Once Upon a Time in the West

Saw this movie when I was a kid in 1969 at the state theater in south city California the images and especially the music are unforgettable a truly work of cinema genius I also recommend buying the soundtrack also the opening credits scene is pure perfection and I will never forget Henry Fonda and his gang gunning down the family and little boy then the train whistle watch this movie on the biggest screen you can get

As impressive an experience as it was when I first saw it in the theater in 1968. Sergio and Ennio clearly took the term "horse opera" literally, and only "Good, Bad, and Ugly" can compete with this work of art.

Cannot argue with some that this is one of the best westerns ever made. Sergio Leone finally got the actors he wanted instead of Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef. (Clint turned down the role) Yes, there is the spaghetti element of voice overs and not the greatest sound, but much better than the No Name Trilogies starring Clint. Cinematography is very good and the good outweighs the bad that 4K resolution can show. . But the story, is awesome. Highly recommend it. Buckle up, and make a lot of popcorn as this movie runs almost 3 hours long.

Hubby loves it. I am not a big fan like my hubby and grandsons, but if you like the old spaghetti western classics, grab this one. Lots of great actors.

For most people, you'll either love Sergio Leone's "Spaghetti Westerns" or dismiss them outright. There's not a lot of middle ground between the two positions. Critics initially panned and derided these films but over the decades they have become much loved and respected by critics and fans alike with many claiming these westerns are among the best of the entire genre. After filming his famous Clint Eastwood driven "Dollar Trilogy" Leone would go on to make this serious magnum opus. A continuing fusion of his particular style of Italian grand opera and his long-standing homage and reinvention of the American western. This iconic film has most all the themes of the genre. Leone borrows from John Ford's "The Searchers", "My Darling Clementine" as well as films like Ray's Johnny Guitar and many others. The operatic style is typical and is right off the bat shown in the opening gun fight scene. A scene which most film makers would have last a minute or two billows up to a 12+ minute movie within a movie. Humor, pathos, tension, irony, violence all packed in to this one scene to introduce Harmonica, one of the main characters of the movie. It's pure Leone. Or the fantastic introduction of Jill, the one main female character. She gets off the train and in one of the great single unbroken shots in all of cinema walks across the platform through the train station and out the other side to a stunning crane carried camera shot of the thriving western town of Flagstone all done to the beautiful, heart-breaking Jill's theme composed by long time Leone collaborator Ennio Morricone. Every time I watch this scene it sends shivers up and down my spine. Again, pure Leone. If you are a fan of modern frenetic paced CGI ladened films then Leone will probably not be for you. But if you love cinema as a pure art form then give this grand opus western a try.This 4K UHD release from Paramount is somewhat controversial to say the least with reviews both here and across the web. And while I agree with most purists' comments on the video presentations' problems it will still be a top-notch in home cinema experience for the vast majority of viewers. There is no doubt that there is some DNR present along with a noticeable lower bitrate that creates a "smoother" picture than is intended by Leone. The gritty, grainy feel to this film is missing here. It is not quite that fatal as I think most viewers including this one will enjoy the excellent color timing and wonderful 3D pop with the Dolby Vision HDR and its now greatly illuminated interiors, glistening sweaty faces and overall detail. The sound is clear and does great service to the wonderful score and the dialog is easy to hear. Most all the special features are ported over from previous disc releases and are quite interesting. This release is highly recommended despite the slightly compromised video remastering and is still a glorious home viewing experience of an absolutely essential western classic.

Great old movie...wating in desert house...

An excellent movie my dad loved Western movies and shows so I bought a copy for my self in memory of him, I like the old spaghetti Westerns and this one is worth having

This is a classic.