FULL AND LONGER REACTION: www.patreon.com/MovieJoob Jade is here to watch Once Upon a Time in The West! 🤠 P.S. There can be many UA-cam issues so we apologise if there are any scenes cut that are important! Join along in watching Jades reaction to this movie and as always leave a like, subscribe and click the notification bell to keep up with all our content!
LOL FORCED LABOR LOL Construction workers in 1866 Pick and shovel men, teamsters, blacksmiths, masons, carpenters, mechanics, and track layers were paid an average of $1 per day. Chinese laborers in the 1860s Initially paid $27 per month, then $30, minus the cost of food and board. Most of the early workers were Irish immigrants.
Sadly, very few have reviewed or reacted to this truly magnificent film. One of the greatest westerns ever made. A real masterpiece. Thanks for taking the time.
I know it's not part of the dollar trilogy, but I consider this movie as being part of it as all 4 movies are great and have the same kind of feel about them.
This isn't just my favorite western ever. It is my favorite movie period ever. It is absolutely perfect in every way. If every film school in the country is not assigning this as required viewing for one of their classes they are doing their classes wrong. I know it is long but I can watch it over and over and over.
This movie keep the record in France: almost 4 years in theater. The introduction scene, more than 10 minutes, is shown in every cinema school. It' s a monument in cinema's history.
@@sergeantbigmacthe French who would despise American culture ??? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Isn't it rather the opposite ? I've read some absurdities in my life but this is beyond anything, it shows to what extent you are in a fairly incredible infiltration and that you know nothing about the world. The French have always loved American culture, my mother is a huge fan of westerns, she watched them with her brothers and sisters when she was little and at 70 years old today, they are still her favorite films. After that, there are spaghetti westerns, those of Sergio Leone (the good, the bad and the ugly), it's another vision, another style, another level I find than any other 100% American western.
For context, when this flick was made, Henry Fonda was like Tom Hanks for 50s and 60s moviegoers. Watching his intro scene and seeing him kill a child was insane.
Yesh there's an interview with Fonda on some late night show back in the day and he talks about the shock value of that scene at the time. Can't remember who the late show was but it was a great interview
*Some Fun Facts:* 1) "Harmonica" and Jill were unknowingly riding the same train. He alighted at the way station, she alighted at town. 2) The sawed-off rifle used by Woody Strode (Stoney) pays homage to Steve McQeen in "Wanted: Dead or Alive". 3) Henry Fonda (Frank) felt that brown contact lenses would make him more villainous. Director Sergio Leone believed his natural blue eyes more menacing. Leone was right. Great reaction. 🤠
Claudia Cardinale was such a beauty. Henry Fonda was a movie star, back when that meant something. He was cast against type in this movie and played it to the hilt. One of the best westerns every made.
Director Sergio Leone once said that he practically makes silent films and the dialogue only adds weight. This film is probably the best example of how great he was at that, especially the beginning scene. Leone is definitely among the best filmmakers ever.
When Jill says "I hope you will come back some day...." The wistful way Harmonica says "Someday..." You know he loves her but doesn't want violence in her life. It just hits deep. It's a masterpiece. I consider this film like Christmas Eve. You are waiting to open the presents.
Director Leone evokes the US western from the distance of a European. The old myths only exist as fairy tales, as the original title “Once Upon a Time in the West” reveals. What remains is a monumental, disturbing ballet of death that resembles an opera. Ennio Morricone's magnificent music became a worldwide hit. A unique western with unforgettable images and actors.
Amazing reaction!!!! This one of my top 5 favorite movies of all time yet i had never noticed what you said at 28:20!! That was such an amazing catch on a first watch and ads to the film for me! Thanks for the great video!
The soundtrack by Ennio Morricone is also considered an all time masterpiece just like the film . Jill’s theme has been performed in venues all over the world by the best lyric sopranos and orchestras . Once Upon A Time In The West is not just a film . It is a miracle and of course it is my favorite of all time.
Once Upon A Time... there was this lass who kept posting awesome Western after awesome Western and made so many people so happy. Thanks Jade, you just gave me a grand birthday prezzie. (61 before you ask - LOL - but like most olduns, I'm still really only 8 😂) sending you a happy hug & Thanks from UK. ❤
That scene with the character Frank shooting the boy had real shock value back then, because Henry Fonda, the actor portraying Frank, up to then had more or less been playing good, ethical, trustworthy people. Seeing him as a cold-blooded killer like that really made you go, "please, no, there's gotta be some twist coming, and he didn't kill that family?" Love your thoughts on that film!
When Fonda showed up for the first day of shooting, he had grown a beard and otherwise made himself look scruffier to match his conception of how a villain would look. Leone had him shave to look like how he usually looked in westerns because he wanted to, as people like to say too much nowadays, subvert expectations.
@@hanng1242 The biggest issue was the contact lenses. Henry Fonda thought his baby blue eyes were too innocent looking so he put brown contact lenses, which made him look more darker character. When he met Leone, the director told him to immediately remove the lenses. Fonda's baby blue eyes were exactly the reason why Leone wanted him for the role. Leone wanted to create a character that really looks like a cold-blooded killer and as we see in the film, Fonda's "innocent" eyes are freezing.
Fonda was going back and forth on rather or not he should accept the part. He asked Eli Wallach if he should take the part and Wallach was so enthuiastic about having him do it that he convinced Fonda then and there.
