and seemed such a gentle mellow guy he sure did well as a bad guy.
His smile and piercing eyes.
His quotes are good too: "How do can you trust a man who wears a belt and suspenders?" Classic in sarcastically talking to Mr. Choo Choo.🤣🤣
Henchman to Frank: "What do we do with the boy, Frank?" Then Fonda looks over at him with a scowl: "Now that he knows my name...." And Fonda sadistically kills the little boy. Kind of deep for that time in movies.
Henry Fonda played all of his colleagues into the ground here! Top actor. Doesn't exist anymore today
I love the little sound which plays after Harmonica mentions the two men that Frank killed. Paired up with Frank’s reactions, it’s like the sound is the shiver going down Frank’s spine.
Those strings? They also sound like a train.
@@filmnobelpreis More like a train braking.
Literally. The past coming back to haunt him.
That look in Henry Fonda's eyes, awesome acting.
Yeah, probably too because those are names that perhaps none who currently ride with Frank would know and maybe only he would know, so how would anyone else know those names. That would be unnerving if someone you killed, who likely should have no one alive to recall their name, has their name dredged up by some complete stranger.
Henry Fonda played the ultimate psychopath. Best western ever made. All the leading characters play their parts well and all made the film as good as it was.
3:23 "Your friends have a high mortality rate, Frank. First three, then two."
"... So *you're* the one who makes the appointments."
"And *you're* the one who doesn't keep them."
"... Whaddya want? Who are you?"
"... Dave Jenkins."
"..... Dave Jenkins is dead, long time ago."
"Calder Benson."
"... What's your name? Benson's dead too!"
"You ought to know, Frank, better than anyone. *You* killed them."
*smack* *smack* *smack*
"Who are you?! WHO ARE YOU, YOU-?!"
" *FRANK!* The woman... We're losing time."
Henry Fonda was a true badass in this movie. Probably the greatest actor ever.
My favorite Bronson movie ever.
5:24 the horses take off is synchronized with the train ... like wow ! That's Art
this is such a key scene. The past is catching up with frank. There's someone who isn't afraid of him and his men can sense it too. But humans being humans Frank can't kill harmonica there and then as he has to know why he has sought him out. Classic!
It's his curiosity that became his own undoing, instead of instantly killing harmonica, he kept him alive because he needed to know who harmonica was ,what he wanted and who possibly sent him, killng so many men other the years he lost track of his enemies.
Sergio Leone had always wanted Charles Bronson to play the mysterious stranger in his Westerns. He considered Bronson to be the best actor in the world. But Bronson turned down the role in "Fistful of Dollars" and the role went to Clint Eastwood. After the initial trilogy of Westerns with Eastwood, Leone wanted to do some other genre of film. The studio begged him to do one more Western. He agreed but only if he had complete creative control to make the kind of Western he wanted with the actors he wanted. He got Bronson and he got Henry Fonda and called the resulting masterpiece "Once Upon a Time in the West."
***** Absolutely.
And don't forget Jason Robards. What an Oscar worthy performance!
+JackKangaroo1 and then he followed it up with "Duck, You Sucker!"
Fonda and Bronson 2 legends and how Fonda shown that he could play the baddie was great in this movie
KaijuDirectorOO7 no way. The good, the bad and the ugly is inferior to once upon a time in the west in every possible sense: directing, plot, cinematography, acting and last but not least music.
Frank is an all time villain.
Obsessed with this movie right now
Love it. You can see the icy-blue of Henry Fonda's eyes in every close-up.Sergio Leone was absolutely right in casting him.
I still don't know who's got the bluest eyes in the "west" Henry Fonda or Terence Hill.
Leone was a big fan of Frank Sinatra.
Henry Fonda was not sure about taking the role and asked his friend Eli Wallach if should pursue the role of the villain and Wallach told him he should and Fonda decided to take it and later said it was one of his favorite roles
Years ago I was watching this on TNT or TCM and they shared a story that Fonda had shown up with brown contacts and Leone told him not to wear them as he actually looked much more disturbing with his blue eyes partly because so many of Fonda's roles had been as a blue-eyed good man, so it was a bit unnerving to see that same Fonda play someone so amoral.
