• Starring: Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda
  • Summary: Sergio Leone's monumental epic is as big as its Monument Valley locations, as grand as its fine, distinguished cast, as tough and bawdy as every kid imagines the Old West. (Paramount)
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 8
  2. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Reviewed by: Staff (Not credited)
    100
    Sergio Leone's masterpiece. In Once Upon a Time in the West, Leone pulls together all the themes, characterizations, visuals, humor, and musical experiments of the three "Dollars" films and comes up with a true epic western. It is a stunning, operatic film of breadth, detail, and stature that deserves to be considered among the greatest westerns ever made. (Review of Original Release)
  2. An additional treat is seeing Hollywood good guy Henry Fonda playing one of the nastiest curs in the West. Once Upon a Time in the West is one of the great films in cinema history. (8/30/2000 Review)
  3. The biggest, longest, most expensive Leone Western to date, and, in many ways, the most absurd... Granting the fact that it is quite bad, Once Upon the Time in the West is almost always interesting, wobbling, as it does, between being an epic lampoon and a serious hommage to the men who created the dreams of Leone's childhood. (Review of Original Release)

See all 8 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 8
  2. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. RonanC.
    10
    A poignant masterpiece, everything about this film is amazing. From the uncompromisingly rich musical score, the fine cast, and it's grand cinematography. Stands neck-to-neck with it's predecessor The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. GeorgeM.
    10
    An epic to be savored like a fine meal...don't watch this movie if you're in a hurry. Your patience with the slowly building story line is more than rewarded with some of the most compelling and operatic concluding scenes ever put on film. I think that this has more in common with Lawrence of Arabia than the spaghetti westerns that Leone became famous for. It is a masterpiece. The music is unforgettable, and Fonda and Bronson are perfectly cast, along with all of the supporting actors. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. YogaP
    4
    If Claudia Cardinale had not been in this, it would have been unwatchable. I know it's supposed to be a tribute to the American Western but it often seemed like a parody of the "spaghetti Western." People stared silently at each other so often I started laughing each time it happened. If you don't like Westerns, stay away! Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 8 User Reviews