Some of my favorite Westerns came from this era of filmmaking. Sam Peckinpah's "THE WILD BUNCH" (1969) and "THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE" (1970) are a couple of shining examples. For a movie filmed more recently, don't forget "OPEN RANGE" (2003) with Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall. They're all fabulous, my dear... just like this reaction. ;)
Next "My Name is Nobody" - Terrence Hill and Henry Fonda or maybe "High Plains Drifter" or Maybe "The Outlaw Josey Wales" - the last 2 with Clint Eastwood. - "The Searchers" with John Wayne is another Suggestion - or "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence" - also John Wayne - or a more recent. Western "Silverado"
It's basically John Ford, Howard Hawks and Raoul Walsh for classic westerns, I'd say Anthony Mann in an intermediate moment in history, and Sam Peckinpah and Clint Eastwood as the last true big names in western. But, obviously, these are just the basic, most fundamental directors, there are many others
Jill rappresent LIFE with the water in the end of the movie! The Woman means LIFE in every aspect. This is the Leone's masterpiece with Good Bad Ugly and his last movie: Once Upon a Time in America with the great Robert De Niro an a young Jennifer Connelly, plus Joe Pesci, and many others. OUTA is a "Proust" movie, about friendship, betraial and first of all: the TIME! Amazing masterpiece
For a more modern western, The Quick and The Dead is a great choice. It has a female lead who will remind you very much of Sadie Adler and boasts an all-star cast: Sharon Stone, Leonardo Dicaprio, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, Gary Sinese, and more. It's really great!
There is an underrated spaghetti-western, 1966's La Resa Dei Conti - the Big Gundown, directed by Sergio Sollima, music by Ennio Morricone, starring Lee Van Cleef and Thomas Millian.
"Once Upon A Time In The West" was mostly filmed in the Almeira section of Spain, except the scenes of Jill being driven to the house the first time, which were shot in Monument Valley, Arizona. The reason being, Sergio Leone was a HUGE John Ford fan, and he wanted to shoot where Ford shot many of his movies. The big farm house is still standing in Spain, and can be visited. The four stars, Henry Fonda (Frank), Jason Robards (Cheyenne), Charles Bronson (Harmonica) and Claudia Cardinale (Jill) each had their own musical theme. Thanks to Mr. Ennio Morricone, Leone's favorite Film Score writer. IMVHO, THE Best Western ever.
The Mc Bain farm is still there in the desert of Tabernas (it is the original name of the area; btw it is the only natural desert in europe). Today it is part of a western town for tourists and the farm is a saloon. In another western town there you will find the town El Paso from A few dollar more. I don`t know the actual name of the western towns. I was there 20 years ago, but they changed the names since then. The next Sergio Leone western Duck you sucker was also filmed in the desert of Tabernas. And for example also at the Almeria train station. Cool reaction. I think it is rare that a woman likes this movie.
2 more Sergio Leone films in this trilogy: "Duck You Sucker" and "Once Upon A Time in America". Both great movies as well. forgotten films nobody watches unfortunately. don't miss them!
This had a huge cast of American actors for a spaghetti western including the big three, Henry Fonda (Frank), Charles Bronson (harmonica guy), Jason Robards (Cheyenne), Keenan Wynn (auctioneer), all established actors in Hollywood. Then Jack Elam and Woody Strode (two of the three at the train station at the beginning and Lionel Stander (gravely voiced guy at bar). Funny thing was that the only voice that was dubbed was Jack Elams. Great movie that tells a long story about a short event. Glad you enjoyed it. If you ever decide to see a western comedy I suggest "Support Your Local Gunfighter" and it's follow up "Support Your Local Sheriff" they star James Garner and Jack Elam and are both fun with lots f laughs for westerns.
Finally someone takes this fantastic film on! Clicking like immediately, curious to hear your thoughts Jade. One element stands out above the rest in this…the score by Ennio Morricone, the Maestro.
Thank you so much for reacting to this!! Yeah, Frank was a despicable villain. When he kicked out that man’s crutches and he fell, that was cold!! Those two really depressing/sad scenes are enough for me to watch this movie only sometimes, but still, such a great movie. Loved Harmonica. Such a classic hero. Watch Shane if you ever get the chance. It’s another amazing Western.😊
The german title of the movie is "Spiel mir das Lied vom Tod" translated into english "Play me the song of death" - an also very fitting name for this masterpiece
As a small side note. If you ever watch the official video for the song "Beds Are Burning" by the Australian band Midnight Oil, at the beginning and end of the video, they use the sound of the squeaky windmill from the beginning of "Once Upon A Time In The West". You did edit it out of the You Tube video, but it is there in the movie. It is unmistakable.
One of the most shocking aspects of Once Upon A Time In The West back when it was released was its casting of Henry Fonda in the role of the cold blooded killer. Fonda typically played the likeable underdog. His career began in the 1930's. He starred in one of the earliest color films, The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1936). The list of classics in his filmography is long and includes Jezebel (1938), Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), Drums Along the Mohawk (1939), Jesse James (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), The Lady Eve (1941), The Magnificent Dope (1942), The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), My Darling Clementine (1946), Fort Apache (1948), Mister Roberts (1955), 12 Angry Men (1957), The Tin Star (1957) and probably a few more I overlooked. And the character with the high cheek bones at the beginning was played by Woody Strode, a football star at UCLA turned actor, he appeared in several classics too, including Sergeant Rutledge (1960), Spartacus (1960), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), The Professionals (1966). If you're looking for more Westerns to watch, check out The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), My Darling Clementine (1946), and Fort Apache (1948). PS. If you liked the character of Cheyenne, check out Jason Robards in The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970).
For me, the scenes where Frank is slowly walking out-of-focus, is the most amazing visual I’ve ever seen in a movie. He almost looks like an alien at one point.
Jade: The best Western Clint Eastwood ever made is "The Outlaw Josey Wales" 1976 starring and directed by Clint Eastwood. In your review/reaction of Western Movies I believe you and your audience would greatly enjoy " The Outlaw Josey Wales". You have a great channel and your reactions are succinct and intelligent. As you may be aware, Clint Eastwood turned 94 years old on May 31, 2024. All the best, Kenneth
Frank - villain, Cheyenne - anti-hero, Harmonica - hero. Add to that a female lead with real agency and you have a story with great characters, exploring themes common to Westerns of civilization and wilderness overlapping, masculinity and femininity, the modern world finding little use for "a dying breed" who is "just a man". Then add to that the most fantastic score and masterful direction and I think this is not only the greatest Western of all time, but possibly the greatest movie of all time. Two other great Westerns that deal with men "on the way out", becoming obsolete, are The Magnificent Seven and The Wild Bunch.
