Ennio Morricone's 10 Greatest Film Soundtracks
6. Once Upon A Time In The West
Getting into another more well-known works by Ennio Morricone, we have Once Upon a Time in the West, Sergio Leone's sprawling western epic.
Released in 1968, it's a gargantuan film to watch, clocking in at almost three hours long. The production follows two main conflicts taking place around the town of Folkstone involving several characters. One concerns the onward march of modern civilization with the construction of a railroad - the other sees a struggle for the crucial water supply from the nearby Sweetwater.
What makes the film such a standout release to this day comes down to its music score. For this collaboration, Morricone used a combination of both natural sounds and leitmotifs for each of the characters. Both sides of the music were played on the set as the actors performed to help them understand the tone the film was going for.
Overall, the completed score matches the grand, epic nature of the tale perfectly, accompanying both action and dialogue to an exceptional standard. The album release has gone on to sell over ten million units worldwide and is generally regarded as a pivotal component of the film.