2. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
If one was forced to choose a single spaghetti western that would represent the entire genre, there would be no contest. Sergio Leone's
Once Upon a Time in the West is the only contender. It's filled with all the trappings (extreme closeups, long silences, a fantastic Ennio Morricone score etc.) but elevates them to a level unseen in westerns at the time. Charles Bronson takes on the Man with No Name role in this go-around, having the nickname "Harmonica" given to him thanks to his proficiency with a mouth harp. While Bronson's hero is just as stoic as Eastwood's, the gem of the film is Henry Fonda, playing against type as the villainous gun-for-hire Frank. Every scene he's in is filled with menace and a presence that's bigger than life. If Sergio Leone truly is the king of the spaghetti western, then his crowning achievement in the sub-genre must be this lyrical tale of justice and revenge.