Once Upon a Time in the West is my favorite movie of all time, and I concur with you Jade this movie have a more solemn tone, and altough it has some levity moments is a more serious picture than any of the dollars trilogy. One interesting theme about this movie is water, water permeates the movie, it drops in the hat of the gunslinger; it's the reason why McBain bought the farm; it's "a bad word around these parts since the floodings" according the tabern owner; it's on the bathtub in wich only 3 people have bathed; Wobbles owns a laundry shop; Morton wants to see the ocean, and dies face into the water; Harmonica asks from water from the well...
Sergio Leone... maybe this and once upon a time in America, maybe his 2 greatest films. So epic, huge, multiple stories, characters, things going on. Just amazing to all take in!
Very nice reaction - this film is looking at the building of America as a nation (and we can see in that flashback that Bronson's character is indigenous) - two other magnificent Westerns in a similar spirit are McCabe and Mrs Miller and Dead Man - and I just realized that Leone's next masterpiece is really a sequel to this one, in the same epic mode, looking at the East Coast - Once Upon a Time in America - and two other gangster masterpieces are The Funeral and The Yards, the latter more indirectly
I love watching your channel Jade! Your reactions are always fun to watch. And I would like to suggest an American Western film, starring the legendary cowboy actor, John Wayne. The movie is called "The Cowboys", about an incredible journey with an awesome music score. It'll be fun watching your reaction to an American Western compared to the classic Spaghetti Western. Thank you for another great movie reaction! 🎥🍿😊
Each of the main characters had their own theme music which would play whenever they appeared onscreen. Also, Sergio Leone literally had red dirt shipped over from Death Valley, U.S.A. to be tossed through the doorway of the tavern when Cheyenne entered. One early idea was to have Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach and Lee Van Cleef from The Good, Bad and the Ugly appear as the three assassins waiting at the station during the opening credits, and then surprise the audience by having Bronson shoot all three dead. The three actors were not interested in flying to Europe for such a brief cameo, so the plan was scrapped.
Oh yeah, I was hoping you'd do this one! I consider this movie to be the "2001: A Space Odyssey" of westerns, just as "Eraserhead" is the "2001: A Space Odyssey" of horror movies.
Glad you enjoyed the "for a few dollars more" movie. It was my favorite of the big 3 Westerns. Glad to see you are truly enjoying them. Even though most won't recommend it you should give "high plain drifter" a look. Definitely different type of Western and klint directed it I would like to add another movie which is serverly underrated since it came out around the time tombstone came out and that is "The Last Outlaw" with Micky Rourke. That movie will have you on edge the whole time
Sergio did movies in series a lot. "Once Upon A Time..." was a movie series- Once Upon A Time In America. And the "Fistful..." movies- Fistful of Dollars, Fistful of Dynamite(also called Duck, You Sucker). These movies generally had different titles depending on where they were released. Spaghetti Westerns definitely have an interesting style!
I agree and this is why Leone's Westerns are my favorites. He gives more realistic depictions of what the Old West was really like. And he's a hell of a good story teller. And what Harmonica did to Frank at the end was true justice. This is my favorite Western of all time.
The end of the movie is the most fascinating to me. It can be interpreted in so many ways. The film was Sergio Leone's farewell letter to western movies and you can feel it in the end. When Harmonica looks out the door and says "some day" it sounds like he doesn't even know what that means. He had lived his whole life waiting for the day he would shoot Frank. It was his "some day" and now it was gone. From the door, Harmonica watches the construction of the railroad that marks the end of the Old West. Civilization is coming and men like him have no more place in this world anymore. When Harmonica leaves the film, it happens almost unnoticed, without fanfares. He just rides off, carrying Cheyenne's body with him. Like an assistant carrying props off the stage. At the same time, Jill is taking water to the railway construction site and the workers gather around him. At this point, the workers start to resemble more studio workers who is dismantling set. The shooting is over and now they raise a toast together with whole filming team. All this time, the film has slowly slipped from movie to the reality. And when the movie is really over, only then for the first time in the entire film, we see the title of the movie: Once upon time...
You really need ti watch “The Outlaw Josey Wales”. One of the best westerns ever made, and one of - if not THE best - westerns Clint Eastwood ever did, both as director and actor. A true Classic.
Well done for choosing to react to this masterpiece ! It's abnormal that there are so few reactions to this film in the UA-cam cinephiles section. My favorite films are Shawshank Redemption, The Sixth Sense, Scarface and Terminator 2 BUT you can't be a true cinephile if you're not open-minded to films before 1990, whether they're films from the 20s, 40s, 60s, 80s! Whether they're westerns like those of Sergio Leone, peplums like Ben Hur, films by Hitchcock, Kubrick, French directors from the 60s-70s like Melville, René Clément, first ones Mad Max, John Carpenter movies, John Hugues movies etc....
YEAAHHHHH!!! Let´s gooooo, Aussie!. This is my most loved western movie, for all possible reasons. I´m sure that you loved watching this one. See ya, lady.
Henry fonda as frank is one of mya ll time fav villains because of just how cruel he is when he smiles. and that look of wordless understanding when he finally realizes who it is who killed him right at the end.
I like how young people are actually taking the time to watch this film and really think about it. One of the best movies ever made. The cast is amazing, especially Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson. Eastwood said no but Bronson is just as good if not better. Music is alto top notch.
Thanks for reacting to this epic western which I find far better than the trilogy. I've looked around and found very few people who reacted to this. It's a pity the reaction was too short for my taste. The soundtrack by Ennio Morricone is FANTASTIC with everyone of the 4 main characters (Jill, Harmonica, Cheyenne and Frank) having their own music.
