In the late 1950s and early 60s, audiences appeared to have become increasingly tired of the Western genre. The legendary director John Ford - who had influenced everyone from Ingmar Bergman and Orson Welles through to Alfred Hitchcock and Steven Spielberg - was in the twilight of his life, and the Western looked like it was on its last legs. In stepped Sergio Leone to redefine the genre, reinvigorating the Wild West with a little help from Clint Eastwood and introducing the film-going world to the Spaghetti Western. Once Upon a Time in the West is widely considered as the apotheosis of the genre and one of the greatest movies of all time. Masterfully shot in glorious widescreen, Leone employed his trademark juxtaposition of master shots combined with detailed close-ups to full effect, crafting a cruel and unforgiving vision of the Old West. Everything about his unique style is captured in the first amazing 15 minutes, as three killers await the arrival of their prey at a dusty roadhouse out in the desert. Not a single detail is neglected, from the fly crawling around the mouth of one of the killers to the creaking windmill and the steady dripping of water. The tension builds up - quietly yet inexorably - until finally the train arrives and the now classic sound of the harmonica plays on the soundtrack. Few scenes in movie history are as deftly shot and edited as the opening sequence to Once Upon a Time in the West, and even the inevitable final shootout between villain Frank (Henry Fonda) and the mysterious harmonica-playing gunman (Charles Bronson) - excellent as it is - falls short. Still, it deserves its place in the halls of movie masterpieces, and we're indebted to the lasting influence it has had on a long list of filmmakers since its release.