An actor who spent a long career playing good guys is cast as the bad guy in this film. Probably the best bad guy in any western ever.
This is when we find out that Harmonica has been tracking Frank for some time as he lists those who Frank has killed.
Those slaps that Bronson took, talk about quick fire.
"He plays when he's supposed to talk, and talks when he's supposed to play." ... Cheyenne
What a moovie...Frank Harmonica Cheyenne...and a beautiful Claudia Cardinale...great job Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone...♥️🇮🇹
How can you trust a man who wears both a belt and suspenders? The man can't even trust his own pants.
😄😄😄
I have a video essay about this movie on my channel check it out if you want
@@alimansouri4199 yt?6 .
@@alimansouri4199 no you don't
@@alimansouri4199 Yeah, no you don't.
Sergio was a genius.
Leone's masterpiece. I just fall right into this film.
Charles Bronson, doing fine in Western spaghetti , another master piece from director Sergio Leon.
splendid movie. seldom if ever have I seen a movie where music, cinematography and scenario are excellently tuned in together. A perfectly blended piece of art.
"I taught you to watch unseen and to listen unheard..." Frank (Henry Fonda) to the one with the breeches, in an earlier scene. Brilliant.
The unbelievable arrogance in frank in this scene fonda deserves an oscar for ... every single gest oozes with arrogance I watched it a 100 times amazing performance
And the panache with which he lights the cigar and flicks the match ... simply awesome.
As far as I know this was the only film in which Henry Fonda plays a villain and he does it brilliantly. When he showed up on the set for the film he was wearing brown contact lenses to make himself look more evil. Sergio Leone said, "No, take them out! I want the audience to see your blue eyes and think, 'oh my God, that's Henry Fonda!' " In his first scene he shoots a little boy in cold blood, establishing his character as a despicable bad-ass and one of film's most memorable villains ever.
He played a villain in a movie with Jimmy Stewart called Fire Creek look it up it was before Once Upon A Time In The West. He did a great job in it too.
JackKangaroo1 like was said in other comment Fonda did play a villain in 1968’s Firecreek. James Stewart was an aging Sheriff and good guy who against Fonda who was a cowboy gang leader and killer. In real life Stewart and Fonda were best friends and their careers in Hollywood were winding down especially Stewart’s who didn’t make many films in 1960s and 1970s and was ready to retire from acting in the 70s due to his age and hearing loss made it hard to work
@@scottknode898 70dincolo
@@54gfan He did, although Larkin ( ? ) was a rather more sympathetic villain than Frank.
@@54gfan but that villain n Firecreek is a choirboy next to "Frank" in "Once Upon A Time..." The Firecreek villain and the James Stewart character were once good friends. And Fonda in Firecreek is allowed to have moments where we sympathize for him. Even at the end, he is only trying to wound Stewart, not kill him. He's being "Henry Fonda" like mocviegoers had always known him. Maybe just a little bad this time. But "Frank" has no soft edges. he is pure villainy; a straight up sociopath (maybe even psychopath). Hardcore. As an old timer who grew up watching all of his old films on TV and his later films from the 50s and 60s in the theaters, I can tell you when this movie came out and we saw Fonda in this role, we went CRAZY!!! Well, us young ones anyway. We loved it.
After all these years, it's still hard to imagine Hank Fonda being a bad guy... and those blue eyes...wow.
This is one the best movies I’ve ever seen
I have a video about it on my channel check it out if you want
@@imanmousakhani8593 No you don't.
This is one of the best movies I’ve never seen.
@@Erin-Thor Go see it now! You won't regret it.
My favourite of all time
One of the best Western! Masterpiece for me. Great Leone wonderful Morricone and excellent actors : Fonda Bronson....
Some of the best actors ever in this western , best opening sequence , great finale .
Epic scene!!! And epic quote: "your friends have high mortality rate frank". Despite the fact that frank killed his brother harmonica has a good sense of humor.
now you spoiled the ending for me
good. lol. movie is 50 years old
Harmonica is fatalistic as hell, has nothing to lose and doesn't give a damn. That makes him mighty.