One of the best western movies ever made and probably Leone's best; and yeah, I realize that a good argument can be made for TGTBTU. Bronson, Cardinale, Robards and Fonda light it up in this one! Ennio Morricone delivers another masterful composition that happens to include one of the longest gun-fights I have ever seen, and is all the better for it. Fonda is darkly funny and evil with "how can you trust a man that wears both a belt and suspenders?" Highly recommended.
Not sure if there were many natives building the railroads. I think the main builders of our railroads in the old West were the Chinese and Irish immigrants; both of whom were considered second-class citizens
The scenes shown in this film are most accurate depictions of railroad builders. Mainly because black workers could better tolerate unbearable heat (sometimes over 100 degrees). There are also archives and photos of their works as wranglers, cowboys and farmers.
LOL FORCED LABOR LOL Construction workers in 1866 Pick and shovel men, teamsters, blacksmiths, masons, carpenters, mechanics, and track layers were paid an average of $1 per day. Chinese laborers in the 1860s Initially paid $27 per month, then $30, minus the cost of food and board. Most of the early workers were Irish immigrants.
3 iconic directors involved in this one - directed by Leone, written by Antonioni and Argento. Henry Fonda, who played Frank, was a giant movie star and had been for a long time. He had always played good guys. So when that camera panned around and audiences saw that Hank Fonda had killed that family, it was a kick in the guts. For a modern comparison, imagine if it was Tom Hanks who just shot a kid.
Great reaction. Glad you watched this one. It was said, at the time of its making that Sergio Leone was one of the most knowledgeable persons on the subject of the American West, a student of its history The earlier trilogy films were like moral western fantasy, whereas this is like a series of historical dioramas, almost like a stage play, and, in a manner of Unforgiven, tells a tale of changing times.. And yes, the America was built on the backs of forced labor, especially in the west. A more light-hearted film, Jimmy Stewart, and Henry Fonda - The Cheyenne Social Club - or another condensed history of the West film, with many stars - How the West Was Won (1962) is a great choice
African American Slavery did build certain portions of the American economy, especially the agriculture economy of the South. Very little of the Western expansion involved slavery however. Neither the Chinese nor the Native Americans were slaves and our Civil War ended slavery before the times we see in most western movies. Minorities and immigrants of all types were always very involved in the building of America, which only makes sense due to the vast number of immigrants who were always coming here, but very little of our progress was due to slavery.
This film is a 10 its the greatest masterpiece of the western genre ever filmed abd it was filmed in the USA unlike the man with no name trilogy which was filmed other than the USA
Very good movie. While Jason Robards and Charles Bronson were great actors, I think Henry Fonda was maybe the most popular. Thanks for letting us watch with you...always good! God bless you!
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It's myth that only minorities built America. They contributed, but Caucasians were the primary builders.
LOL FORCED LABOR LOL Construction workers in 1866
Pick and shovel men, teamsters, blacksmiths, masons, carpenters, mechanics, and track layers were paid an average of $1 per day.
Chinese laborers in the 1860s
Initially paid $27 per month, then $30, minus the cost of food and board. Most of the early workers were Irish immigrants.
If you want an Australian flavored western, you could try Quigley Down Under, it's pretty good.
Sadly, very few have reviewed or reacted to this truly magnificent film. One of the greatest westerns ever made. A real masterpiece. Thanks for taking the time.
Most reactors who watched the man with no name trilogy skip this one. I’m glad you are reacting to it.
I’m so glad you all recommended I watch it!
It was a ton of fun!!
I know it's not part of the dollar trilogy, but I consider this movie as being part of it as all 4 movies are great and have the same kind of feel about them.
This isn't just my favorite western ever. It is my favorite movie period ever. It is absolutely perfect in every way. If every film school in the country is not assigning this as required viewing for one of their classes they are doing their classes wrong. I know it is long but I can watch it over and over and over.
Exactly..
This movie is a piece of art!!
The cinematography..
Music..
Damn bro!!
I love this movie!!
This movie keep the record in France: almost 4 years in theater. The introduction scene, more than 10 minutes, is shown in every cinema school. It' s a monument in cinema's history.
i think im correct when i say that this movie today still is under the Top 10 movies in France and Germany counting the amount of sold tickets
You re right, more than 15 millions tickets i think
Wow I didnt know the French liked Westerns that much! I always got the impression they despised American culture lol
@@sergeantbigmacthe French who would despise American culture ??? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Isn't it rather the opposite ?
I've read some absurdities in my life but this is beyond anything, it shows to what extent you are in a fairly incredible infiltration and that you know nothing about the world.
The French have always loved American culture, my mother is a huge fan of westerns, she watched them with her brothers and sisters when she was little and at 70 years old today, they are still her favorite films.
After that, there are spaghetti westerns, those of Sergio Leone (the good, the bad and the ugly), it's another vision, another style, another level I find than any other 100% American western.
For context, when this flick was made, Henry Fonda was like Tom Hanks for 50s and 60s moviegoers. Watching his intro scene and seeing him kill a child was insane.
Yesh there's an interview with Fonda on some late night show back in the day and he talks about the shock value of that scene at the time. Can't remember who the late show was but it was a great interview
The score is simply amazing. The main song with the haunting harmonica is one of my favorites.
The harmonica was so haunting indeed!! They utilised its creepiness so well!!
The score was so great!!
Did you really compare one of the greatest scores by one of the greatest film composers to “early Disney Princess” music?
Me, it's the Jill theme, juste incredible !!!!
The 5 versions on the album on spotify are sublimes.
Ennio is a genius !
*Some Fun Facts:*
1) "Harmonica" and Jill were unknowingly riding the same train. He alighted at the way station, she alighted at town.
2) The sawed-off rifle used by Woody Strode (Stoney) pays homage to Steve McQeen in "Wanted: Dead or Alive".
