From the characters to the actors, we put Once Upon a Time in the West against The Good, The Bad and The Ugly for the title of best Spaghetti Western.
The so-called Spaghetti Western was a revolutionary and highly influential genre that came about in the 1960s. The films of the genre saw Italian directors taking on the American Western stories which made for epic – and often beautiful – films, some of which are ranked among the best films of all time.
Two of the most iconic films in the genre are Once Upon a Time in the West and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, both directed by Sergio Leone. The films both serve as pillars for the genre, but which is a better representation of how special the Spaghetti Western genre can be? Let’s take a look at how these two masterpieces compare to each other.
Once Upon A Time In The West: Opening
The opening sequence in Once Upon a Time in the West is a beautiful short film all by itself. The extended sequence introduces three intimidating gunmen who wait for a train at an abandoned station.
The grouping appears Leone’s monstrous ability for building pressure as well as how he does not feel the got to surge a grouping along. It too makes for a awesome presentation for the gunslinger Harmonica (Charles Bronson), promptly displaying him as a genuine badass. It’s a scene that draws you in and makes you need more.
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly: The Civil War
The American Civil War is often mentioned to some extent in Westerns, but it rarely becomes a significant part of the story despite being such a significant event of the time. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly uses the war as a fantastic setting for this story of treasure seekers.
It’s curiously to see a film in which the nation is at war whereas this Western enterprise is going on. The characters are out for their possess wants indeed with all the battling around them. It too makes for a exciting scene when the characters discover themselves within the middle of a front line.
Once Upon A Time In The West: The Story
Often times the story in the Spaghetti Westerns takes a backseat to the stunning visuals rather than the storytelling. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly has a story that works well enough to benefit the film, but Once Upon a Time in the West is actually a fairly interesting story.
The way the film brings its characters together is done exceptionally viably indeed whereas you do not know what it is building to. But as increasingly is uncovered, the plot takes shape and we ended up indeed more contributed within the characters and their result. In spite of the fact that a straightforward story, it is holding from starting to conclusion.
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly: Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood was actually having a hard time finding a career in American-made Western films before Leone found him. Eastwood appeared in Leone’s first two films in the so-called Dollars Trilogy before creating one of his most iconic and breakout performances as Blondie in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Eastwood perfected the ice-cold hero who doesn’t seem to get riled by anything and can intimidate anyone with just a stare. Though a man of few words, Eastwood makes for an instantly iconic hero in the genre.
Once Upon A Time In The West: Henry Fonda
While Eastwood’s hero is the stand out of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, it is the villain who steals the show in Once Upon a Time in the West. Frank is a ruthless, cruel and cold-blooded killer that adds tension to any scene he’s in.
To form the character indeed more curiously, he is played by Henry Fonda who was, up to that point, continuously known for his respectable characters. From his extraordinary basic scene, Straight to the point is built up as a man who will appear no benevolence and not think twice around murdering.
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly: The Trio
Both of Leone’s films feature a memorable set of key characters, but The Good, the Bad and the Ugly edges out for the memorable trio of characters at the center of its story. Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach play the three characters referenced in the title and they are each perfect in their roles.
They all get their claim paramount presentation and rapidly set up themselves as curiously characters who can be at the center of their claim movies. It makes for a few extraordinary excitement once the characters come together to share the screen.
Once Upon A Time In The West: Unlikely Allies
Though the trio at the center of Once Upon a Time in the West might not be quite as memorable as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the way the three heroes come together is part of the fun of the story.
Jill McBain is a woman whose family was murdered by Frank, Cheyenne is an outlaw framed for the crime and Harmonica is a mysterious gunslinger with a vendetta against Frank. Together, they form an uneasy alliance against their common enemy and slowing form a strong partnership.
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly: The Score
Perhaps Leone’s most important collaborator in his career was Ennio Morricone. The famed composer worked on many of Leone’s films and added so much excitement, emotion, and power to them through his incredible music.
Though both films feature brilliant soundtracks, the main score for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is one of the most iconic film scores of all time. It is a tune that has become synonymous with the Western genre and sets the film off on the perfect note as soon as it begins playing.
Once Upon A Time In The West: Harmonica’s Flashback
In conjunction with all the cool activity and curiously visuals, Leone’s movies can also deliver a staggering passionate clobber. Once Upon a Time within the West builds to its climax continuously and deliberately. When it comes to the ultimate confrontation, we get to see why Harmonica incorporates a resentment against Straight to the point.
The flashback shows Frank gleefully watching as young Harmonica tries to hold his father up who has a noose tied around his neck. Frank smiles as the boy falls and his father hangs. The moment is a masterful and effective payoff.
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly: The Standoff
As great as that flashback is in Once Upon a Time in the West, nothing beats the final showdown in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. As the three main characters reach the spot where the treasure is said to be buried, they square off in a three-way showdown.
The minute may be a masterclass in course and altering with Morricone’s score building and building until the pressure is nearly agonizing. It has gone down as one of the foremost popular film scenes of all time and it’s not difficult to see why.