@@werre2 Nah. You will love it anyway.
@@RCAvhstape the only he cares about is Jill
Casting Henry Fonda against type as Frank was a stroke of genius on Sergio Leone's part. Fonda's performance is a case study in understated menace and casual malevolence, which actually serves to enhance the truly frightful nature of his character's sociopathic persona. Frank is one of the great villains in movie history.
Hey I was gonna say that.
Very rare for Henry Fonda to play a villain, but he did it so well. Would have been interesting to see what Lee Van Cleef would have done with the role.
Donald Koelper ..on the contrary in his opening scene after shooting the three the camera comes around to show the actors face only shocked they see Mr. Roberts from his latest good guy movie.
russell brown ..not good considering the sex scene.
Donald Koelper - Extremely well put. The understated nature is what makes the performance so memorable. Fonda was a master of quietly projecting his screen presence. He is one of my favorite actors, and this shows his range.
Henry Fonda. Best villan ever.
4:31
Can we all just take a moment to appreciate how well done that slap was? Normally in a movie like this, the villain would aggressively do a single smack and have yell uncontrollably.
Fonda is almost like a fast talking business man, he doesn’t give a shit who this guy is, he’s just legitimately pissed he didn’t get an answer to his question
Yeah I’m weird
I don't think so. Frank is not a businessman. If he were he would have shot him. He would have recognised him as potentially dangerous and killed him without remorse.
Frank is not a businessman, as he says in a later scene he's "just a man". As a complete sadistic psycopath he doesn't mind killing cripples and weak people cause he likes how they fear him and as every psycopath he wants to feel the power of being feared.
When he hears the phrase "your friends have a high mortality rate" he's shocked, not because he fears the man tied up, but because that unknown man doesn't fear him. If he would have showed fear he would have been shot, because Frank would have got what he wanted. By not submissing and by keeping the mystery of his own identity the hero has a power on Frank. The power of knowledge. He knows who Frank is and he is fearless about confronting him.
This is why Frank is speechless. He cannot kill him because it would mean to not discover how this man knows so much and in a way the power that the hero held while talking to him openly would have not been cancelled. Frank wants to show his dominance completely, and then kill eventually.
Not getting answered is a deep frustration for him and he breaks out of charachter slapping him. He doesn't know what to do, because anybody else would have been scared and responded to the questions.
He's not a businessman who wants to move on, in that case he would have shot. He's a psycopath that for the first time meets somebody that doesn't submit to him. And that's annoying for him, reason why he broke out of charachter and started slapping him (not to mention he would have continued if he wasn't stopped)
@@diegeigergarnele7975 Just a man!
Wow Henry Fonda was a real badass in this and Charles Bronsen was perfect for the part Epic Film 💋❤️💋✨👌
In real life, a man like that character would back down to me in a heart beat. Badass? To most of the world, maybe. To me, a shrinking violet.
How cool fonda was, especially light the match in the cigar
Best western ever! Just a bit better than TGTBTU. Everybody kills it here. Bronson probably was never better. Fonda plays against type. Cardinale is beautiful and has depth. Robards is terrific as the outlaw running from the law. Leone never topped himself after this one, and it is a great deconstruction to the myth of the west; Clint Eastwood would have a lot more to say on that in the 70's. "How can you trust a man that wears both a belt and suspenders?" JFC, great dialogue if a bit heavy handed. And Frank takes the guys manhood before taking his life. Cold as fuck, and brilliant. Cold like Fonda's eyes, though I would argue Harmonica is a few degrees colder, given his unflappable calm in any situation.
The western to end all westerns.
Unforgiven?
yeah baby!!!!!!!!!
Last great western was Tombstone.
Yeah, I've seen all of those and many more, but this one creeps under my skin and stays...and stays.
absolutely, most other westerns were made for 12 year olds. once upon a time is for adults
One of the best westerns.
I always feel a bit of a shiver when Harnonica starts to mention Frank's victims, and we get that sharp music cue as if the ghosts of Frank's victims were standing in front of him.