3) Henry Fonda (Frank) felt that brown contact lenses would make him more villainous. Director Sergio Leone believed his natural blue eyes more menacing. Leone was right.
Great reaction. 🤠
Claudia Cardinale was such a beauty. Henry Fonda was a movie star, back when that meant something. He was cast against type in this movie and played it to the hilt. One of the best westerns every made.
Director Sergio Leone once said that he practically makes silent films and the dialogue only adds weight. This film is probably the best example of how great he was at that, especially the beginning scene. Leone is definitely among the best filmmakers ever.
When Jill says "I hope you will come back some day...." The wistful way Harmonica says "Someday..." You know he loves her but doesn't want violence in her life. It just hits deep. It's a masterpiece. I consider this film like Christmas Eve. You are waiting to open the presents.
It’s great how the main characters have their own theme music , Jill’s is so beautiful,
It’s so awesome, definitely gave it a theatre/play vibe!!
And yes she is! So so stunning!
@@MovieJoob definitely, I always say it’s like a western opera, thanks
Is it almost time for more Breaking Bad?
Director Leone evokes the US western from the distance of a European.
The old myths only exist as fairy tales, as the original title “Once Upon a Time in the West” reveals.
What remains is a monumental, disturbing ballet of death that resembles an opera.
Ennio Morricone's magnificent music became a worldwide hit.
A unique western with unforgettable images and actors.
His masterpiece.,
Amazing reaction!!!! This one of my top 5 favorite movies of all time yet i had never noticed what you said at 28:20!! That was such an amazing catch on a first watch and ads to the film for me! Thanks for the great video!
How the West Was Won 1962 is another great movie about the early western expansion...
28:40 Asian railway workers where hired. They werent forced labor.
The soundtrack by Ennio Morricone is also considered an all time masterpiece just like the film . Jill’s theme has been performed in venues all over the world by the best lyric sopranos and orchestras . Once Upon A Time In The West is not just a film . It is a miracle and of course it is my favorite of all time.
glad you recognized the beauty of this movie.
Once Upon A Time In The West (1968). Iconic soundtrack, iconic movie.
You’d love The Outlaw Josey Wales with Clint Eastwood
One of my dad's favourite western films 🤠❤️
Henry Fonda rarely played villainous roles. I imagine people watching this back in 1968 were shocked to their core. Fantastic actor
Once Upon A Time... there was this lass who kept posting awesome Western after awesome Western and made so many people so happy.
Thanks Jade, you just gave me a grand birthday prezzie. (61 before you ask - LOL - but like most olduns, I'm still really only 8 😂) sending you a happy hug & Thanks from UK. ❤
Awww happiest of birthdays to you!! I hope you had an amazing day! ❤❤
Sending hugs and love to you as well in the UK! ❤🙌
The accompanying DVD commentary to this film is really insightful.
That scene with the character Frank shooting the boy had real shock value back then, because Henry Fonda, the actor portraying Frank, up to then had more or less been playing good, ethical, trustworthy people. Seeing him as a cold-blooded killer like that really made you go, "please, no, there's gotta be some twist coming, and he didn't kill that family?"
Love your thoughts on that film!
When Fonda showed up for the first day of shooting, he had grown a beard and otherwise made himself look scruffier to match his conception of how a villain would look. Leone had him shave to look like how he usually looked in westerns because he wanted to, as people like to say too much nowadays, subvert expectations.
Woah that is so interesting!! Thank you so much for the context!
@@hanng1242That is so smart and definitely will subvert expectations of his typical role!!
@@hanng1242 The biggest issue was the contact lenses. Henry Fonda thought his baby blue eyes were too innocent looking so he put brown contact lenses, which made him look more darker character. When he met Leone, the director told him to immediately remove the lenses. Fonda's baby blue eyes were exactly the reason why Leone wanted him for the role.
Leone wanted to create a character that really looks like a cold-blooded killer and as we see in the film, Fonda's "innocent" eyes are freezing.
Fonda was going back and forth on rather or not he should accept the part. He asked Eli Wallach if he should take the part and Wallach was so enthuiastic about having him do it that he convinced Fonda then and there.
" Paint your Wagon"is a Comedy musical Western starring Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin . You may want to check it out Clint even sings in it .
One of the most despised westerns ever, but I like it, good suggestion
Some of my favorite Westerns came from this era of filmmaking. Sam Peckinpah's "THE WILD BUNCH" (1969) and "THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE" (1970) are a couple of shining examples. For a movie filmed more recently, don't forget "OPEN RANGE" (2003) with Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall. They're all fabulous, my dear... just like this reaction. ;)
Next "My Name is Nobody" - Terrence Hill and Henry Fonda or maybe "High Plains Drifter" or Maybe "The Outlaw Josey Wales" - the last 2 with Clint Eastwood. - "The Searchers" with John Wayne is another Suggestion - or "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence" - also John Wayne - or a more recent. Western "Silverado"
It's basically John Ford, Howard Hawks and Raoul Walsh for classic westerns, I'd say Anthony Mann in an intermediate moment in history, and Sam Peckinpah and Clint Eastwood as the last true big names in western.
But, obviously, these are just the basic, most fundamental directors, there are many others
Jill rappresent LIFE with the water in the end of the movie! The Woman means LIFE in every aspect.
This is the Leone's masterpiece with Good Bad Ugly and his last movie: Once Upon a Time in America with the great Robert De Niro an a young Jennifer Connelly, plus Joe Pesci, and many others.
OUTA is a "Proust" movie, about friendship, betraial and first of all: the TIME!
Amazing masterpiece
For a more modern western, The Quick and The Dead is a great choice. It has a female lead who will remind you very much of Sadie Adler and boasts an all-star cast: Sharon Stone, Leonardo Dicaprio, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, Gary Sinese, and more. It's really great!
