Once Upon a Time in the West: Difference between revisions

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'''Cheyenne''': But sons of bitches? Yeah. }}

 

 

It's remembered for its beautiful cinematography, cracklingly quotable dialogue, and its fascinatingly enigmatic characters. It's also remarkable for its brilliant casting: [[Charles Bronson]] as another [[No Name Given|"man with no name"]] seeking revenge, Claudia Cardinale as Jill, the young, pretty widow {{spoiler|with a past as a prostitute}}, Jason Robards as the bandit Cheyenne, and [[Henry Fonda]] as [[Playing Against Type|the villainous]] Frank, who works for the [[Railroad Baron|railroad tycoon]] Mr. Morton (Gabriele Ferzetti).

Harmonica has a personal vendetta against Frank, so he and Cheyenne fight against Frank and his boss, Mr. Morton. They defend Jill's homestead and discover her late husband's plan to make a fortune.

 

 

{{tropelist}}

* [[Absolute Cleavage]]

* [[Accidental Public Confession]]: A chilling version occurs at the beginning of the movie. Frank and his men have just finished massacring a family, only to exit the house and find a small boy staring at them.

'''Frank:''' [[Pre-Mortem One-Liner|Now that you've called me by name.]] }}

* [[Affably Evil]]: Cheyenne ''is'' a bandit, but he's fighting against someone much worse.

* [[Anti-Hero]]

* [[Badass Boast]]: In Harmonicas establishing scene, [[Showdown At High Noon|when three of Franks men are waiting for him]]:

'''Harmonica:''' ''"You brought two too many."'' }}

* [[Badass Longcoat]]

* [[Batman Gambit]]

* [[Better to Die Than Be Killed]]: In the flashback, {{spoiler|Harmonica is kicked to the ground by his brother, who had Harmonica as a platform as he was being hanged by Frank and his men. Harmonica's brother would rather commit suicide that let his younger brother be responsible for his death.}} It all goes to show just how horrible Frank is.

** ...Catholic priest, that is.

* [[False Reassurance]]:

'''Frank:''' People scare better when they're dying. }}

* [[Flash Back]]: Used to reveal why Harmonica pursues Frank.

* [[The Gunslinger]]

* [[Hooker with a Heart of Gold]]: Jill is the most morally sound character in the film.

* [[Ho Yay]]: Cheyenne and Harmonica, especially in the tavern during their first meeting.

** They even go [[Riding Into the Sunset]] together at the end. {{spoiler|And then, Cheyenne dies. But Harmonica ''keeps his body''.}}

* [[I Have You Now, My Pretty]]: Subverted, as {{spoiler|Jill complies in order to save her life, even pretending to like it.}} There's also a bizarre scene near the beginning where Harmonica ambushes Jill in a barn, roughs her up a little and rips her dress... Nothing happens, though.

* [[One-Woman Wail]]: "Jill's America."

* [[The Only One Allowed to Defeat You]]: Harmonica

'''Harmonica''': "I {{spoiler|didn't let them kill him}}, and that's not the same thing." }}

* [[Post Modernism]]: See [[Deconstruction]] or [[wikipedia:Once Upon a Time in the West#Film references|That Other Wiki]]. French theorist [[wikipedia:Jean Baudrillard|Jean Baudrillard]] once deemed Once Upon A Time In The West the first postmodern film.

* [[Pre-Ass-Kicking One-Liner]]: "''When you hear a strange sound, drop to the ground...''"

** And referenced in a later shootout:

'''Harmonica''': "Right... About... ''Now.''" }}

* [[Psycho for Hire]]: Frank

[[Category:Once Upon a Time in the West]]

[[Category:Film Westerns]]