4:28 Those slaps Bronson got were like something out of Benny Hill
Now I want a chase scene of Frank chasing Harmonica while "Yakkety Sax" is playing.
Yep!!! Lol
Henry Fonda is the best western villain ever.
This is the best western ever made.this bunch of duds is going to get every thing didn’t won’t.Bronson is the bad ass
Fonda is a scary good actor
From one of my favorite films ever.
Just watched on Hulu. Goddamn its good. Frank is a beast
"You oughta know better than anyone, Frank. You killed him."
The only movie that Henry Fonda was rightly cast in -- as a psychopathic murderer. When I was a kid seeing him in his many good guy movies, he used to scare me.
He played a bad guy in 1968 western Firecreek as a cowboy gang leader and killer with James Stewart as an aging part time Sheriff going against him. In real life they were best friends.
Henry Fonda in this movie is really one of the best villains ever !
The look on Frank's face after he closes the cigar box evil
Quand
And that look is bookended by 2 stylish acts almost reeking of arrogance - the lighting of the cigar and the flicking of the match.
Cinema as high art!, faultless composition in every frame
'Did you bring a horse for me?' , 'Looks like we're shy one horse.' 'No, you brought two too many...'
The biggest payoff in the history of film. What an ending, what a journey.
You notice so many things while rewatching this movie. Frank is this despicable old west outlaw with no conscience. Then he looks so small and outmatched next to the technology of that train and his boss who manipulated the world with money. Then his cocky attitude goes away when he meets Harmonica who he can't figure out.
Fonda Rules as the bad guy!!
I sure wish they would do a direct film-to-blueray transfer some day.
Imagine how much higher the mortality rate would have been if these gunslingers had also had to contend with COVID shots in addition to bullet shots.
I got to see this film when I was eighteen. I thought then that it was the best western, ever.
Everything that was filmed had purpose.
Henry Fonda was brilliant. A truly evil bad guy. The feel of the film was gritty. You felt the dust upon you.
There was no white hat hero. Things were as they were.
The only part I did not care for was the casting of the family out at the ranch. They were supposed to be Irish I believe. But none of them came off as being so.
Fifty plus years later, it is still an excellent film.
The brilliance is so simple.
The formula for almost every action / western goes villain inflicts trauma on the hero onscreen in the first act.
Sergio hints at it and hints at it and hints at it.
We all know. We know.
Harmonica plays and kills Frank’s men. Frank kills a family and the song plays. Here they meet and the song plays.
It’s only 3 hours in right on the point of dying that Sergio unleashes the trauma.
It’s such a simple exercise in restraint and concentration, but it’s so hard to do.
Legend
some quality cigar work.
I read once that Henry Fonda said after reading the screenplay and noting what a mean, evil bastard he was playing he decided to get black colored contact lenses for his part. When he showed up to shoot his first scene Sergio Leone said what have you done to your eyes? Henry told him what he did and said he thought it would be good for his character. Sergio told him absolutely not, I paid the big bucks for your blue eyes and want to see them on camera.
Great story
I read somewhere that in the past, Frank framed Jesse James once.
Those blue eyes were Fonda's trademark, and Leone especially wanted that shock moment when the camera panned around until you saw him full face for the first time and the startled audience would say, "Jesus, that's Henry Fonda!"
Fonda might be the better actor...but Bronson has that stone cold look...unique.
I have the music score tape, video of movie and the theater movie poster. This is the greatest western ever.
Beautiful blue eyes Henry Fonda honestly!
There are no actors anymore with such incredibe faces like Bronson or Fonda.
Fondas Broadway manner makes one elegant, tasteful villain
Awesome scene here and another great scene was in "Warlock" when DeForest Kelly says, someone needs to paint his pistol handles, "yeah, but who's to do it " and then Fonda quick draws his ass, too cool
Warlock was one of Sergio Leone's favorite westerns...
@@MajorDenisBloodnok Deservedly
Seeing Henry Fonda as the bad guy is a refreshing change. Hank actually makes a pretty good villain in this flick.
Bad to the bone Frank can only
mean 1 thing. Great actor! Golden eta.