There is an underrated spaghetti-western, 1966's La Resa Dei Conti - the Big Gundown, directed by Sergio Sollima, music by Ennio Morricone, starring Lee Van Cleef and Thomas Millian.
I highly recommend "The Outlaw Josey Wales" (1976) the best western with Clint Eastwood.
Nice reaction . . . one of my favourite westerns.
Thank you! 😃 I really enjoyed it!!
Yep this is the true masterpiece
"Once Upon A Time In The West" was mostly filmed in the Almeira section of Spain, except the scenes of Jill being driven to the house the first time, which were shot in Monument Valley, Arizona. The reason being, Sergio Leone was a HUGE John Ford fan, and he wanted to shoot where Ford shot many of his movies. The big farm house is still standing in Spain, and can be visited. The four stars, Henry Fonda (Frank), Jason Robards (Cheyenne), Charles Bronson (Harmonica) and Claudia Cardinale (Jill) each had their own musical theme. Thanks to Mr. Ennio Morricone, Leone's favorite Film Score writer. IMVHO, THE Best Western ever.
Thank you so much for the fun facts and info!!
Ennio is an absolute king! 🎼
They enact fight scenes in Almeria, a place you should consider retiring to, especially if you are a sun lover.
The Mc Bain farm is still there in the desert of Tabernas (it is the original name of the area; btw it is the only natural desert in europe). Today it is part of a western town for tourists and the farm is a saloon. In another western town there you will find the town El Paso from A few dollar more. I don`t know the actual name of the western towns. I was there 20 years ago, but they changed the names since then. The next Sergio Leone western Duck you sucker was also filmed in the desert of Tabernas. And for example also at the Almeria train station. Cool reaction. I think it is rare that a woman likes this movie.
2 more Sergio Leone films in this trilogy: "Duck You Sucker" and "Once Upon A Time in America". Both great movies as well. forgotten films nobody watches unfortunately. don't miss them!
Two marvelous movies too
Claudia Cardinale is SO damn beautiful here... a dream of a lady....and the movie might be very much the best western, ever shot...
All time favorite! Claudia Cardinale my boyhood crush! Thanks
Indeed. One beautiful lady, and her eyes were so expressive... Leone and she did an amazing job.
I’d never seen her until now but woweeee is she stunning ❤️🔥
How about a couple Aussie westerns:
"The Man from Snowy River"
"Quigley Down Under"
each of the main characters has his own theme music
*Morricone,* riposa in pace.
Which is a resource mostly created by Max Steiner
I love that they did that, it’s very play or ballet like!! 🎭
Love western movies
Can't trust a man who can't even trust his own pants 😅
He’s not wrong 😂😂👖
This had a huge cast of American actors for a spaghetti western including the big three, Henry Fonda (Frank), Charles Bronson (harmonica guy), Jason Robards (Cheyenne), Keenan Wynn (auctioneer), all established actors in Hollywood. Then Jack Elam and Woody Strode (two of the three at the train station at the beginning and Lionel Stander (gravely voiced guy at bar). Funny thing was that the only voice that was dubbed was Jack Elams. Great movie that tells a long story about a short event. Glad you enjoyed it. If you ever decide to see a western comedy I suggest "Support Your Local Gunfighter" and it's follow up "Support Your Local Sheriff" they star James Garner and Jack Elam and are both fun with lots f laughs for westerns.
Finally someone takes this fantastic film on! Clicking like immediately, curious to hear your thoughts Jade. One element stands out above the rest in this…the score by Ennio Morricone, the Maestro.
The opening sequence is a masterclass in sound recording, editing, blocking, costume design and with scarcely any dialogue.
Thanks for sharing, Jade 😊
Thank you so much for reacting to this!! Yeah, Frank was a despicable villain. When he kicked out that man’s crutches and he fell, that was cold!! Those two really depressing/sad scenes are enough for me to watch this movie only sometimes, but still, such a great movie. Loved Harmonica. Such a classic hero. Watch Shane if you ever get the chance. It’s another amazing Western.😊
Finally, someone reacts to this masterpiece
In my top ten favorite westerns.
The german title of the movie is "Spiel mir das Lied vom Tod" translated into english "Play me the song of death" - an also very fitting name for this masterpiece
Oh that is so fierce I love that!!
in Finland, this is "Harmonica Avenger" :)
Why didn't they just translate the original title? ^^; I'm glad we did in France.
@@SCharlesDennicon It was that way for almost all movies in the past. Reason - well, who knows
Great reaction as always! Honestly I've always liked this movie better than Dollars Trilogy, just seemed unique to me.
Every scene is like a masterpiece painting. Then there’s the music. Has a movie ever blended visual and sound more gloriously?
"Once upon a time in the West" is not a spaghetti western. It is an Italian Opera in the West. 😉With among the finest music of Ennio Morricone.
The soundtrack is magnificent!
As a small side note. If you ever watch the official video for the song "Beds Are Burning" by the Australian band Midnight Oil, at the beginning and end of the video, they use the sound of the squeaky windmill from the beginning of "Once Upon A Time In The West". You did edit it out of the You Tube video, but it is there in the movie. It is unmistakable.
One of the most shocking aspects of Once Upon A Time In The West back when it was released was its casting of Henry Fonda in the role of the cold blooded killer. Fonda typically played the likeable underdog. His career began in the 1930's. He starred in one of the earliest color films, The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1936). The list of classics in his filmography is long and includes Jezebel (1938), Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), Drums Along the Mohawk (1939), Jesse James (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), The Lady Eve (1941), The Magnificent Dope (1942), The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), My Darling Clementine (1946), Fort Apache (1948), Mister Roberts (1955), 12 Angry Men (1957), The Tin Star (1957) and probably a few more I overlooked. And the character with the high cheek bones at the beginning was played by Woody Strode, a football star at UCLA turned actor, he appeared in several classics too, including Sergeant Rutledge (1960), Spartacus (1960), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), The Professionals (1966). If you're looking for more Westerns to watch, check out The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), My Darling Clementine (1946), and Fort Apache (1948). PS. If you liked the character of Cheyenne, check out Jason Robards in The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970).
