Well, I am a little confused. When you select the discuss in forum button for the Italian vs. American Westerns, you get directed here.
Jeff Larsons review prompted me to watch "Once upon a time in the West", by Sergio Leone via my NetFlix account last night.
I was very impressed with the video transfer on many of the close ups. And, as Jeff pointed out, the wide landscape shots and the attention to set detail and costumes was readily apparent through most of the movie. It was also played in Dolby Digital 5.1. I was expecting a much older format with poor video quality and was pleasantly surprised.
I was also surprised that I had not remembered seeing this movie in its entirety. It is a slow moving film that focuses on the artistic aspects of movie making and it is appreciated but it can be old after about the tenth time of lamenting over such slow moving scenes.
The plot was very well done. It did not reveal itself blatantly and it always kept you wondering exactly what are the motives of the different characters and what was the true treasure that everyone was getting killed over. I like that. Most movies tend to insult the intelligence or divulge the plot way too early in the movie leaving nothing to think about.
The acting is very good although the dialogue is hard to follow unless you pay close attention. The music is very memorable and even if you have never seen the film, you will recognize the music style implemented.
Some of the close ups were truly remarkable and far exceeded my expectations for detail in such an old film. I was also surprised that their was a short wait on NetFlix for the DVD.
My only negative comments is that it does move a little slow at times and the auction scene was a little less than convincing.
It is one of those classics that is a must see and it can be appreciated for its artistic statments but its slow pace hurts its overall package and I can understand why other westerns are more popular.