Henry Fonda as bad ass as bad ass can be
I like how everybody enters and exits through the mail and baggage door and never used the steps at the end of the car... especially when Bronson was on the ladder at the end of the car... no lets take him down the side and go in that way. lol...
Technically, Harmonica is also 'a man with no name.'
Henry Fonda played one greatest villains of all time in this movie
Charles Bronson Hero! 🙏
"The end of the line "
Pause .
"YEAH"
@steve richards: When you have to fiddle, fiddle, don’t cry...
Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson in a picture frame at the same time that's saying something.
Greatest most realistic western period!!
Al Mulock who played one of the 3 bad guys in opening sequence jumped off motel in full cowboy outfit just after filming. Producing manager Mancini was in room and saw his body go by.
Walter Copus tragic story, great canadian actor though probably one of the only Canadians to be in spaghetti westerns
@@ethanwood9124 I think he also played the one armed bad guy in The Good The bad and The Ugly. He got shot while Tuco was taking a bath.
Walter Copus yah he was
He jumped out of his hotel room 2 or 3 stories up and was rushed to hospital but the bumpy ride in ambulance made things worse and had a broken rib that punctured his heart and he died. He was depressed as had dealt with the death of his wife and was recovering from a drug addiction and couldn’t get drugs where he was on location.
I have got two movie DVDS of
Henry Fonda
and Charles Bronson with
Jason Robards in
Once Upon A Time In The West
with Robert Ryan Dana Andrews
Telly Savalas
and Robert Shaw
as a German officer in
The Battle Of The Bulge
I am dedicating these movie DVDS
of Henry Fonda
and Charles Bronson to my old school friends who are both sisters as I hope to see them both again very soon to Chris and Hester Brand from Billyxxxxx
Skvělé působivé nezapomenutelné prostě IN
Great scene for Henry Fonda.
Greatest western movie ever
I have a video essay about it on my channel check it out if you want
One wonders who Dave Jenkins, Calder Benson, and the other names given by Harmonica may have been. Frank was basically a hired assassin. Therefore, it's likely these men were those who were unfortunate enough to become bothersome to some cattle baron or railroad company; Frank was contracted to "eliminate the problem."
It would seem that railroad builder Morton retained Frank on a relatively long term basis; it would explain how and why Frank collected his own entourage. Eventually, Frank started to get the idea that he could take over from Morton and, like Frankenstein's monster, Frank turned on Morton. But Frank wasn't quite as clever as he probably thought he was. Frank seemed to forget that Morton was not without his own resources. Leaving some of his men to look after Morton, Morton then preceded to buy off Frank's men, with the goal of killing Frank.
No, I think the victims were some of Frank's so called "friends" from the past. Remember, the scene is about their high mortality rate.
@@jimtabor180 No,his "friends" with high mortality rate are those who get killed by Harmonica,three ones from the beginning ,and two ones in the scene with the woman .
One line I always appreciated in this scene although it's nothing profound is "If he gives you any trouble, hit him but not in the mouth he's gotta talk and plenty". Never mind the fact that torture in general is an ineffective way of getting information, anytime someone's interrogated in movies and such they always insist on having the bad guys punch the person right in the face like guys, he/she can't give you coherent sentences if you keep fucking their jaw up
I love the blurry flashback
Best picture 1968
Fuck it, I've been watching clips of Once upon a time in the west for about an hour now; time to stick on the movie, methinks......
Or clips of CC.
Well, it's been seven yrs. What did you think of the movie?
This version does not contain Frank saying something about the untrustworthiness of a dude who wears both belt and suspenders
great observation haha
_"How am I supposed to trust a guy, who wears both suspenders and a belt? Man can't trust his own pants!"_
Brilliant. The best Western ever made.
I have a video essay about this movie on my channel check it out if you want
anyone notice < Altho Harmonica 1st appears carrying his saddle and asking for a mount ,, you'll never see him on horseback until .... the finale !
haha - never seen that mentioned before
he just almost magically appeared at places
adding to the bad-ass persona mystery
Leone: “Then light a cigar menacingly.”
Fonda: “Say no more.”
Amazing chemistry. Slender Fonda. Athletic Bronson.
Cinematic perfection🙏