For me, the scenes where Frank is slowly walking out-of-focus, is the most amazing visual I’ve ever seen in a movie. He almost looks like an alien at one point.
Wow finally someone gave this movie a chance. Now i can rewatch with a new viewer
Jade: The best Western Clint Eastwood ever made is "The Outlaw Josey Wales" 1976 starring and directed by Clint Eastwood. In your review/reaction of Western Movies I believe you and your audience would greatly enjoy " The Outlaw Josey Wales". You have a great channel and your reactions are succinct and intelligent. As you may be aware, Clint Eastwood turned 94 years old on May 31, 2024. All the best, Kenneth
You brought two too many.
Now that you've called me by name...
Lines that are so iconic they still hit me to the core hearing them in 2024!!
Greatest Western of all time, perhaps the greatest action film of all time. Right up their with Kurosawa and Kobyashi.
The *Trinity* Spaghetti Westerns are awesome too. *They call me Trinity* and *Trinity's still my Name* You have to add them to the list.
And after those 'My Name is Nobody' would be perfect since it's half-and-half of Trinity comedy and Sergio Leone seriousness.
The early shooters were woody strode and Jake Elam
I love these kind of movies where the heros don't always end up with the woman or the riches !
Frank - villain, Cheyenne - anti-hero, Harmonica - hero. Add to that a female lead with real agency and you have a story with great characters, exploring themes common to Westerns of civilization and wilderness overlapping, masculinity and femininity, the modern world finding little use for "a dying breed" who is "just a man". Then add to that the most fantastic score and masterful direction and I think this is not only the greatest Western of all time, but possibly the greatest movie of all time.
Two other great Westerns that deal with men "on the way out", becoming obsolete, are The Magnificent Seven and The Wild Bunch.
That was SO eloquently put I couldn’t have said it better myself!! I thoroughly enjoyed!!
And thank you for the suggestions!!
Once Upon a Time in the West is my favorite movie of all time, and I concur with you Jade this movie have a more solemn tone, and altough it has some levity moments is a more serious picture than any of the dollars trilogy. One interesting theme about this movie is water, water permeates the movie, it drops in the hat of the gunslinger; it's the reason why McBain bought the farm; it's "a bad word around these parts since the floodings" according the tabern owner; it's on the bathtub in wich only 3 people have bathed; Wobbles owns a laundry shop; Morton wants to see the ocean, and dies face into the water; Harmonica asks from water from the well...
Sergio Leone... maybe this and once upon a time in America, maybe his 2 greatest films. So epic, huge, multiple stories, characters, things going on. Just amazing to all take in!
Very nice reaction - this film is looking at the building of America as a nation (and we can see in that flashback that Bronson's character is indigenous) - two other magnificent Westerns in a similar spirit are McCabe and Mrs Miller and Dead Man - and I just realized that Leone's next masterpiece is really a sequel to this one, in the same epic mode, looking at the East Coast - Once Upon a Time in America - and two other gangster masterpieces are The Funeral and The Yards, the latter more indirectly
I love watching your channel Jade! Your reactions are always fun to watch. And I would like to suggest an American Western film, starring the legendary cowboy actor, John Wayne. The movie is called "The Cowboys", about an incredible journey with an awesome music score. It'll be fun watching your reaction to an American Western compared to the classic Spaghetti Western. Thank you for another great movie reaction! 🎥🍿😊
The Italian woman here, one of the most beautiful women to ever exist!
Each of the main characters had their own theme music which would play whenever they appeared onscreen. Also, Sergio Leone literally had red dirt shipped over from Death Valley, U.S.A. to be tossed through the doorway of the tavern when Cheyenne entered. One early idea was to have Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach and Lee Van Cleef from The Good, Bad and the Ugly appear as the three assassins waiting at the station during the opening credits, and then surprise the audience by having Bronson shoot all three dead. The three actors were not interested in flying to Europe for such a brief cameo, so the plan was scrapped.
Oh yeah, I was hoping you'd do this one! I consider this movie to be the "2001: A Space Odyssey" of westerns, just as "Eraserhead" is the "2001: A Space Odyssey" of horror movies.
Glad you enjoyed the "for a few dollars more" movie. It was my favorite of the big 3 Westerns. Glad to see you are truly enjoying them. Even though most won't recommend it you should give "high plain drifter" a look. Definitely different type of Western and klint directed it
I would like to add another movie which is serverly underrated since it came out around the time tombstone came out and that is "The Last Outlaw" with Micky Rourke. That movie will have you on edge the whole time
Henry Fonda never played bad guys but when he did, watch out!
Sergio did movies in series a lot. "Once Upon A Time..." was a movie series- Once Upon A Time In America. And the "Fistful..." movies- Fistful of Dollars, Fistful of Dynamite(also called Duck, You Sucker). These movies generally had different titles depending on where they were released. Spaghetti Westerns definitely have an interesting style!
The name’s Man. Harmonica Man.
After this you need to watch Sergio Leone's ode to gangster movies "Once Upon a Time in America" with DeNiro.
Possibly the greatest cowboy movie ever.
In Leone Westerns, the line between the good guys and the bad guys isn't too clearly defined.
That is something I’ve definitely noticed from his work and I absolutely love it!!
More parallel to real life, everyone feels justified in their actions and therefore it’s not as simple as ‘good guy’ ‘bad guy’!
I agree and this is why Leone's Westerns are my favorites. He gives more realistic depictions of what the Old West was really like. And he's a hell of a good story teller. And what Harmonica did to Frank at the end was true justice. This is my favorite Western of all time.
How about that harmonica anyway? Nerve pinching intensity. That to me is what revenge sounds like.
