Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
96%RT Audience Score: 95%
Awards & Nominations: Won 2 Oscars
143 wins & 380 nominations total
A landmark Sergio Leone spaghetti western masterpiece featuring a classic Morricone score.
If you’re looking for a movie that’ll make you feel like a cowboy, then Sergio Leone’s spaghetti western is the way to go. It’s a classic, and the music by Morricone is just as iconic as the film itself. You’ll be humming the tunes for days after watching it. Trust me, this movie is a must-see for any fan of the genre.
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures, Bona Film Group Heyday Films,
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Corriganville, Ray Corrigan Ranch, Simi Valley, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language throughout, some strong graphic violence, drug use, and sexual references
Year of Release
1968
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos Dolby Surround 7.1
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:2h 45m
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Language(s):English, Italian, Spanish, German
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 28, 1969 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 18, 2003
Genre(s)
Western
Keyword(s)
Western, Sergio Leone, directed by Sergio Leone, written by Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci, Sergio Leone, starring Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, Gabriele Ferzetti, Bino Cicogna, PG-13, Paramount Pictures, box office performance, budget, reviewed by TIME Staff, Joshua Rothkopf, Dave Kehr, Stanley Kauffmann, Radheyan Simonpillai, David Jenkins, Brian Eggert, Sarah Brinks, Mike Massie, Ed Travis, David Parkinson, Josh Larsen, 95% Tomatometer, 50,000+ Ratings, Western, Italian, Mono, 35mm, Scope (2.35:1), Sergio Leone spaghetti western, Morricone score, rail baron, henchman, bandit, gunslinger, revenge, landowner, wife, water, showdown, epic, cinematography, scenery, gritty, mysterious, violent, sexist, top Western, best of all time
Worldwide gross: $374,565,754
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $432,793,701
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 356
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 47,196,696
US/Canada gross: $142,502,728
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $164,655,424
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 463
US/Canada opening weekend: $41,082,018
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $47,468,404
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 251
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $90,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $103,990,909
Production budget ranking: 386
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $55,999,104
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $272,803,688
ROI to date (est.): 171%
ROI ranking: 708
Claudia Cardinale – Jill McBain
Charles Bronson – Harmonica
Jason Robards – Cheyenne
Frank Wolff – Brett McBain
Gabriele Ferzetti – Morton
Director(s)
Sergio Leone
Writer(s)
Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci, Sergio Leone
Producer(s)
Bino Cicogna
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 2 Oscars
143 wins & 380 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (66) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (63) | Rotten (3)
Leone’s newest effort, Once Upon a Time in the West, with a major cast and a lot of big studio money behind it, proves that he is simply a serious bore.
March 24, 2020
TIME Staff
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
If there had to be a final Western, Once Upon a Time in the West would be it.
March 24, 2020
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Moments of intense realism flow into passages of operatic extravagance; lowbrow burlesque exists side by side with the expression of the most refined shades of feeling.
March 24, 2020
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
There is something touching and maniacal about the two-and-three-quarter- hour result.
June 18, 2013
Stanley Kauffmann
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
Sergio Leone loaded up for another Spaghetti Western and shot out his magnum opus with this follow-up to the Dollars trilogy. Charles Bronson stars as an ominous stranger known only as Harmonica — on the account of that instrument being the only other th
August 12, 2009 | Rating: 89/100
Radheyan Simonpillai
AskMen.com
TOP CRITIC
‘Once Upon a Time…’ now looks like an over-cooked mess of style, metaphor and reference.
July 24, 2009 | Rating: 3/5
David Jenkins
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Self-aware in every respect, from his dynamic framing to the prolonged showdowns, Leone’s meticulous style may distance some viewers from making an emotional connection to his work, but striking dramatic chords is hardly his principal intention.
March 20, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
The costumes were great as well. Jill McBain stands out from the crowd as a “city” girl when she first arrives – many of her dresses are elegant and beautiful – whereas someone like Cheyenne is always dusty and looks dirty and hot.
March 26, 2021
Sarah Brinks
Battleship Pretension
Although the cast is impressive, with a significant part for a leading lady (something absent from Leone’s other ventures), it’s the primary antagonist who is most amusing.
August 27, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
I wish my words could convey just how wonderful this film is. But they can’t. Sergio Leone was a poet with a camera.
April 2, 2020
Ed Travis
Hollywood Jesus
An operatic masterpiece.
March 24, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
David Parkinson
Radio Times
…an exaggerated, fairy-tale variation on the Western, big bad wolf and all.
June 25, 2018 | Rating: 3.5/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm…
Plot
Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood visits 1969 Los Angeles, where everything is changing, as TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognize anymore. The ninth film from the writer-director features a large ensemble cast and multiple storylines in a tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Henry Fonda, who plays the villainous Frank in the film, was initially hesitant to take on the role because he had never played a bad guy before.
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