The end of the movie is the most fascinating to me. It can be interpreted in so many ways. The film was Sergio Leone's farewell letter to western movies and you can feel it in the end. When Harmonica looks out the door and says "some day" it sounds like he doesn't even know what that means. He had lived his whole life waiting for the day he would shoot Frank. It was his "some day" and now it was gone. From the door, Harmonica watches the construction of the railroad that marks the end of the Old West. Civilization is coming and men like him have no more place in this world anymore.
When Harmonica leaves the film, it happens almost unnoticed, without fanfares. He just rides off, carrying Cheyenne's body with him. Like an assistant carrying props off the stage.
At the same time, Jill is taking water to the railway construction site and the workers gather around him. At this point, the workers start to resemble more studio workers who is dismantling set. The shooting is over and now they raise a toast together with whole filming team. All this time, the film has slowly slipped from movie to the reality. And when the movie is really over, only then for the first time in the entire film, we see the title of the movie: Once upon time...
You really need ti watch “The Outlaw Josey Wales”. One of the best westerns ever made, and one of - if not THE best - westerns Clint Eastwood ever did, both as director and actor.
A true Classic.
Well done for choosing to react to this masterpiece !
It's abnormal that there are so few reactions to this film in the UA-cam cinephiles section.
My favorite films are Shawshank Redemption, The Sixth Sense, Scarface and Terminator 2 BUT you can't be a true cinephile if you're not open-minded to films before 1990, whether they're films from the 20s, 40s, 60s, 80s! Whether they're westerns like those of Sergio Leone, peplums like Ben Hur, films by Hitchcock, Kubrick, French directors from the 60s-70s like Melville, René Clément, first ones Mad Max, John Carpenter movies, John Hugues movies etc....
that slappin replay cracked me up
YEAAHHHHH!!! Let´s gooooo, Aussie!. This is my most loved western movie, for all possible reasons. I´m sure that you loved watching this one. See ya, lady.
I absolutely did! It was so fun and yet so genuine, it impressed me a lot!!
Henry fonda as frank is one of mya ll time fav villains because of just how cruel he is when he smiles.
and that look of wordless understanding when he finally realizes who it is who killed him right at the end.
Oh, even this old gem. Nice.
I like how young people are actually taking the time to watch this film and really think about it. One of the best movies ever made. The cast is amazing, especially Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson. Eastwood said no but Bronson is just as good if not better. Music is alto top notch.
The ONLY Western I ever liked. And I LOVE it!
Good one, MJ! Thanks for sharing it.
Thanks for reacting to this epic western which I find far better than the trilogy. I've looked around and found very few people who reacted to this. It's a pity the reaction was too short for my taste. The soundtrack by Ennio Morricone is FANTASTIC with everyone of the 4 main characters (Jill, Harmonica, Cheyenne and Frank) having their own music.
That triple slap. Fonda is so great
One of the best western movies ever made and probably Leone's best; and yeah, I realize that a good argument can be made for TGTBTU. Bronson, Cardinale, Robards and Fonda light it up in this one! Ennio Morricone delivers another masterful composition that happens to include one of the longest gun-fights I have ever seen, and is all the better for it. Fonda is darkly funny and evil with "how can you trust a man that wears both a belt and suspenders?" Highly recommended.
Not sure if there were many natives building the railroads. I think the main builders of our railroads in the old West were the Chinese and Irish immigrants; both of whom were considered second-class citizens
The scenes shown in this film are most accurate depictions of railroad builders. Mainly because black workers could better tolerate unbearable heat (sometimes over 100 degrees). There are also archives and photos of their works as wranglers, cowboys and farmers.
LOL FORCED LABOR LOL Construction workers in 1866
Pick and shovel men, teamsters, blacksmiths, masons, carpenters, mechanics, and track layers were paid an average of $1 per day.
Chinese laborers in the 1860s
Initially paid $27 per month, then $30, minus the cost of food and board. Most of the early workers were Irish immigrants.
3 iconic directors involved in this one - directed by Leone, written by Antonioni and Argento. Henry Fonda, who played Frank, was a giant movie star and had been for a long time. He had always played good guys. So when that camera panned around and audiences saw that Hank Fonda had killed that family, it was a kick in the guts. For a modern comparison, imagine if it was Tom Hanks who just shot a kid.
My man BRONSON.
(Harmonica)
At one time, the highest paid actor in Hollywood.
Freaking classic.
He was brilliant I really enjoyed his enigmatic character!
Great reaction. Glad you watched this one. It was said, at the time of its making that Sergio Leone was one of the most knowledgeable persons on the subject of the American West, a student of its history
The earlier trilogy films were like moral western fantasy, whereas this is like a series of historical dioramas, almost like a stage play, and, in a manner of Unforgiven, tells a tale of changing times.. And yes, the America was built on the backs of forced labor, especially in the west.
A more light-hearted film, Jimmy Stewart, and Henry Fonda - The Cheyenne Social Club - or another condensed history of the West film, with many stars - How the West Was Won (1962) is a great choice
African American Slavery did build certain portions of the American economy, especially the agriculture economy of the South. Very little of the Western expansion involved slavery however. Neither the Chinese nor the Native Americans were slaves and our Civil War ended slavery before the times we see in most western movies. Minorities and immigrants of all types were always very involved in the building of America, which only makes sense due to the vast number of immigrants who were always coming here, but very little of our progress was due to slavery.
Immigrants aka colonisers
This film is a 10 its the greatest masterpiece of the western genre ever filmed abd it was filmed in the USA unlike the man with no name trilogy which was filmed other than the USA
Very good movie. While Jason Robards and Charles Bronson were great actors, I think Henry Fonda was maybe the most popular. Thanks for letting us watch with you...always good! God bless you!
Thank you for watching and joining me on this awesome journey!!
They were all brilliant actors and Henry definitely was magnetic in the screen!